Deus Otiosus - Examples

Examples

In Sumer, the younger gods Enlil and Enki replace the deus otiosus An (Eliade: 57). In Greek mythology, the older gods like Uranus and Gaia make way for Cronos and Rhea who in turn are succeeded by the Olympians Zeus and Hera and company. In Hinduism, in many medieval puranas, Indra appears as a deus otiosus, whereas Shiva and Vishnu are the younger, more active gods who are both more readily knowable and approachable. In Baltic mythology Deivas most probably was a deus otiosus. In Christianity, Martin Luther used the notion of deus absconditus to explain the mystery and remoteness of God.

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