List of supreme deities

A supreme deity is the conception of the sole sovereign deity who is all powerful in a religion. It is common in monotheistic and henotheistic religions and sects. A supreme deity is often also a creator deity, while other deities are often aspects or manifestations of the supreme deity.

When the terms are used for polytheistic traditions, the deity is the main focus of devotion, but may not have overall supremacy. In monistic contexts, they are referred to as being the one supreme reality.^{[citation needed]}

African

Aten, in Atenism
Chukwu, in Odinani
Mwari, in Shona religion
Nyambe, in Bantu religions
Nzambi, in Kongo religion
Ọlọrun, in Isese
Ruhanga, in Rutara religion

Asian

Shangdi, in Shenism
Wusheng Laomu/Wusheng Shengmu/Wujimu/Wuji Shengmu, in many Chinese salvationist religions such as Yiguandao.
Yaochih Jinmu, in Cihui Tang.

European

Supreme Being, in a deistic religion established by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution
Jupiter, in the Cult of Jupiter Summus Exsuperantissimus
Rod, in some religions of syncretic Slavic neopaganism
Ukko, in Ukonusko, a syncretic Finnish neopagan religion
Zeus, in Middle Platonism

Indian

Para Brahman, in Hinduism
- Indra, in Vedism
- Shiva, in Shaivism
- Vishnu (especially in Narayana tradition), in Vaishnavism
- Adi Parashakti, in Shaktism
- Maha Ganapati, in Ganapatya
- Surya, in Sauram
Adibuddha and Dharmakaya, in Mahayana Buddhism
Waheguru, in Sikhism

Middle Eastern

God in Abrahamic religions
- God in Judaism
- God in Christianity
  - The Trinity in most Christian traditions
  - Jesus in some Christian traditions
- Yahweh
- Allah in Muslim belief: see God in Islam
- Bahá in Bahá'í belief: see God in the Baháʼí Faith
Hayyi Rabbi in Mandaeism

In Freemasonry

The fraternity of Freemasonry generally requires that all initiates believe in some kind of supreme being or God, that is neutrally referred to as the Great Architect of the Universe.

Carl H. Claudy wrote in his 1931 work Introduction to Freemasonry:

He must declare his faith in a Supreme Being before he may be initiated. But note that he is not required to say, then or ever, what God. He may name Him as he will, think of Him as he pleases; make Him impersonal law or personal and anthropomorphic; Freemasonry cares not. [...] God, Great Architect of the Universe, Grand Artificer, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Above, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, or Great Geometer...

Henry Wilson Coil in his 1961 Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry outlined:

Men have to decide whether they want a God like the ancient Hebrew Yahweh, a partisan tribal god, with whom they can talk and argue and from whom they can hide if necessary, or a boundless, eternal, universal, undenominational, and international Divine Spirit so vastly removed from the speck called man, that he cannot be known, named or approached. [...] The Masonic test is a Supreme Being, and any qualification added is an innovation and distortion. [...] Monotheism violates Masonic principles, for it requires belief in a specific kind of Supreme Deity.

References

1 2 Flood, Gavin D. (1996-07-13). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0-521-43878-0.
↑ Herbener, Jens-André P. (2013). "On the Term "Monotheism"" (PDF). Numen – via Brill.
↑ Guthrie, William Keith (1993-10-10). Orpheus and Greek Religion: A Study of the Orphic Movement. Princeton University Press. pp. 43, 101–117. ISBN 978-0-691-02499-8.
↑ "Polytheism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
↑ Jones, Lindsay (2005). Encyclopedia of Religion (PDF). Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 978-0-02-865734-9.
↑ Eliade, Mircea (2022-11-21). Patterns in Comparative Religion. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-0832-3.
↑ West, Martin Litchfield (1983). The Orphic Poems. Clarendon Press. pp. 35, 106. ISBN 978-0-19-814854-8.
↑ Sangren, P. Steven (1983). "Female Gender in Chinese Religious Symbols: Kuan Yin, Ma Tsu, and the "Eternal Mother"". doi:10.1086/494021. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
↑ Clart, Philip (1997). "The Phoenix and the Mother: The Interaction of Spirit Writing Cults and Popular Sects in Taiwan". Journal of Chinese Religions=中國宗教研究集刊. 25 (1): 1–32.
↑ Gealogo, Francis A. (2019). "Masonic Parallels in Mabini's True Decalogue and Constitutional Program". Philippine Studies: Historical & Ethnographic Viewpoints. 67 (1): 95–111. ISSN 2244-1093.
↑ Claudy, Carl H. (1931). Introduction to Freemasonry (PDF). Temple Publishers.
↑ Coil, Henry Wilson (1961). Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia. Macoy Pub. & Masonic Supply Company. pp. 516–517.

[:1-1] 1 2 Flood, Gavin D. (1996-07-13). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0-521-43878-0.

[2] Herbener, Jens-André P. (2013). "On the Term "Monotheism"" (PDF). Numen – via Brill.

[3] Guthrie, William Keith (1993-10-10). Orpheus and Greek Religion: A Study of the Orphic Movement. Princeton University Press. pp. 43, 101–117. ISBN 978-0-691-02499-8.

[4] "Polytheism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 17 September 2026.

[5] Jones, Lindsay (2005). Encyclopedia of Religion (PDF). Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 978-0-02-865734-9.

[6] Eliade, Mircea (2022-11-21). Patterns in Comparative Religion. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-0832-3.

[7] West, Martin Litchfield (1983). The Orphic Poems. Clarendon Press. pp. 35, 106. ISBN 978-0-19-814854-8.

[8] Sangren, P. Steven (1983). "Female Gender in Chinese Religious Symbols: Kuan Yin, Ma Tsu, and the "Eternal Mother"". doi:10.1086/494021. Retrieved 2026-07-13.

[9] Clart, Philip (1997). "The Phoenix and the Mother: The Interaction of Spirit Writing Cults and Popular Sects in Taiwan". Journal of Chinese Religions=中國宗教研究集刊. 25 (1): 1–32.

[10] Gealogo, Francis A. (2019). "Masonic Parallels in Mabini's True Decalogue and Constitutional Program". Philippine Studies: Historical & Ethnographic Viewpoints. 67 (1): 95–111. ISSN 2244-1093.

[11] Claudy, Carl H. (1931). Introduction to Freemasonry (PDF). Temple Publishers.

[12] Coil, Henry Wilson (1961). Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia. Macoy Pub. & Masonic Supply Company. pp. 516–517.