Deities, Gender Images and

Deities and Images in World Religions

Anthropomorphic myths and images provide a way for people to think of and talk about the sacred, which is viewed as ineffable and beyond human understanding. Deities are conceived of in myriad ways. Social location and experience also determine how one envisions the concept of deity. In general, a deity, or god, is the conceptualization of the sacred as a powerful, divine, and supernatural being that is highly regarded and venerated. In polytheistic religions, multiple deities are worshipped and are often imaged as human-like or as personifications of cosmic and natural forces. In monotheistic religions, deity is imaged as a singular transcendent and Supreme Being who created the universe. In atheistic religions, such as Buddhism, the sacred is not conceived as a deity but, rather, as an abstract principle or as a state of heightened consciousness and enlightenment. Deities may be imaged in human or animal form or in symbolic and iconic forms. Deities have various symbolic associations that, through iconic images, visually describe their qualities. For example, in the Christian trinity, a dove signifies the Holy Spirit, one of three aspects of a singular God. The dove also signifies breath, wind, and ascent—all visual metaphors that express the nature of deity as transcendent and enlivening.

Deities often serve as guideposts for acting and relating in the world. In some traditions, deities are imaged with human qualities and personalities possessing consciousness, emotions, and desires. Some deities are thought to be distant and inaccessible to humans, but others are believed to be invisible but omnipresent. Some believe that deities reveal themselves to people or manifest in human form. In many religions, people feel obligated to deities and believe that the purpose of life is to serve them. Deities can be peaceful and auspicious or menacing and wrathful, and they are often portrayed as engaged in a battle for supremacy. The battle between deities is a metaphor for the human inner struggle to conquer ego and selfish desire. However deities are envisaged, gender is an integral part of the way people construct sacred reality and identities.

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