Very often discussions center around the elusive question of what God *is*. So, to answer that question (maybe once and for all) here is a list of all the times the hermetic texts, and most of the time it is Hermes, describe what God is:
God is the highest perception, but not for Him (CH II.5)
God is Nous and the cause of existence (CH II.14)
God is this (Good) alone and nothing else (CH II.14)
God is good, not by being honored, but by his nature (CH II.16)
God is the Supreme Good and the Supreme Good is God (CH II.16)
God is the glory of all things, the divine being and the divine nature (CH III.1)
God is wisdom for the revelation of all things (CH III.1)
God is the source, the boundary and the constitution of everything (CH VIII.5)
God is the Father of the cosmos (CH IX.8)
God is above all and around all (CH X.22)
God is the soul of eternity (CH XI.4)
God is in Nous (CH XI.4)
God is one (CH XI.11)
God is both around all and through all, he is activity and power (CH XII.20)
God is the Supreme Good (CH XIV.9)
God is the intelligible world, the immovable Monad, the invisible world, the intelligible, invisible and ineffable good (DH I.4)
God is eternal and uncreated (DH I.5)
God is the good (which is) previous to all the intelligible (beings) (DH III.4)
God is the father of the intelligible (DH III.4)
God is within himself, the world is in God, and man is in the world (CH VII.5)
God is man-loving and man is God-loving (DH IX.6)
God is worthy of worship, man is worthy of admiration (DH IX.6)
God is the Lord of Eternity (AH X)
God is the author of the cosmos and those that dwell therein (AH X)
God is neither begotten nor begets (AH XIV)
God is everlasting (AH XIV)
God is everything (AH XXXIV)
And to be complete, here is a list of what God is not:
God is not perceived by Himself (However, in that He is not other than that which is perceived, He does perceive Himself) (CH II.5)
God is not perceived by everyone (CH II.16)
God is not the cause of evils (CH IV.8)
God is not without sense perception and without understanding (CH IX.9)
God is not idle (CH XI.5)
Let’s add a few from the “Holy Trisaginon” (CH I, 31):
-[God is] the father of all;
-[God is] whose counsel is done by his own powers;
-[God is] who wishes to be known, and is known by his own people;
-[God is] who by the Logos has constituted all things that are;
-[God is] from whom all nature was born as image;
-[God is] of whom nature has not yet created;
-[God is] who is stronger than all preeminence;
-[God is] who surpass every excellence;
-[God is] mightier than praises.
-[God is] whom we address in silence
-[God is] the unspeakable
-[God is] the unsayable
I absolutely love that you took the time to compile this list, Sigis! I frequently will read through this list just as a reminder of the divinity and almighty glory of God- It never fails to uplift my mood. I will add any more citations of what “God is” (or isn’t) if I come across them in my studies! And I encourage anyone and everyone else to please add any citations from any text throughout the Hermetica that has to do with what “God is”.
-God is the cause of breath/spirit’s (pneuma) existence; (CH II, 14- Salaman)
-God is not breath/spirit (pneuma) (CH II, 14- Salaman)
-God is not mind (Nous), but He is the cause of mind's (Nous’) being; He is not spirit, but the cause of spirit's being; and He is not light, but the cause of light's being. (CH II, 14- Copenhaver)
“God begins, contains, and composes all things.” (CH VIII, 5- Copenhaver)
“God is of both sexes.” (AH XXI)
“God is everywhere and surveys everything all around.” (AH XXVII)
“God is the everlasting governor of things living in the world and of those that have life, and he dispenses this life eternally.” (AH XXIX)