also: しょうてい
Shangdi; Supreme Deity
Refers to the creator deity in Chinese folk religion and traditional Chinese theology. Often used in historical or religious contexts.
Used in Christian contexts to refer to the monotheistic God. This usage is less common than 神 (かみ) in everyday Japanese.
In ancient Chinese beliefs, Shangdi was considered the supreme god of heaven.
In Christianity, God is worshipped as the one and only deity.
Standard kanji spelling; reading じょうてい is more common than しょうてい.
Alternate reading; less common than じょうてい.
From Chinese 上帝 (Shàngdì), literally 'Supreme Emperor' or 'Highest Deity'. The term was adopted into Japanese with the same characters and similar religious connotations.