Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

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Here are some well-known contemporary figures associated with pantheistic thought, along with quotes that reflect their views on the interconnectedness of the universe, nature, and divinity:

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1. Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

Though Einstein identified with Spinoza’s concept of God (a non-anthropomorphic, universal force), his writings align closely with pantheism.
Quote:
“I want to know God’s thoughts… the rest are details.”
“The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science.”

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2. Carl Sagan (1934–1996)

The astrophysicist and science communicator often expressed awe at the cosmos in terms that resonate with pantheism.
Quote:
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
“The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”

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3. Neil deGrasse Tyson (b. 1958)

While Tyson avoids explicit religious labels, his reverence for the cosmos echoes pantheistic themes.
Quote:
“We are not figuratively, but literally stardust.”
“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.”

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4. Alan Watts (1915–1973)

A philosopher and interpreter of Eastern spirituality, Watts often framed reality as a unified, divine whole.
Quote:
“You are the universe experiencing itself.”
“Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies.”

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5. Mary Oliver (1935–2019)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet celebrated nature as sacred and interconnected.
Quote:
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination.”

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6. Brian Swimme (b. 1950)

A cosmologist and author of The Universe Story, Swimme blends science with spiritual awe.
Quote:
“The universe is a single multiform event, and we are that universe becoming conscious of itself.”

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7. Fritjof Capra (b. 1939)

A physicist and systems theorist, Capra’s work bridges science and spirituality.
Quote:
“The universe is no longer seen as a machine, made up of countless separate objects, but appears as a harmonious indivisible whole.”

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8. Thomas Berry (1914–2009)

A cultural historian and “geologian,” Berry advocated for seeing the Earth as a sacred community.
Quote:
“The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.”

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9. Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962)

The poet’s philosophy of “inhumanism” emphasized transcending human ego to embrace cosmic beauty.
Quote:
“The greatest beauty is organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty of the universe.”

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10. Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677)

Though not contemporary, Spinoza’s philosophy of “God or Nature” (Deus sive Natura) remains foundational to pantheism.
Quote:
“Whatever is, is in God, and nothing can exist or be conceived without God.”

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Modern Pantheistic Movements

• World Pantheist Movement: Founded in 1999, it promotes reverence for nature and the universe. Their credo: “Reverence, awe, wonder, and a feeling of belonging to Nature and the wider Universe.”
• Naturalistic Pantheism: Focuses on science-inspired awe without supernatural elements.

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Key Themes in Their Words

• Interconnectedness: The universe as a unified, self-organizing system.
• Sacred Nature: Divinity is immanent in the natural world.
• Human Responsibility: Ethical stewardship of Earth.

Pantheism today often merges scientific wonder with spiritual reverence, offering a worldview that bridges materialism and mysticism. As Carl Sagan wrote: “A religion old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the universe as revealed by modern science, might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths.”