Amipotence in Hindu Monotheism
By Swami Padmanabha
Thomas Jay Oord’s notion of amipotence parallels the Vaishnava Hindu tradition with some differences.
Contrary to common assumptions, Hinduism is not a single monolithic tradition. It’s a vast, intricate tapestry of spiritual paths, philosophies, and practices. Among these, Vaishnavism stands out as its primary expression of monotheism. With nearly 700 million adherents worldwide, Vaishnavism is, in fact, the third-largest monotheistic religion on the planet. Within Vaishnavism, the Gaudiya Vaishnava[1] school to which I belong is particularly mystical, embracing a profound vision of God that opens up rich avenues for understanding amipotence.
In The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, Thomas Jay Oord opens by challenging the traditional concept of divine omnipotence, typically understood as 1) God’s exercise of absolute power, 2) God’s ability to do absolutely anything, and 3) God’s sheer control over others.[2] To bring this into perspective, I will briefly examine each of these attributes through the lens of the Vaishnava tradition.
In Vaishnava thought, God does not exert absolute power. While God possesses unlimited power, this does not mean He[3] wields every power in every possible direction. If God were to always exert power in all directions, there would be no room left for any other form of agency, no freedom for beings to act independently. Since power is one of the primary symptoms of life, if God were absolutely powerful, then all other life forms would be deprived of their own agency, thus canceling the possibility of relationality with God and even individual existence. If power is intrinsic to life, then for anything to truly exist, it is essential that God does not exert absolute power.
“But God created heaven and earth,” some may argue, “so He must surely have the power to control all things by extension.” In Vaishnavism, however, God does not create heaven and earth. In fact, God does not create anything; rather, everything—love, soul, matter—exists eternally, unfolding perpetually just as God does. As the Bhagavad-Gita proclaims, “Whatever exists will always exist, and whatever does not exist will never exist.”[4] This resonates with Terence Fretheim’s perspective that God “works creatively with already existing realities to bring about newness.”[5] God’s role is one of perfect relational engagement with all that exists, prioritizing justice and mercy over displays of sheer power.
When it comes to the notion that God can do absolutely anything, it’s essential to understand that divine power is not absolute in the sense of being wholly unrestricted but is instead framed within the bounds of logical coherence. While God is indeed omnipotent compared to us, certain actions remain impossible for the Divine—not due to a lack of strength but because they constitute logical absurdities. For instance, God cannot create a round square or a rock so large He cannot lift it. Likewise, God cannot die, fall into illusion, cease to be God, or act against His essential nature. In Vaishnava thought, God and His energies are inseparable; thus, God’s power operates in a way that respects and preserves His relationship with His potencies. This relationship means that while God is immensely powerful, He cannot cancel or violate the essence of His energies without undermining the integrity of His own being.
Moreover, because God is love, and love is, by nature, free and voluntary, both love and God are, as Oord repeatedly describes, uncontrolling. God cannot exercise control in a way that would override or nullify the agency of others, for this would violate the very essence of love. According to Vaishnavism, each soul inherently possesses agency, or kartritva, along with the capacity for personal experience, or bhoktritva, a view upheld by the tradition’s foremost theologians.[6] If God were to override these essential attributes, He would effectively alter the soul’s core nature, reducing it to something it is not. Such an act would be as logically contradictory as creating a round square. Thus, God’s potency does not extend to the cancellation of the soul’s agency and capacity for experience; to do so would negate the soul’s inherent nature and thus undermine the coherence of divine love itself.
In the same way, God’s relationship with maya-shakti, or material energy, operates within a framework of coherence, where cause and effect are woven into an orderly structure through natural laws. Were God to interfere arbitrarily with this system, it would shatter the logical integrity of creation, leading to a universe devoid of order and coherence. Instead, God’s descent into the world as avatara is understood as an act of restoring cosmic balance, honoring the consistent principles that govern material energy. Thus, divine power aligns seamlessly with a logical, harmonious order, respecting the inherent properties of these energies—energies that, rather than being created by the Divine, exist eternally alongside Him.
