How did Martin Buber explain the relationship between human beings and God?

Martin Buber, a prominent German-Jewish religious philosopher, articulated the relationship between human beings and God through his doctrine of I–Thou. Moving away from earlier mystical notions of union, Buber emphasized an encounter that preserves the separate existence of both the human and the divine.1

In Buber’s view, God is the "Eternal Thou." A true relationship with God must be an I–Thou encounter, characterized by direct, mutual address rather than treating God as an object of thought, dogma, or fixed rules. This relationship is the model that makes I–Thou relations between human beings possible.21

Buber cautioned against reducing the divine to an I–It relationship—such as through rigid legalism or organizational confinement—which he believed distorted the authentic, ever-renewed meeting between God and humanity. Ultimately, Buber’s philosophy centered on this dialogical encounter, viewing the human experience of God as one of trust (emuna) rather than mere belief in factual propositions.1