Agnosticism versus Theism
A theist says there is a God. An agnostic says nobody can show it either way. Neither denies that there may be a God.
What they share
Neither denies that there may be a God. The agnostic holds that this cannot be shown either way, and the theist holds that it is so.
Where they differ
- Yes, or “I cannot say”. Theism is the belief that there is a God, usually a conscious, willing being who made the world and cares about it. Agnosticism says that neither “God exists” nor “God does not exist” can be shown, and holds back from both.
- Can God be known? Theism, unlike deism, accepts that God can act in the world and make himself known, and that God can be reached through religious experience. Agnosticism holds that we have no good grounds to decide.
- What is said about God. Theists mostly describe God as all-powerful, all-knowing and good, the source of everything else. Agnostics do not claim anything about God's nature, since they hold back on whether there is a God.
A question that separates them
- Is there a God? “There is a God who made us and cares about us” against “No one can know whether there is a God”.
- Can God make himself known? “God can make himself known to people” against “Nothing we have lets us decide the question”.
Theism covers many traditions under one position. This page does not try to tell them apart.
Written by epchē in our own words, and checked against independent sources on 1 October 2026. The sources are listed below.
Read each on its own
Sources we used
- Atheism and Agnosticism · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, read on 1 October 2026
- Agnosticism · Encyclopedia.com, read on 1 October 2026
- Monotheism · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, read on 1 October 2026
- Theism · New World Encyclopedia, read on 1 October 2026