This alignment reaches into every aspect of divine expression. Love, as the very foundation of God’s nature, requires a coherence that respects freedom and relational integrity. The Bhagavad-Gita poignantly captures this interplay as God declares, “As they approach Me, I reciprocate accordingly.”[7] Thus, while God holds the potential for vast influence, His actions are guided not by brute force but by the integrity of His own energies and the relational framework in which they coexist. This delicate dance between free will and divine influence ensures that love remains authentic and uncoerced. In contrast, a God defined solely by sheer omnipotence would negate human agency, erasing our individual existence entirely.
In affirming this principle, Vaishnavism teaches that love is not an inherent quality but a potential each soul must actively choose to express. We determine not only whether to love God but, even more significantly, how we will express that love.[8] For this to unfold in its true form, God cannot exert absolute control over us. Paradoxically, while God always refrains from controlling us, once we freely choose to love Him in our own unique way, He is said to be captivated by such love. In turn, the devotee becomes enraptured by God’s love. In this relationship, neither God nor the devotee controls the other; both are instead moved by the power of love itself. Perhaps love is the true source of the greatest power, for both God and us. Could it be that love possesses its own kind of omnipotence?
Traditional divine attributes like impassibility, timelessness, immutability, fixed perfection, and even omniscience are understood in Vaishnavism with a rich and layered nuance. Regarding impassibility, God remains untouched by human flaws like illusion or selfishness, as these would compromise His divine ontology. Yet, He expresses profound empathy and compassion for our struggles, extending His presence to accompany us as deeply as possible. Concerning changelessness, God is unchanging in His essential nature—eternal and loving—while constantly engaging in new expressions of love, ever transformed by each unique moment of loving exchange.[9] Though beyond time as an eternal being, He fully participates in the flow of time through the sacred exchange of interactive love. God’s perfection, too, is not a static ceiling but an ever-expanding horizon, continually surpassing His own maximum in love.
Progressive Christian theologians might resonate with many of these views, though they may find themselves at a crossroads with Vaishnava theology when it comes to God’s omniscience. In the Vaishnava view, God’s nature is so boundless and dynamic that He remains a mystery even to Himself. The Srimad Bhagavatam, a core Vaishnava text, captures this beautifully, stating that because of God’s unlimited nature, “even He cannot reach the end of His own glories!”[10] One cannot comprehend that which has no end—and God’s own vastness defies boundaries. Thus, God cannot grasp His own limit simply because such a limit does not exist.[11]
For Vaishnavas, each of these so-called “lackings” stems from metaphysical necessity rather than voluntary self-limitation. This understanding reaffirms God’s lack of sheer omnipotence, laying a grounded foundation for amipotence—the supreme power of divine love.
In this view, amipotence does not negate God’s profound power and influence within creation; rather, it prioritizes love as the supreme divine force. Love, as an inherently voluntary act, respects freedom rather than asserting control, empowering rather than overpowering. Consequently, a God defined by love must be amipotent, for any other interpretation would compromise the very essence of the Divine, the nature of love, and our roles as individual, free agents.
According to Vaishnavism, God’s love not only precedes His power but stands as the supreme power itself. Love holds a distinct, persuasive potency—its own form of omnipotence—that forms the core of God’s amipotence. Jürgen Moltmann echoes this idea in the biblical context,[12] saying, “It is not God’s power that is almighty. What is almighty is his love.”[13] God is amipotent because love is omnipotent, or at least something remarkably close to it.
Vaishnava theology highlights God’s unwavering commitment to delving into the boundless influence of love. This divine journey is embodied in the figure of Shri Chaitanya, a manifestation of God in His most introspective state, engaged in an intimate exploration of His own endless depths of loving experience. Through this self-discovery, God’s mercy and compassion come to the fore, extending the highest form of love even to those deemed least deserving. Vaishnavas describe this fierce, unconditional love expressed by Shri Chaitanya as irreversible grace.[14]
In this tradition, love holds such power that it shapes God’s very identity through the affection of His devotees. Just as our sense of self is molded by the love we receive, so too is God’s sense of self enriched by the love offered to Him. Here, Vaishnavism departs from Oord’s idea that “God is a universal but invisible spirit without a localized body.”[15] Instead, Vaishnava thought embraces God as both immanent and transcendent, endowed with a spiritual form visible only to those “whose eyes are tinged with the ointment of love.”[16] As individuals become increasingly infused with God’s grace, their senses are spiritualized, enabling them to perceive God’s amipotent form. This view intriguingly aligns with Oord’s concept of “nonsensory perception” of the Spirit’s actions, as well as John Wesley’s discussion on how nonsensory perception identifies the activity of “spiritual senses.”[17]
According to Vaishnava thought, one of God’s defining attributes is His beauty, which emerges directly from His responsiveness to love. The more love God receives, the more radiant His form becomes, making beauty and form inseparable. This is echoed in the Sanskrit language, where the word rupa denotes both beauty and form. In fact, God’s principal name in Vaishnavism, Krishna, means “All-Attractive,” thus reflecting a divine form not only shaped by, but made of love. This beautiful, loving form underscores the essence of amipotence, illustrating the profound influence and scope of love—so much so that it shapes God Himself.
