Editing Taoism (section)

===Theology===
[[File:Portraits of Jade Emperor and the Heavenly Kings.JPG|thumb|Chinese painting of the [[Jade Emperor]] and [[Four Heavenly Kings|the Heavenly Kings]].]]
[[file:Yu Zhiding - Xi Wangmu (The Queen Mother of the West).jpg|thumb|[[Queen Mother of the West|Xi Wangmu]] (The Queen Mother of the West).]]
{{Main|Taoist theology}}
{{See also|Xian (Taoism)|Li Hong (Taoist eschatology)}}
Taoist [[theology]] can be defined as [[Apophatic theology|apophatic]], given its philosophical emphasis on the formlessness and unknowable nature of the Tao, and the primacy of the "Way" rather than [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] concepts of [[God]]. Nearly all the sects share this core belief.{{sfnp|Robinet|1997|p=1}}

Arguments do exist the [[monotheistic]] concepts in Taoism.<ref>White, R.J. Teaching the Dao: monotheism, transcendence, and intercultural philosophy. Int. Commun. Chin. Cult 8, 271–287 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40636-021-00225-1</ref> However, Taoism does include many deities and spirits and thus can also be considered [[Animism|animistic]] and [[Polytheism|polytheistic]] in a secondary sense (since they are considered to be emanations from the impersonal and nameless ultimate principle).{{sfnp|Komjathy|2014|p=99-100}} Some Taoist theology presents the [[Three Pure Ones]] at the top of the [[Pantheon (religion)|pantheon]] of deities, which was a hierarchy emanating from the Tao.<ref name="Gurdon-2002g" /> [[Laozi|Laozi (Lao Tzu)]] is considered the incarnation of one of the three and worshiped as the ancestral founder of Taoism.{{sfnp|Robinet|1997|p=63}}<ref>{{harvp|Maspero|1981|p= 41}}</ref>

The gods and immortals（{{lang|zh|神仙}}） believed in by Taoism can be roughly divided into two categories, namely "gods" and "xian" (immortals). "Gods" are also called [[Deity|deities]] and there are many kinds, that is, god of heaven（{{lang|zh|天神}}), god of ground（{{lang|zh|地祇}}), wuling（{{lang|zh|物灵}}: animism, the spirit of all things), god of netherworld（{{lang|zh|地府神灵}}), god of human body（{{lang|zh|人体之神}}), god of human ghost（{{lang|zh|人鬼之神}}）etc. Among these "gods" such as god of heaven（{{lang|zh|天神}}), god of ground（{{lang|zh|地祇}}), god of netherworld（{{lang|zh|阴府神灵}}),  god of human body（{{lang|zh|人体之神}}） are innate beings. "Xian" (immortals) is acquired the cultivation of the Tao，persons with vast supernatural powers, unpredictable changes and immortality.<ref>{{cite web |last1=武当山道教协会 |first1=武当山道教协会 |script-title=zh:道教神仙分类 |url=http://www.wdsdjxh.com/detail.php?id=51 |access-date=2024-01-28 |archive-date=2024-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126153241/http://www.wdsdjxh.com/detail.php?id=51 }}</ref>

Different branches of Taoism often have differing pantheons of lesser deities, where these deities reflect different notions of cosmology.<ref>{{harvp|Segal|2006|p=50}}</ref> Lesser deities also may be promoted or demoted for their activity.<ref>{{harvp|Maspero|1981|p=92}}</ref> Some varieties of popular Chinese religion incorporate the [[Jade Emperor]] ([[Yü-Huang]] or [[Yü-Di]]), one of the Three Pure Ones, as the highest God. Historical Taoist figures, and people who are considered to have become immortals (''[[xian (Taoism)|xian]]''), are also venerated as well by both clergy and laypeople.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Vuong|first1=Quan-Hoang|date=2018|title=Cultural additivity: behavioural insights from the interaction of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in folktales |journal=Palgrave Communications|volume=4|issue=1|page=143|doi=10.1057/s41599-018-0189-2|s2cid=54444540 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Despite these hierarchies of deities, most conceptions of Tao should not be confused with the Western sense of [[theism]].{{Explain|reason=I have found quite a bit of information on Taoist gods, although this appears to be correct as well. It just needs a bit of expanding.|date=May 2023}} Being one with the Tao does not necessarily indicate a union with an eternal spirit in, for example, the Hindu theistic sense.{{sfnp|Martinson|1987|pp=168–169}}{{sfnp|Fasching|deChant|2001|p=35}}