Classical pantheism equates existence with God without attempting to redefine or to minimize either term, and has an inclusive demeanor towards other world faiths. It is a classical concept that is represented by many religious traditions including Hinduism and by KabbalisticJudaism, amongst many other world religions and philosophies.
Due to some of the changes in usage of the word pantheism today, classical pantheism is distinct primarily because of its simplicity, and compatibility with other religious traditions. In many ways, classical pantheism is similar to monism, in that it views all things, from energy to matter to thought or time as being aspects of an all embracing personal God.
Classicalpantheism, which is expressed in the immanent God of Kabalistic Judaism, Advaita Vedanta Sanatana Dharma, and Monism, generally viewing God in a personal manner.
Naturalistic pantheism believes in an unconscious, non-sentient universe, which, while being holy and beautiful, is seen as being a God in a non-traditional and impersonal sense.
Pantheism has features in common with panentheism, such as the idea that the universe is part of God.
Pantheism does not claim that its divine Unity is a "perfect being" or being at all (generally), or that it is omniscient etc. Surely it is mistaken to interpret Spinoza's "God" as "perfect" and "omniscient" etc. in anything like the way these predicates are interpreted theistically as applying to God.
Pantheism may, in a sense, deny the existence of any properties that are not "natural." It depends on how much one is willing to broaden one's notion of "natural." Of course, classifications such as "objectivist" and "nonnaturalist," are only a partial explanation of pantheists' ethical views.
Pantheism should be of interest to those in the philosophy of religion who seek a way out of the constrictions (often institutional ones) put upon them by working within the confines of classical theism; especially as the issues relating to classical theism have been taken up by the contemporary christian conservative analytic philosophers of religion.
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