To conclude, we arrive at the pinnacle of Vaishnava amipotence, a depth that transcends all previously discussed. Here, devotees love God not out of reverence for His divinity, but with a consuming passion for who God is when God wants to be Himself. This love is so consuming that it surpasses the usual reverential awe associated with the Divine; these devotees are so deeply bound to God that they overlook His divine attributes entirely, relating to Him as a parent, friend, or lover. Moved by the power of such intimate love, God, in turn, sets aside His “cosmic responsibilities,” oblivious to His status as the Supreme Lord and becoming fully absorbed in the beauty of love shared in closeness and simplicity.
The term “God,” derived from the Sanskrit Deva, means “He who plays.” In Vaishnavism, God is thus seen as one who delights in sacred play, lost to Himself while wholly absorbed in the joyous flow of love—a love that mirrors and elevates human experience into a higher synthesis. For Vaishnavas, this playful, all-encompassing love embodies the fullest expression of amipotence, where love’s power transcends, permeates, transforms, and uplifts all of existence—God included in the first place.
Bio: Swami Padmanabha is a Gaudiya Vaishnava monk, theologian, and scholar. A prolific author and global lecturer, he is the founder of the Tadatmya Alliance (tadatmya.org). Fluent in English and Spanish, Swami hosts The Free Radical Podcast and has spoken at numerous institutions worldwide. His teachings focus on bhakti-yoga, nondual thinking, interfaith dialogue, and process thought.
OORD’S DRABBLE* RESPONSE
I enjoyed reflecting on amipotence in relation to Hindu monotheism as presented by Swami Padmanabha. I hadn’t realized that, in Vaishnava thought, God doesn’t wield absolute power and isn’t considered the creator. In contrast, my view of amipotence retains divine creating but as relational rather than unilateral or ex nihilo. The most striking similarity between my view and the Hindu tradition Swami describes is the shared emphasis on divine love. Discovering this parallel was both surprising and rewarding. I’m always delighted to find connections across religious traditions, especially when they affirm the central role of love in divine action.
For more on Oord’s view on the basic ideas of open and relational theology, see this article. * A drabble is an essay exactly 100 words in length
[1]. For the sake of brevity, I will refer to Gaudiya Vaishnavism throughout this article simply as “Vaishnavism.”
[2]. Thomas Jay Oord, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, p. 3.
[3]. Vaishnavism also describes God in feminine terms, as well as in the forms of Divine Couple, Trinity, and other expressions of divine plurality.
[4]. Bhagavad-Gita 2.16.
[5]. Fretheim, God and the World in the Old Testament, p. 5.
[6]. See Jiva Goswami, Paramatma Sandarbha 35–36.
[7]. Bhagavad-Gita 4.11.
[8]. For more on this topic, see Swami Padmanabha, Inherent or Inherited?: Bhakti in the Jiva According to Gaudiya Vedanta.
[9]. For more on this topic, see Swami Padmanabha, Evolution in Divine Love: The Eternal Becoming of God, Soul, and Matter. (forthcoming)
[10]. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.87.41.
[11]. Swami Padmanabha, Radical Personalism: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion, p. 285.
[12]. 1 Cor. 13:4, 7.
[13]. John Polkinghorne (ed.), The Work of Love. Creation as Kenosis, p. 149.
[14]. For more on this topic, see Swami Padmanabha, Irreversible Grace: A Guide to Living in God’s Unconditional Love (forthcoming).
[15]. Thomas Jay Oord, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, p. 65.
[16]. Brahma-samhita 5.38.
[17]. Thomas Jay Oord, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, p. 137.