1. Modern Revival of the Doctrine of Immanence: On the philosophical side of this conception of the Immanence of God, we are assured that it is the result of the modern world's (i.e. post Kantian) thinking.[A] Of its value to human thinking and to religion itself, John Fiske—after pointing out the fact that both Clement and Athanasius among the early Christian fathers had held somewhat to the doctrine of immanence as conceived in more modern philosophy, viz—"God Immanent in the universe, and eternally creative"—says:

[Footnote A: "One can securely say that nothing of crucial import has come forward in the interest of human freedom [i.e. freedom of the human will—man as a free moral agent] since Kant started the inspiring but hitherto little fruitful conception of moral autonomy. Instead, as we have seen, the world's thinking has been absorbed in questions that thus far have ended in a persuasion of the immanence of the eternal in all things—at best the all-pervasive presence of an immanent spirit." Howison, "Conceptions of God," Introductions p. 32.]

"Once really adopt the conception of an ever-present God, without whom not a sparrow falls to the ground, and it becomes self-evident that the law of gravitation is but an expression of a particular mode of divine action. And what is thus true of one law is true of all laws. The thinker in whose mind divine action is thus identified with orderly action and to whom a really irregular phenomenon would seem like a manifestation of sheer diabolism, forsees in every possible extension of knowledge a fresh confirmation of his faith in God. From his point of view there can be no antagonism between our duty as inquirers and our duty as worshipers. To him no part of the universe is godless. In the swaying to and fro of molecules and the ceaseless pulsations of ether, in the secular shiftings of planetary orbits, in the busy work of frost and raindrop, in the mysterious sprouting of the seed, in the everlasting tale of death and life renewed, in the dawning of the babe's intelligence, in the varied deeds of men from age to age, he finds that which awakens the soul to reverential awe; and each act of scientific explanation but reveals an opening through which shines the glory of the Eternal Majesty."[A]

[Footnote A: Fiske-Studies in Religion, pp. 167-3, Works Vol. IX]

2. The World Immanent in God: Still one other thought from the philosophical side of the conception of Immanence is that it enables one to see not only God in nature, but as a necessary corollary, nature in God—"Divine immanence in the world, and the reciprocal immanence of the world in God."[A] That is to say, in one view, God's presence and power penetrates and pervades nature—the universe; in another view, nature is received into the all-including spiritual presence of God: as the One indwells in the other; so the other dwells in the One.

[Footnote A: Howison—"The Conception of God." p. 96.]

Before now the student has doubtless looked into the clear depths of a crystal-like spring of water; and has seen on the sandy floor of the spring the sunlight that tells him that the sun penetrates the water, in-dwells in the water, or, in poetic terms—

"The sunshine in water lies sleeping."

And as the sunlight penetrates the water so does the water receive and hold the sunlight. As it is in the crystal spring, so is it in the ocean. And so in the universe with the immanence of God and the reciprocal immanence of the world in God. As saith the revelation:

"Judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne, and governeth and executeth all things. He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by nim, and of him, even God forever and forever."[A]