The difference is that monolatry is the worship of one god, though other gods are known to exist, while henotheism is the worship of one god, but not precluding the existence of others who might also be worthy of praise. Toward an Honest (and Orthodox) Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible” Michael S. Heiser, PhD Academic Editor, Logos Bible Software, mheiser@logos.com Henotheism is related in that it recognizes many gods yet chooses to focus exclusively on … As nouns the difference between henotheism and monolatry is that henotheism is belief in or worship of one deity without denying the existence of other deities while monolatry is the worship of a single deity (while believing in the existence of others). Monolatry worships one god but acknowledges other gods. Rabbinical Judaism as it developed in Late Antiquity is emphatically monotheistic. [2] Another term related to henotheism is "equitheism", referring to the belief that all gods are equal. [1][6] According to Christoph Elsas, henotheism in modern usage connotes a syncretic stage in the development of religions in late antiquity. [28] For instance, in 1 Samuel 4, the Philistines fret before the second battle of Aphek when they learn that the Israelites are bearing the Ark of the Covenant, and therefore Yahweh, into battle. He employed it in conjunction with the term Kathenotheism in order to distinguish Hinduism (Vedic Religion in particular) from Greco-Roman polytheism and Abrahamic monotheisms, and present … ... "There are many gods but there is only one God" - ... "The Sharpest Rule" vs."The Sharper Rule". There are numerous accounts of surrounding nations of Israel showing fear or reverence for the Israelite God despite their continued polytheistic practices. 3 God of Israel presides are here being sentenced to die for their corrupt rule of nations on the earth. Richard Foltz has put forth evidence that Iranians of Pre-Islamic era worshiped all these figures, especially Mithra and Anahita. Being irreligious is more of an attitude than a religious position. “Covenantal monotheism” is one way of speaking about henotheism/monolatry in the Old Testament. Answer: According to the American Heritage Dictionary, monolatry (also called monolatrism) is the worship of only one god without denying the existence of other gods. [19] Hinduism calls the metaphysical absolute concept as Brahman, incorporating within it the transcendent and immanent reality. Psalm 82 is … But the term is not a synonym for monotheism, despite the fact that it has the same etymological meaning. Passages in the Hebrew Bible that assume the existence of other gods are compared to other passages that put forth the declaration that “there are no other gods besides” the God of Israel as proof of this view. Michael S. Heiser: Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition, Maximus Tryius. Englund, Eugene. [1] [2] Friedrich Schelling (1775–1854) coined the word, and Friedrich Welcker (1784–1868) used it to depict primitive monotheism among ancient Greeks. See more. [10] Other scholars state that this is unclear, because historic texts present a conflicting picture, ranging from Zoroastrianism's belief in "one god, two gods, or a best god henotheism".[11]. - Acts 17:2,3, I Believe that their is Only One True God, and his name is JEHOVAH, I AM THAT I AM Psalm 83:18, Exodus 3:14 and that Jesus Christ is the Son of The Most High God and Jesus excludes himself from being called God. Polytheism cannot be harmonized with a conceptual approach, for it is fundamentally non-verbal, rooted in myth and psychomorph pre-rationality. Both views are problematic and fall short of doing justice to the full description of Israel’s view of God and the heavenly host in the Hebrew Bible. Henotheism is the devotion to one God (or god) in a polytheistic setting. [36], Van Hale has written, "Mormonism teaches the existence of gods who are not the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost" and "the existence of more than one god [is] clearly a Mormon doctrine", but he also said that defining this belief system in theological terms was troublesome. [1][2][6] The term refers to a form of theism focused on a single god. Monolatry is distinguished from monotheism, which asserts the existence of only one god, and henotheism, a religious system in which the believer worships one god without denying that others may worship different gods with equal validity. Jason David BeDuhn is an associate professor of religious studies at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff. Sillman, H. Jeffrey. Henotheism is the belief that there is one primary god that is venerated, and at the same time, there are other gods or manifestations also recognized. [9], Prods Oktor Skjærvø states Zoroastrianism is henotheistic, and "a dualistic and polytheistic religion, but with one supreme god, who is the father of the ordered cosmos". the worship of “our God” ( to the exclusion but not the refutation of other gods). [1] The latter term is an extension of "henotheism", from καθ' ἕνα θεόν (kath' hena theon) 'one god at a time'. ", Online Etymology Dictionary: kathenotheism, Relationship between religion and science, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henotheism&oldid=987539370, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 November 2020, at 18:21. In a way, it’s a form of polytheism. [8] Further, the term henotheism does not exclude monism, nondualism or dualism. Teacher materials: “Monotheism, Henotheism, or Polytheism?” answer key, background reading “Monotheism in the Hebrew Bible” and “How Does the Hebrew In-between, ante-rational henotheism entertains the geosentimental appeal of polytheism, but falls into the trap of monolatry (a provisional, reversible "great god"). The dominant critical consensus since the late nineteenth century holds that Israel’s faith evolved from polytheism or henotheism to monotheism. Mark S. Smith refers to this stage as a form of monolatry. He holds a B.A. It's surprising to find that so many have not found the abundant knowledge that the scriptural words for "god" had more ... Israel’s view of God and his relationship to other divine beings in the He- brew Bible has long been the subject of scholarly debate. They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Müller applied it to the temporany, ritual and liturgical worship of one single God at a time, especially in Vedas; thus, is a form of devotion that was practiced by Hindus only. Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? What's the practical difference between Monotheism and Henotheism/Monolatry? a. These sons were each worshiped within a specific region. Are they all just reflections of the One? "Defining the Mormon Doctrine of Deity: What Can Theological Terminology Tell Us About Out Own Beliefs? [32] BYU Professor Roger R. Keller rejected descriptions of the LDS Church as polytheistic by countering, as summarized by a reviewer, "Mormons are fundamentally monotheistic because they deal with only one god out of the many which exist. [16] The Vedic hymns treat it as "limitless, indescribable, absolute principle", thus the Vedic divine is something of a panentheism rather than simple henotheism. The primary difference between the two is that monolatry is the worship of one god who alone is worthy of worship, though other gods are believed to … Some scholars have written that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) can be characterized as henotheistic, but others have rejected this stance. • Ronald S. Hendel ISV: You are to have no other gods as a substitute for me. Irreligion is the absence of religion and/or an indifference towards belief. Henoheism, believes only one god is worthy of being worshiped. Israel was certainly “monolatrous,” but that term comments only on what Israel believed JOHN 17:3. "Reason with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving by references." "There are many gods but there is only one God" - Impossible ? Henotheism is similar but less exclusive than monolatry because a monolator worships only one god (denying that other gods are worthy of worship), while the henotheist may worship any within the pantheon, depending on circumstances, although they usually will worship only one throughout their life (barring some sort of conversion). [7] Henotheism refers to a pluralistic theology wherein different deities are viewed to be of a unitary, equivalent divine essence. 3 God of Israel presides are here being sentenced to die for their corrupt rule of nations on the earth. A henotheist may worship a single god from a pantheon of deities at a given time, depending on his or her choice, while accepting other deities and concepts of god. “Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass. henotheism or monolatry;xi this is because henotheism reflects the tendency of worshipping many gods but rising one of the gods as a supreme god. and he is heavenly-winged Garutman. Related terms are monolatrism and kathenotheism. This article overviews the difficulties of each view and offers a coherent alternative. "A One-Sided Dialogue". Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? "The Development of the Mormon Understanding of God: Early Mormon Modalism and Early Myths". What’s the difference between Monolatry and Henotheism? The Israelites were forbidden[29] to worship other deities, but according to some interpretations of the Bible, they were not fully monotheistic before the Babylonian captivity. This view insists that “monotheism” must mean that the existence of other gods is denied. According to Maijastina Kahlos "monotheism was pervasive in the educated circles in Late Antiquity" and "all divinities were interpreted as aspects, particles or epithets of one supreme God". [2] Müller made the term central to his criticism of Western theological and religious exceptionalism (relative to Eastern religions), focusing on a cultural dogma which held "monotheism" to be both fundamentally well-defined and inherently superior to differing conceptions of God. [16] In late Vedic era, around the start of Upanishadic age (~800 BCE), theosophical speculations emerge that develop concepts which scholars variously call nondualism or monism, as well as forms of non-theism and pantheism. [3], Max Müller (1823–1900), a German philologist and orientalist, brought the term into wider usage in his scholarship on the Indian religions,[4][5] particularly Hinduism whose scriptures mention and praise numerous deities as if they are one ultimate unitary divine essence. The difference between it and monotheism is that it does not deny the other gods. "[33], In their book, Mormon America: The Power and the Promise, Richard and Joan Ostling, wrote that some Mormons are comfortable describing themselves as henotheists. To what is One, sages give many a title. the exclusive covenant between YHWH and Israel clearly implied, to … Hale, Van. Heiser: Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? The Zoroastrian view of God is that of pure Monotheism, of a Single Universal God. [24] Maximus Tyrius (2nd century C.E.) [20][21][22] Different schools of thought interpret Brahman as either personal, impersonal or transpersonal. [16][17][18] An example of the questioning of the concept of God, in addition to henotheistic hymns found therein, are in later portions of the Rigveda, such as the Nasadiya Sukta. Kurt Noll states that "the Bible preserves a tradition that Yahweh used to 'live' in the south, in the land of Edom" and that the original god of Israel was El Shaddai. Thus, henotheism was sometimes confused with monolatry, a term best applied to the religion of ancient Israel before it attained monotheism, when the existence of gods other than Yahveh was admitted but their worship was strictly forbidden (see Ex. Henotheism was the term used by scholars such as Max Müller to describe the theology of Vedic religion. [35] A review of Widmer's book by Bruening and Paulsen in the FARMS Review of Books countered that Widmer's hypothesis was "strongly disconfirmed in light of the total