Immanentia Omnis: God’s All-Immanence as Parallel to Actus Purus

Abstract: This post and paper presents a theological conception of God’s immanence in Christian theology, riffing off of Gregory of Nazianzus’s understanding of Divine involvement within creation. It introduces “Immanentia Omnis” as a term to encapsulate God’s pervasive presence in all creation, counterbalancing the concept of “Actus Purus,” which encapsulates God’s transcendence. This study argues that “Immanentia Omnis” doesn’t equate God with creation (pantheism) nor implies God as a part of creation (panentheism). Instead, it affirms God’s essence as transcending, yet permeating, all existence. Utilizing terms from previous posts personalistic identity theory, and further developing them here, and applying we begin to see the implications for all immanence. The implications of “Immanentia Omnis” are profound: it underscores God’s intimate connection with creation, resonates with Christian doctrines of incarnation and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, complements “Actus Purus,” and resonates with Christian lived experiences, emphasizing the ultimate immanence and transcendence of God in Christian faith and practice.

Introduction

This paper is a continuation of a series I’m doing on my Model of the Trinity. Today we explicate the concept of Immanence used for my model, T=[Actus Purus, Immanentia Omnis]. This is a work in Theology proper so it should be much more assessable than my previous pieces. Enjoy and hope it helps.

Theology, in its quest to fathom the unfathomable God, often employs language that is as evocative as it is precise. Such language serves not only as a shorthand for complex theological concepts but also assists in shaping our understanding of the divine mystery. Christian theology, specifically classical theism, has produced notable Latin phrases that encapsulate significant facets of God’s nature. “Actus Purus” and “Ipsum Esse Subsistens,” signifying God’s pure actuality and self-sustaining existence respectively, have been instrumental in conveying ideas about God’s transcendence. However, theology often appears to struggle with analogous terminology to capture the concept of God’s immanence, an aspect equally critical in Christian understanding. This paper aims to address this gap by proposing the concept of “Immanentia Omnis,” representing God’s pervasive presence throughout all existence.

This will be done not only parallel pithy Transcendent language (like Actus Purus), but to also follow similar ways great theologians have expressed the domain. For example, Eriugena presents God as the cause and essence of all things in his work, Periphyseon (Book One, sections 441C-444A), serves to articulate the simultaneous immanence and transcendence of God. He writes, “….all the things that are created by Him. And rightly so: for as Dionysius the Areopagite says, He is the Essence of all things Who alone truly is. ‘For,’ says he, ‘the being of all things is the Divinity Who is above Being.’ 

Gregory the Theologian too proves by many arguments that no substance or essence of any creature, whether visible or invisible, can be comprehended by the intellect or by reason as to what it is. For just as God as He is in Himself beyond every creature is comprehended by no intellect, so is He equally incomprehensible when considered in the innermost depths of the creature which was made by Him and which exists in Him; while whatsoever in every creature is either perceived by the bodily sense or contemplated by the intellect is merely some accident to each creature’s essence which, as has been said, by itself is incomprehensible, but which, either by quality or by quantity or by form or by matter or by some difference or by place or by time, is known not as to what it is but as to that it is.“ Eriugena, Johannes Scotus. Periphyseon (The Division of Nature). Book 1, section 433B. Translated by John J. O’Meara and I. P. Sheldon-Williams. 

Immanence in Christian Theology

Gregory of Nazianzus, in his Theological Orations (Oration 2, see picture below), conceptualized this balance between God’s immanence and transcendence, affirming the intimate involvement of the Divine within creation.  

 Christian theology, God’s immanence refers to His intimate presence within creation. Unlike pantheism, which equates God with creation, Christian theology maintains a careful balance between God’s transcendence (God’s independence and otherness from creation) and His immanence (God’s closeness and involvement within creation). Both these aspects are fundamental to the Christian understanding of God. 

