 The balance between God’s transcendence and God’s immanence further refines the distinctiveness of panentheism’s mutual relation between God and the universe in distinction from both classical Christian theism and pantheism. By deriving divine immanence from divine transcendence, classical Christian theism prioritizes God’s transcendence (J. Cooper 2006, 328; Coman 2016, 82). In contrast, Gregersen (2004, 19) balances transcendence and immanence. Thus, panentheism affirms the basic role of divine immanence. Likewise, in contrast to pantheism’s derivation of divine transcendence from divine immanence, panentheism affirms God’s transcendence from the world. David Nikkel recognizes the importance of this balance even within panentheism. He warns against an overemphasis upon transcendence leading to the loss of the indeterminacy needed for growth that occurs in panentheism overly influenced by German idealism and an overemphasis on immanence leading to the loss of God as the source of existence that occurs in panentheism overly influenced by process thought (2016). The classical Christian tradition due to a variety of influences such as Platonic influence that stressed the reality of the forms in contrast to matter shaped by the forms (see Straus 2010) has tended to understand God as an unrelated Other to ordinary existence. Prioritizing divine transcendence by calling for a deity unlimited by events in the world as seen in the doctrine of creation from nothing limits creation’s freedom to impact divine actions. While the biblical tradition describes God as creator and sustainer of the creation, many assumed that the ability to create and sustain depended upon the otherness of God in comparison to creation. While divine immanence is not denied by the classical Christian tradition, divine immanence derives from divine transcendence. Transcendence over all specific relations enables the immanence of the divine relation to all of reality. God is present to all of reality because God exists independently from all other reality and is uninfluenced by other reality. This separation of divine reality from ordinary, created reality makes the relationship of the divine to all of created reality an external relationship. The external nature of this relationship become apparent in deviations from the classical Christian tradition such as deism. Because of the assumed external nature of God’s relation to creation, God cannot logically be conceived of as being affected by created reality. God’s freedom is only possible if God is not affected in any way by created reality. God then does not respond in any way to the created order but acts without consideration of the events of the world. An understanding of God’s transcendence in balance with God’s immanence enables a positive relation between science and theology (Clayton 2020, “Nature: And Beyond?”) and provides a basis for morality and ethics (Ciocan 2016, 175). J. Leidenhag critiques the panentheistic claim to balance divine transcendence and immanence (2016, 873).