English

Alternative forms

• non-theistic

Adjective

nontheistic ‎(not comparable)

1. Not believing in any gods
   • 1866 February 15, Bayne, Peter, “Critical Notices: The Heavenly Father: Lectures on Modern Atheism”, in The Fortnightly Review, volume 4, number 19, page 119:

     The most influential contemporary school of non-theistic philosophers, the school of Comte, deny that either theism or atheism can be proved, and proscribe, with impartial rigour, all argument on either side...

   • 1892, Deems, Charles Force, The Outlook of Theology, volume 9, New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, page 440:

     If the universe be regarded as self-existing, then men might hold to evolution, which is distinctly non-theistic, if not atheistic, not requiring a God for the reason that it is founded on the assumption that the possibility and potency and promise of all things reside in matter as matter.

   • 1895, Flint, Robert, Theism: being the Baird lecture for 1876, 9th edition, William Blackwood and Sons, Lecture II, page 30:

     But to determine the position and worth of a religion, whether theistic or non-theistic, it is indispensable that we have some notion of what religion is in itself.

   • 1960, Smith, Hilary Shelton, American Christianity: 1820-1960, ISBN 9780684157450, OL 11132932M:

     Thus what he called "natural religion" must not be confused with modern brands of naturalistic or nontheistic religion.

   • 1991, Baird, Marie Louise, Contemplative Psychology, translation of original by H.F. de Wit, ISBN 9780820702285, page 156:

     The nontheistic tradition of Buddhism generally takes the view that people (with each other's help) can liberate themselves.

Synonyms

• atheistic

Hyponyms

• agnostic

Derived terms

• nontheistically

Related terms

• nontheism
• nontheist