Immanence is reflected in scripture and tradition in several ways. We see it in the incarnation of Christ, God becoming human, dwelling among us, and in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within believers. Yet, traditional theological language has often leaned more heavily on concepts articulating God’s transcendence. Hence, there’s a clear need for a phrase, parallel to Actus Purus, to encapsulate God’s immanence.

Immanentia Omnis: An Explication

The term “Immanentia Omnis” can be a valuable addition to the theological lexicon to serve this purpose. Translating to “Immanence of All,” this term serves to encapsulate the concept of God’s pervasive presence throughout all of creation. 

Understood within the framework T = [Actus Purus, Immanentia Omnis], Immanentia Omnis represents one end of a theological spectrum, paralleling the concept of Actus Purus. As Actus Purus encapsulates God’s transcendence by indicating God as “pure act” or a reality fully actualized without any potentiality, Immanentia Omnis expresses God’s all-immanence, suggesting that God’s presence permeates all of creation, whilst God’s essence remains distinct and transcendent. 

However, this does not equate God with the creation (as in pantheism), nor does it imply that God is a part of creation (as in panentheism). Instead, it affirms that God, in His essence, is not confined or limited by creation, yet His activity and presence pervade all existence. In his Summa Theologiae (First Part, Question 8, Article 1), Thomas Aquinas maintained a similar understanding, affirming God’s presence “God is in all things; not, indeed, as part of their essence, nor as an accident, but as an agent is present to that upon which it works. For an agent must be joined to that wherein it acts immediately and touch it by its power; hence it is proved in Phys. vii that the thing moved and the mover must be joined together. Now since God is very being by His own essence, created being must be His proper effect; as to ignite is the proper effect of fire. Now God causes this effect in things not only when they first begin to be, but as long as they are preserved in being…” (https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1008.htm )

Implications of Immanentia Omnis

The concept of Immanentia Omnis has profound implications for understanding the Christian God. Firstly, it underscores the intimate connection between God and creation, reaffirming God’s care, involvement, and love for the world. This counters any notion of God as a distant, detached Deity, a misconception that can arise from an overemphasis on divine transcendence.

Secondly, Immanentia Omnis resonates deeply with the Christian doctrines of incarnation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, both highlighting God’s immanence. It provides a philosophical and theological grounding for these doctrines, offering a conceptual framework to understand how the transcendent God can be intimately involved with His creation.

Thirdly, Immanentia Omnis complements the concept of Actus Purus by presenting a more balanced perspective of God’s nature. This reinforces the Christian understanding of God as a being who is wholly other (transcendent) and yet intimately involved (immanent). It affirms the Christian conception of God as a mystery that encompasses both ultimate transcendence and ultimate immanence.

The concept of Immanentia Omnis also resonates deeply with the lived experiences of Christians in prayer and practice. This is visible in the regular reading and interpretation of the Bible, in the confessions and prayers uttered, and in the recitation of creeds. These activities are not only ways of expressing faith but are also ways of experiencing the immanence of God, the nearness of the Divine.

Scripture is often seen as a space where the divine and human worlds intersect, where the voice of God is heard and His presence felt. In reading and interpreting the Bible, Christians believe they are engaging with God’s Word, a Word that is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), a testament to God’s pervasive immanence.

Similarly, in the act of confession and prayer, the believer is engaging with a God who is near, who hears and responds. The words of the Psalmist resonate deeply here: “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). The immanence of God is palpably felt in the intimate dialogue of prayer.

Creeds, too, bear witness to this immanence. The Nicene Creed, for instance, speaks of God as “Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.” This language affirms the pervasive presence of God in all of creation, both seen and unseen, thus reinforcing the concept of Immanentia Omnis.

Historically, prominent theologians have powerfully employed the idea of divine immanence, because it reassures believers that God is not remote but a loving presence pervading existence. Gregory of Nazianzus, for instance, emphasized the immanent presence of God in the world while simultaneously affirming His transcendence. Augustine of Hippo, too, saw God as intimately involved in the world and human affairs, stating famously, “Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!