evidence". [27], Several Biblical stories allude to the belief that the Canaanite gods all existed and were thought to possess the most power in the lands by the people who worshiped them and their sacred objects; their power was believed to be real and could be invoked by the people who patronized them. Bruening, Ari D. and David L. Paulsen. [1], Ahura Mazda is the supreme god, but Zoroastrianism does not deny other deities. Toward an Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible Toward an Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible Israel’s view of God and his relationship to other divine beings in the He- brew Bible has long been the subject of scholarly debate. See also, Griffith's Rigveda translation: PT Raju (2006), Idealistic Thought of India, Routledge. However, its predecessor—the various schools of Hellenistic Judaism and Second Temple Judaism, and especially the cult of Yahweh as it was practiced in ancient Israel and Judah during the 8th and 7th centuries BCE—have been described as henotheistic. Monolatry definition, the worship of only one god although other gods are recognized as existing. "[23], While Greek and Roman religion began as polytheism, during the Classical period, under the influence of philosophy, differing conceptions emerged. A monotheistic religion is a religion that worships a single deity. Another word expressing the same idea is monolatry, which is based on the Greek roots monos (one), and latreia (service or religious worship). Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? [citation needed], Friedrich Schelling coined the term henotheism, from the Greek heis or heno which literally means "single, one". Monotheism is strictly worshipping and believing in only one God while henotheism is a belief in one supreme or specially venerated God along with the other minor Gods. [2][5][6], The Vedic era conceptualization of the divine or the One, states Jeaneane Fowler, is more abstract than a monotheistic God, it is the Reality behind and of the phenomenal universe. explore the subtle difference between monotheism and henotheism. The term Henotheism was originally coined in 1860 by Friedrich Max Müller, a German Indologist, philologist and historian of comparative religion. Ahura Mazda has yazatas ("good agents") some of which include Anahita, Sraosha, Mithra, Rashnu, and Tishtrya. Henotheism (from Greek ἑνός θεοῦ (henos theou) 'of one god') is the worship of a single, overarching god while not denying the existence or possible existence of other lower deities. Toward an Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible. [1][2] Friedrich Schelling (1775–1854) coined the word, and Friedrich Welcker (1784–1868) used it to depict primitive monotheism among ancient Greeks. [34], Kurt Widmer, professor at the University of Lethbridge, described LDS beliefs as a "cosmic henotheism". "John 1:3 and Hebrews1:10" - Example of Agency, Interacting with Arthur Daniels Jr. on "John 8:58". Nathan MacDonald on page 54 in his book Deuteronomy and the Meaning of Monotheism explains that Henotheism has been expressed a number of ways such as being a synonym for monolatry. "The Weeping God of Mormonism". Exodus 20:3: ESV: You shall have no other gods before me. stated: "In such a mighty contest, sedition and discord, you will see one according law and assertion in all the earth, that there is one god, the king and father of all things, and many gods, sons of god, ruling together with him. Christology and the Trinity: An Exploration (Volum... PDF - Truth in Translation: Jason BeDuhn (Book), Shaliah An Introduction to the Law of Agency - Raymond James Essoe (Book), Online Debate between Greg Stafford and Rob Bowman. CSB: Do not have other gods besides me. [14][2] Müller noted that the hymns of the Rigveda, the oldest scripture of Hinduism, mention many deities, but praises them successively as the "one ultimate, supreme God", alternatively as "one supreme Goddess",[15] thereby asserting that the essence of the deities was unitary (ekam), and the deities were nothing but pluralistic manifestations of the same concept of the divine (God). Psalm 82 is considered late in composition on several grounds.1 The Henotheism is related to monolatry, which is also the worship of one god among many. Ishwar Chandra Sharma describes it as "Absolute Reality, beyond all dualities of existence and non-existence, light and darkness, and of time, space and cause. The Canaanite pantheon consisted of El and Asherah as the chief deities, with 70 sons who were said to rule over each of the nations of the earth. < Back to Questions Often Zeus (or Jupiter) was considered the supreme, all-powerful and all-knowing, king and father of the Olympian gods. How separate are the Netjeru? Other scholars who reject this evolutionary paradigm tend to assume passages evincing divine plu- rality actually speak of human beings, or that the other gods are merely idols. “Henotheism” and “monolatry,” while perhaps better, are inadequate because they do not say enough about what the canonical writer believed. [30] Smith argues that Yahweh underwent a process of merging with El and that acceptance of cults of Asherah was common in the period of the Judges. "[25], The Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus taught that above the gods of traditional belief was "The One",[24] and polytheist[26] grammarian Maximus of Madauros even stated that only a madman would deny the existence of the supreme God.[24]. Pre-Captivity Judaism’s view of God was generally monolatry i.e. Henotheism is based upon the Greek roots heis or henos, (one), and theos (god). Henotheism and monolatry The primary difference between the two is that Henotheism is the worship of one god, not precluding the existence of others who may also be worthy of praise, while Monolatry is the worship of one god who alone is worthy of worship, though other gods are known to exist. , explaining and proving by references. month of April, 1998 being sentenced to for. 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