The term neo-Pantheism could easily be applied to a number of present-day renditions of Pantheism. However most already have their specific definer such as Scientific Pantheism, Naturalistic Pantheism, Classical Pantheism, Logical Pantheism or Zen Pantheism. They each have their own slightly different perspectives.

neo-Pantheism is currently only applicable to the version being proposed to congeal these different viewpoints in to one comprehensive paradigm. Consequently it is a much broader term than Pantheism in that it is a composite of many prevailing philosophies both pantheistic and otherwise. As such, it is more complex than specifically defined and thus limited Pantheisms.

neo-Pantheism is defined as a consilience of humanistic and naturalistic ideas. It is a paradigm characterized by: an awesome Universe with a Goddess-like essence to it that illuminates the Tao (The Way), an unconventional type of non-theistic monotheism and a self-authenticating rational spirituality. Its ethical base is human survival, wellbeing, enlightenment, family and virtue. It is guided by science and reason and worships nothing as divine. Self-responsibility (Karma minus reincarnation) is a key guiding principle. Rightness, as determined by the many cultures of the Earth, is considered self-evident. A grand Destiny for mankind is envisioned provided that secular sanity and

Pantheism is one of the oldest religious beliefs of mankind preceding Christianity. Taoism and Hinduism have always been somewhat pantheistic. Some of the Greek philosophers were also pantheistic. Zeno (333-BC 264), founder of Stoicism, said “God is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature…… Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature.” - Russell, 1946

Modern Pantheism began with Baruch Spinoza in the late seventeenth century. The philosophy put forth in his ‘Ethics’ still remains the principle narrative for Pantheism today. His work has been said to be “one of the most profound and basic works in all philosophical literature” and “one of the most beautiful philosophical systems ever created”.

Spinoza called his treatise “the road to inner freedom”. In it he wrote "God, or substance, consists of infinite attributes, of which each express eternal and infinite essentiality, necessarily exist..Besides God no substance can be granted or conceived..Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived. God is the indwelling, and not the transient cause

Historian Will Durant credits Spinoza with significant influence on many philosophers by stating that “It was by combining Spinoza with Kant’s epistemology that Fichte, Schelling and Hegel reached their varied pantheisms; it was from conatus sese perservandi, the effort to preserve one’s self, that Fichte’s’ ‘ Ich’ was born, and Schopenhauser’ ‘will to live’, and Nietzsche’s ‘will to power’ and Bergson’s ‘élan vital’.” Numerous 19th and 20th century philosophers such as John Dewey, George Santayana, Bertrand Russell, and Ayn Rand were probably influenced by Spinoza.

Spinoza saw God as Nature and divine. New age Pantheists for the most part also say “The cosmos is divine. The earth is sacred “.God as physical reality rules out the transcendentalism prevailing in most major religions. neo-Pantheism differs in that it proposes that the Earth and the Cosmos are indeed awesome and certainly merit wonder and respect, however they are neither sacred nor divine closing the door to any hint of supernaturalism. Actions are the consequences of innate natural laws, not the caprice of a separate entity.

Neo-Pantheism is categorized as a non-theistic monotheism - a term used by Michael Levin in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The non-theistic portion is humanistic and related to Naturalistic Pantheism. It is like-minded with many environmentalists and scientists who have a reverence but godless view of Nature.

The monotheism part is akin to conventional Classical Pantheism and similar in its philosophy to many current liberal religious positions. It postulates a goddess-like essence for the Universe This essence may be seen as either a coherent interpretation of existence or as an unconventional deity embedded in Nature. This deity, called Panthea, is neither supernatural nor divine but a rational spirituality. The choice of viewpoint is up to the individual Pantheist.

A non-theistic monotheism is unconventional but not as much a paradox as one might assume. It contains aspects of the various sects of Pantheism, Religious naturalism, Taoism, Western Hinduism, Bahai, along with the philosophy of Spinoza. Neo-Pantheism incorporates some of the thinking of modern philosophers such as Mill, James, Sartre, Rand and Paul Kurtz. It develops a theory of happiness and well-being based on the sages of history and modern science.

A history of Pantheism by Paul Harrison 'Elements of Pantheism' can be found included in the Internet material of Scientific Pantheism. Information on neo-Pantheism can be found on several Web sites with being the key one.