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How do theosophical teachings describe God as both transcendent and impersonal?

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Annie Besant and Jiddu Krishnamurti stand side by side in formal attire, Besant holding papers, in a black and white photograph from 1933. — theosophy Annie Besant and Jiddu Krishnamurti, 1926.

In the context of theosophy, the description of God as both transcendent and impersonal is rooted in the movement's preference for monism—the belief that all reality is constituted of a single principle or substance.

Theosophical teachings characterize God as utterly transcendent, existing beyond the material and phenomenal world. Simultaneously, this divine reality is viewed as impersonal, functioning as an all-encompassing unity that subsumes all differentiation. Rather than a personal deity who interacts with individuals, theosophy posits that the universe is the product of spiritual emanations from this singular, impersonal source.

While theosophists acknowledge the distinction between the phenomenal world and higher spiritual reality, their commitment to an overarching unity leads them to view finite beings as "sparks of the divine" trapped in the material world, seeking to return to their spiritual home. This framework allows theosophy to maintain the concept of radical transcendence while rejecting the notion of a personal God, instead emphasizing a singular, impersonal ultimate reality.1