psychotheism

The fourth stage is that of psychotheism, which includes the domain of spiritual concept.

The Siouan Indians 1882

It is to be borne in mind that throughout the course of development of belief, from the beginning of hecastotheism into the borderland of psychotheism, the dominant characteristic is the vague notion of mystery.

The Siouan Indians 1882

In psychotheism it appears as _devilism_ in obedience to a well-known law of comparative theology, viz, that the gods of a lower and superseded stage of culture oftentimes become the devils of a higher stage.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

So in the very highest stages of psychotheism we find beast-devils.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

From this stage to psychotheism the way is long, for evolution is slow.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

All of the earlier literature of mankind treats largely of these gods, for it is an interesting fact that in the history of any civilized people, the evolution of psychotheism is approximately synchronous with the invention of an alphabet.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

I have said the Norse mythology was in a transition state from physitheism to psychotheism.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

Perhaps there may be left a "doubting Thomas" who believes that the highest stage of psychotheism -- that is, monotheism -- was the original basis for the philosophy of the world, and that all other forms are degeneracies from that primitive and perfect state.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

Scholars, too, have come essentially to an agreement that physitheism is earlier and older than psychotheism.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868

When the powers of nature are held predominant in the minds of the philosophers through whose cogitations this evolution of theism is carried on, pantheism, as the highest form of psychotheism, is the final result; but when the moral qualities are held in highest regard in the minds of the men in whom this process of evolution is carried on, _monotheism_, or a god whose essential characteristics are moral qualities, is the final product.

Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 John Wesley Powell 1868