Atheistic Theism: Brook Ziporyn’s Mystical Atheism and the Exclusivity of Beatitude
Benjamin Birkenstock, Gregory S. Moss
Topoi June 30, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s11245-026-10436-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Monotheism Atheism Mistake Absolute philosophy Epistemology Theology Interpretation philosophy Transformation genetics |
| Key points | Argues that Ziporyn's principle of intersubsumption engenders a concept of 'atheistic theism' that reconciles monotheism with mystical atheism, transforming both into contradictory forms. |
Abstract
Abstract By introducing the concept of atheistic theism, we mean to reconcile monotheism with Brook Ziporn’s concept of mystical atheism. We demonstrate that Ziporyn’s own principle of intersubsumption, the principle according to which any determinate content is indistinct from any and all other contents, engenders this very result. In atheistic theism, both atheism and monotheism take on a contradictory character: absolute intersubsumption calls for a theistic transformation of atheism as well as an atheistic transformation of monotheism.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |