God the Known and God the Unknown

"God the Known and God the Unknown" by Samuel Butler is a thought-provoking exploration into the nature of divinity and life's interconnectedness. It questions traditional religious views by contrasting a familiar, personal God with a more universal life force that unites all living beings; this force is one where trees and humans share a common spirit as parts of one giant organic entity. Butler challenges readers to move beyond doctrine. By suggesting the essence of God can be found in the very experience of life, he highlights inadequacies in Pantheism and orthodox theism. He encourages connecting the known, our everyday reality and the unknown, the vast mysteries of God, through adopting a more holistic approach to understanding existence and divinity.