Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, intentions, or behaviors to non-human entities, such as animals, objects, or natural phenomena. It is used to make the unfamiliar familiar, enhancing relatability in literature, art, and marketing, and often helps people understand, connect with, or personify their surroundings.
VLA Comment:
Religions
Highly anthropomorphic: Greek, Norse, Egyptian, LDS (Mormonism)
Mixed / layered: Hinduism, Christianity
Low anthropomorphism: Islam, Judaism
Minimal / none: Buddhism, philosophical Taoism
Bhagavad Gita Vedic/Hinduism)
Foundational passages from the Upanishads (VEDAS) that move away from anthropomorphic (human-like) ideas of God and emphasize an impersonal, formless Absolute (Brahman):
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
“Neti, neti” (“Not this, not that”)
“Not gross, not subtle… not short, not long…”
Shvetashvatara Upanishad
“Without form, without parts… beyond all attributes”
Mundaka Upanishad
“That which cannot be seen, cannot be grasped… without eyes or ears…”
Chandogya Upanishad
“Where one sees nothing else… that is the Infinite”
Kena Upanishad
“The eye cannot reach it, nor speech, nor mind…”
Impersonal (Brahman/formless light) and personal (Krishna/Supreme Personality of Godhead) as aspects of the same Ultimate Reality. While acknowledging the formless, the Gita highlights the personal, loving relationship with God as the highest and more accessible path.
The personal vs impersonal debate centers on whether God is an abstract force or a relatable supreme being. The Gita resolves this by stating that the absolute reality is ultimately personal. The impersonal aspect is not deemed inferior, but merely a state without the overt display of divine personality and pastimes.
Example: Mormonism (latter day saints) How Mormonism is anthropomorphic-
1. God has a physical body
In LDS doctrine, God the Father is believed to have a tangible, perfected physical body of flesh and bone.
This contrasts with traditional Christian theology, which typically teaches that God is purely spirit (non-physical).