Christian Cyclopedia

(from Gk. anthropos, “man,” and morphe, “form”). The Scriptural mode of speech by which the possession of human senses, limbs, and organs is attributed to God. God is spoken of as having a face, eyes, ears, nose, heart, arm, hand, finger (Gn 3:8; Ex 6:6; 7:4; 13:3; Ps 10:17; 11:4; 18:8; 34:16; 63:8; 95:4; 139:16; Is 52:10; 62:8; Jer 27:5; Lk 11:20). Since God is not composed of material but is simply spirit, complete in His spiritual nature, the Bible, in anthropomorphism and anthropopathism (the latter from Gk. for “human feeling”), intends to convey some notion of God and His ways (Is 55:8–11; Ro 11:33–36).

The term anthropomorphism is applied to heretical teachings that attribute an actual body and human emotions to God. Thus Latter* Day Saints hold that God is a material being, with human passions, who created man as men beget children. Those who thus ascribe human parts, attributes, and passions to God are called anthropomorphites.