Lo, you were within,
but I outside, seeking there for you,
and upon the shapely things you have made
I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.
You were with me, but I was not with you.
They held me back far from you,
those things which would have no being,
were they not in you.

You called, shouted, broke through my deafness;
you flared, blazed, banished my blindness;
you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you;
I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst;
you touched me, and I burned for your peace”​ ( https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/late-have-i-loved-you-beauty-augustine_feast_august-28/ ).

It is empowering that greats like Augustine, and John Scotus Eriugena asserted that God’s essence is present in all things and yet is also beyond all things, a wonderful echo of Immanentia Omnis. And, of course, Thomas Aquinas, while profoundly emphasizing God’s transcendence through concepts like Actus Purus and Ipsum Esse Subsistens, equally affirmed God’s immanence, as quoted above. These are not lightweight theologians. 

In my opinion we not only need these personalistic terms for immanence, but a tailored for the God of classical theism theory of identity, which is why I started forming one here: https://robertdryer.com/god-is-immanentia-omnis-divine-confluent-identity-theory-dcit-for-solving-the-simplicity-trinity-problem/

I think such an identity theory, with terms in a personalistic way, will open up for us to talk about God’s immanence proper, as we’re doing here and will continue to. The terms DivAP and DivIO are introduced and applied in the idenitity theory I developed there and in the glossary of terms you can find here: https://robertdryer.com/god-is-immanentia-omnis-a-glossary/ With that in the background we can continue…

Ultimately, Immanentia Omnis emphasizes the profound accessibility of God to creation, a reality grounded in the theological model T=[DivAP, DivIO]. As the embodiment of Divine Actualized Potential (DivAP), each person of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is fully actualized, eternally manifesting all divine potentialities. This complete actualization resonates deeply with the concept of immanence, illustrating how the Creator intimately interrelates with creation.

In turn, the Divine Infinite Openness (DivIO) illuminates God’s limitless openness to His creation. The triune God, in His DivIO, bridges the unfathomable chasm between the Creator and creation, facilitating authentic interaction and relationship.

Immanentia Omnis assures believers that God is far from an aloof or indifferent being. (Please recall our glossary of terms here, https://robertdryer.com/god-is-immanentia-omnis-defining-terms/  ) Instead, the Divine, in the reality of DivAP and DivIO, is a compassionate presence pervading all existence. The very act of the Trinity’s interrelation, embodying full actualization and infinite openness within the divine essence, attests to a God who is closer to believers than they are to themselves within creation.

This divine interrelation, reminiscent of the concept of mixed relations but with a significant emphasis on immanence, underscores that God is dynamically alive. As such, God’s immanence frame as trinity in T=[DivAP, DivIO] is not a passive quality but an active, relational presence, actualizing all potentials in an infinitely open manner within creation that the Father, Son, and Spirit wholly imbue being the One. Thus, Immanentia Omnis manifests as a testament to God’s vibrant life within all existence.

Conclusion

Immanentia Omnis enriches our theological language and understanding of God’s immanence. It presents a theological counterbalance to concepts signifying God’s transcendence. Immanentia Omnis encapsulates the Christian conviction of God’s pervasive presence in all of creation, upholding His intimacy, accessibility, and infinite love. As we contemplate this profound mystery, we are reminded of His enduring promise: “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In emphasizing the concept of Immanentia Omnis, we revisit Aquinas’ affirmation (Summa Theologiae, First Part, Question 8, Article 1) of God’s pervasive immanence, the belief that God is present within every part of creation, acting upon it from within. This promise echoes the essence of Immanentia Omnis and affirms the core Christian belief: “In him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Here’s my attempt at making the concept of Immanentia Omnis or the concept of transcendence here sound pithy too: “The state in which, In God, all presence is proximate and all proximity pervades. This represents the constant interaction with creation, with God operating within the bounds of the universe while simultaneously transcending them.”