Personal god
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A Personal god is a deity that is, and can be related to as, a person. The personhood of God is one of the characteristic features of monotheism. In the sacred scriptures of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, God is conceived and described as being a personal creator, with a purpose for the creation. In the Pentateuch, for example, God talks and instructs his prophets and is conceived as possessing volition, emotions (such as anger, grief and jealousy), intention, and other attributes characteristic of a human person. In Vaishnavism the reality of God is always not in an idealization, but the actual impact of God in the life of man. Islam however, very clearly opposes conceiving God as resembling "the creation" - refraining from anthropomorphism. The Qur'an maintains that whatever image a believer has of God, is not God, and that he is truly transcendental.
However, the conception of God as a person should not be equated with a simple anthropomorphism. Relating to God as a Father (as in Christianity) or a Friend (in Sufism) is only a way of approaching God and the intimacy possible with one's own maker. It is this intimate relationship with God that is at the core of the Holy Spirit concept, which refers to God's real presence in each living human being.
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