@am that's the pantheism vs panentheism debate in Spinoza!

Spinoza refers to God as nature, but specifically *not* natura naturata, i.e. created nature; nothing that is created and has a body is God, nor are all such things together. rather, Spinoza posits that God is natura naturans, naturing nature, which is the process of creation by which the essence of God is constantly re-expressed. for Spinoza, natura naturata, of which we are all modes, exists not as God but in God, in natura naturans, which is the effective cause of all things and that which affords all things their essences, however inadequately they express them. the concept of understanding God as natura naturans is older than Spinoza and can be seen in a range of different theologians, including like, Aquinas. so imo it's kind of a stretch to refer to it as meaning "God is the universe," although plenty of people do, just as plenty of people think it means "there is no God"