The Birth of Venus (detail), a
1486 painting by
Sandro Botticelli
God most commonly refers to the deity worshipped by followers of monotheistic religions, whom they believe to be the creator and ruler of the universe.
Theologians have ascribed various attributes to God, including omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. He has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".
Namesakes
Etymology
From Middle English, from Old English god (“deity”) (akin to Old High German got (a rank of deity)), originally neuter, then changed to masculine to reflect the change in religion to Christianity, both from the Proto-Germanic *gudą (compare Dutch god, German Gott, Danish gud), from the Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰuto- (“invoked (one)”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewH- (“to call, to invoke”) or *ǵʰew- (“to pour”). Not related to the word good.
Dicta
See also