Omnipresence or ubiquity is the property of being present everywhere. According to eastern theism, God is present everywhere. Divine omnipresence is thus one of the divine attributes, although in western theism it has attracted less philosophical attention than such attributes as omnipotence, omniscience, or being eternal.
In western theism, omnipresence is roughly described as the ability to be "present everywhere at the same time",[1] referring to an unbounded or universal presence (at the same time, some (like the Jehovah's Witnesses) claim God is not omnipresent). It is related to the concept of ubiquity, the ability to be everywhere or in many places at once.[2]
This characteristic is most commonly used in a religious context, as most doctrines bestow the trait of omnipresence onto a superior, usually a deity commonly referred to as God by monotheists. This idea differs from Pantheism.
Hinduism, and other religions that derive from it, incorporate the theory of transcendent and immanent omnipresence which is the traditional meaning of the word, Brahman. This theory defines a universal and fundamental substance, which is the source of all physical existence.
Some[who?] argue that omnipresence is a derived characteristic: an omniscient and omnipotent deity knows every thing and can be and act everywhere, simultaneously. Others propound a deity as having the "Three O's", including omnipresence as a unique characteristic of the deity. Most Christian denominations — following theology standardized by the Nicene Creed — explains the concept of omnipresence in the form of the "Trinity", by having a single deity (God) made up of three omnipresent persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Many ancient cultures such as Vedic, Native American civilizations share similar views on omnipresent nature; the ancient Greeks and Rome did not worship an omnipresent being. While most Paleolithic cultures followed polytheistic practices[citation needed]. A form of omnipresent deity arises from a worldview that does not share ideas with mono-local deity cultures. Some omnipresent religions see the whole of Existence as a manifestation of the deity. There are two predominant viewpoints here: pantheism, deity is the summation of Existence; and panentheism, deity is an emergent property of Existence. The first is closest to the Native Americans' worldview; the latter resembles the Vedic outlook.
v· Jewish and Christian religions, God is omnipresent. However, the major difference between these monotheistic religions and other religious systems is that God is still transcendent to His creation and yet immanent in relating to creation. God is not immersed in the substance of creation, even though he is able to interact with it as he chooses. He cannot be excluded from any location or object in creation (Thomas C Oden "The Living God: Systematic Theology Vol 1 pg 67). God's presence is continuous throughout all of creation, though it may not be revealed in the same way at the same time to people everywhere. At times, he may be actively present in a situation, while he may not reveal that he is present in another circumstance in some other area. The Bible reveals that God can be both present to a person in a manifest manner (Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 57:15) as well as being present in every situation in all of creation at any given time (Psalm 33:13-14). Specifically, Oden states (pg. 68-69) that the Bible shows that God can be present in every aspect of human life:
God is naturally present in every aspect of the natural order, in every level of causality, every fleeting moment and momentous event of natural history...(Psalm 8:3, Isaiah 40:12, Nahum 1:3)
God is actively present in a different way in every event in history as provident guide of human affairs (Psalm 48:7)
God is in a special way attentively present to those who call upon his name, intercede for others, who adore God, who petition, who pray earnestly for forgiveness (Gospel of Matthew 18:19, Book of Acts 17:27)
God is mystically present in the Eucharist, and through the means of grace in the church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 2:12, John 6:56)
God is sacredly present and becomes known in special places where God chooses to meet us, places that become set apart by the faithful remembering community (1 Corinthians 11:23-29) where it may said: "Truly the Lord is in this place" (Genesis 28:16, Matthew 18:20)"
In the Judeo-Christian religions, God is omnipresent in a way that he is able to interact with his creation however he chooses, and is not the very essence of his creation. While contrary to normal physical intuitions, such omnipresence is logically possible by way of the classic geometric point or its equivalent, in that such a point is, by definition, within all of space without taking up any space.
omniprésence — [ ɔmniprezɑ̃s ] n. f. • 1700; de omni et présence ♦ Littér. Faculté de pouvoir être présent partout; présence en tout lieu. ⇒ ubiquité. L omniprésence de Dieu. L omniprésence de son souvenir. ● omniprésence nom féminin (latin scolastique… … Encyclopédie Universelle
Omnipresence — Om ni*pres ence ([o^]m n[i^]*pr[e^]z ens), n. [Cf. F. omnipr[ e]sence.] Presence in every place at the same time; unbounded or universal presence; ubiquity. [1913 Webster] His omnipresence fills Land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
omnipresence — Omnipresence is the property of being present everywhere in at least some sense of present everywhere . Christian philosophers do not believe that God is physically present everywhere in the way that we are physically present in the space… … Christian Philosophy
omnipresence — (n.) c.1600, from M.L. omnipraesentia, from omnipraesens, from L. omnis all, every (see OMNI (Cf. omni) ) + praesens present (see PRESENT (Cf. present) (adj.)) … Etymology dictionary
Omniprésence — Ubiquité L ubiquité est la capacité d être présent en plusieurs lieux simultanément. Le terme est dérivé du latin « ubique » qui signifie « partout ». À l origine, c est un attribut divin. Ensuite le don d être partout à la… … Wikipédia en Français
omniprésence — (entrée créée par le supplément) (o mni pré zan s ) s. f. Terme de théologie. Présence en tous lieux. • Les attributs divins.... tels que l éternité.... l omniscience, l immensité et omniprésence..., GODESCARD Vie des Saints, p. 455 … Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré
omnipresence — omnipresent ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of God) present everywhere at the same time. 2) widely or constantly encountered. DERIVATIVES omnipresence noun … English terms dictionary
omnipresence — noun Date: 1601 the quality or state of being omnipresent ; ubiquity … New Collegiate Dictionary
omnipresence — See omnipresent. * * * … Universalium
omnipresence — noun the ability to be at all places at the same time; usually only attributed to God Syn: ubiquity See Also: omnipresent … Wiktionary
