Godhead
“Godhead” (or godhood) refers to the divine nature, essence, or quality of a deity, and can also denote the collective being of God as understood within a specific religion. In traditional Christianity, it refers to the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), while in Judaism, it’s the underlying essence of God. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Godhead also refers to the three distinct, yet united, beings of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Christianity
- Trinitarian view: The Godhead is understood to be the divine nature of God, which exists as one God in three Persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ (the Son), and the Holy Spirit.
- Biblical usage: The term “Godhead” in the King James Version of the Bible (Acts 17:29) refers to the divine essence or nature of God, as distinguished from idols made by human hands.
Godhead (or godhood) refers to the essence or substance (ousia) of God in Christianity — God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Judaism
- In Judaism, the concept of the Godhead relates to the underlying essence or substratum of God, separate from God’s actions or attributes, but which is the source of God’s being.
Godhead refers to the aspect or substratum of God that lies behind God’s actions or properties (i.e., it is the essence of God), and its nature has been the subject of long debate in every major religion.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- The Godhead consists of three distinct, individual beings: God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
- These three beings are unified in their power, knowledge, purpose, and desire, acting as one God.