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Henotheism ( Greek ''heis theos'' "one god") is a term coined by Max Müller , to mean devotion to a single " God " while accepting the existence of other Gods . Müller stated that henotheism means " Monotheism in principle and a Polytheism in fact." He made the term a center of his criticism of Western Theological and Religious exceptionalism (relative to Eastern Religion s), focusing on a cultural Dogma which held "monotheism" to be both fundamentally ''well-defined'' and inherently ''superior'' to differing Conceptions Of God . Variations on the term have been inclusive monotheism and '''monarchial polytheism''', designed to differentiate differing forms of the phenomenon. Related terms are Monolatrism and Kathenotheism , which are typically understood as sub-types of henotheism. The latter term is an extension of "henotheism", from (''kath' hena theon'')—"one god at a time". Henotheism is similar but less exclusive than Monolatry because a monolator worships only one god, while the henotheist may worship any within the Pantheon , depending on circumstances. In some Belief System s, the choice of the supreme deity within a henotheistic framework may be determined by cultural, geographical, or political reasons. HENOTHEISM IN VARIOUS RELIGIONS Classical Greco-Roman While Greek and Roman religion began as Polytheism , during the Classical period, under the influence of philosophy, differing conceptions emerged. Often Zeus (or Jupiter ) was considered the supreme, all-powerful and all-knowing, king and father of the Olympian gods. To illustrate, Maximus Tyrius ( 2nd Century A.D.), 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." The Philosophers Plato and Plotinus taught that above the gods of traditional belief was "The One". Hinduism It is difficult clearly to characterise Hinduism, which can take the form of polytheism, as in the Rig Veda , or monotheism, as in Smarta Hinduism. In popular form it appears sometimes as polytheism, or as inclusive monotheism admitting multiple deities as manifestations of a single being. However, the Rig Veda (undeveloped early Hinduism), was the basis for Max Müller's beliefs about henotheism. In the four Vedas , Müller has a striving towards One was being aimed at by the worship of different cosmic principles, such as Agni (fire), Vayu (wind), Indra (rain, thunder, the sky), etc. each of which was variously, by clearly different writers, hailed as supreme in different sections of the books. Indeed, however, what was confusing was an early idea of Rita, or supreme order, that bound all the gods. Other phrases such as ''Ekam Sat, Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti'' (Truth is One, though the sages know it as many) led to understandings that the Vedic people admitted to fundamental oneness. From this mix of Monism , monotheism and naturalist polytheism Max Müller decided to name the early Vedic religion henotheistic. However, unprecedented and hitherto unduplicated ideas of pure in the first Aranyaka s and Upanishads . However, to deny that a form of polytheism is also present may equally be to ignore aspects of the early Vedic texts. Whether the concept of "henotheism" adequately addresses these complexities or simply fudges them is a matter of debate. As for classical Hinduism, it evolved within the Vedic line but truly came into being with the ascendancy of aspects of God like Shiva and Vishnu in the Puranic and post-Puranic developments. Many sects of monotheistic Bhakti (loving devotion) worshippers came into vogue who, while admitting other deities, saw them as clearly emanating from one principal source. Extreme monists within the Advaita Vedanta movement, Yoga philosophy and certain non-dual Tantra schools of Hinduism preclude a broad categorization of Hinduism as henotheistic, what with the conception of Brahman, a formless non-being-being that is posited to be pure consciousness, beyond attributes, the Divine Ground from which all else that is limited and temporal sprang. The fundamental Hindu trinity, Brahma , Vishnu and Shiva are seen as many as being creation, preservation and destruction subsumed in one cycle of being that is ultimately transcended with the attainment of Moksha . Nevertheless, different devotional traditions have disputed the primacy of Shiva over Vishnu and ''vice versa''. Again "henotheism" is a loose term covering complex traditions and disputes. The period of Hinduism that most closely corresponded to henotheism as Müller understood it was the early Vedic period (before 1000 BC within the four preliminary Vedas) and even that is disputed by some scholars, most notably the great Hindu mystic Aurobindo Ghosh . Christianity Many Christians believe in a Pantheon of Angel s, Demon s, and/or Saint s that are inferior to the Trinity . Christians don't label these beings as gods per se, although they are sometimes the object of Prayer and some signs of honour. Mainline Christian churches which permit prayer to Saint s, however, insist that such prayer is only proper when limited to asking for the Angel or Saint 's Intercession to God . They are adamant that Saint s possess no powers of their own, and any Miracle able to be attributed to their Intercession is the product of the power of God and not any supernatural power of the Saint him or herself. When Christianity was adopted by Greco-Roman pagans or African slaves, the new converts often Attributed To These Saints Features of their previous polytheistic figures. In some cases, these beliefs have developed out of the Catholic Church and form Syncretism s like Santeria . These beliefs are somewhat similar to Hinduism which distinguishes between God in the form of Vishnu or Shiva , and Deva s which are subordinate to God and who supervise forces of nature such as Agni (i.e., Fire ) or Vayu (i.e., Wind ). Some Non-trinitarian Christian denominations have also been labeled henotheistic:
Israelite beliefs and Judaism It is generally uncontroversial that many of the Iron Age religions found in the Land Of Israel were henotheistic in practice. For example, the Moab ites worshipped the god Chemosh , the Edom ites, Qaus , both of whom were part of the greater Canaan ite pantheon, headed by the chief god, El . The Canaanite pantheon consisted of El and Asherat as the chief deities, with 70 sons who were said to rule over each of the nations of the earth. These sons were the national " Sons Of God " or " Nephilim " each worshipped within a specific region. More recently, M.S. Smith's synthesis of the Hebrew religion in the Iron Age has put forward the case that it, like those around it, was also henotheistic. The discovery of artifacts at Kuntillet 'Ajrud and Khirbet El-Qom have arguably shown that in at least some sections of Israelite society, Yahweh and Asherah were believed to coexist as a divine couple. Further evidence of an understanding of Yahweh existing within the Canaanite pantheon derives from Syncretistic Myths found within the Hebrew Bible itself. Various battles between Yahweh and Leviathan , Mot , the Tanninim , and Yamm are already attested in the 14th century B.C. texts found at Ugarit (ancient Ras-Shamra). In some cases, Biblical Yahweh had replaced Baal, and in others, he had taken El's roles, or even the roles of the Elohim , the entire Canaanite Pantheon . Several Biblical stories allude to the belief that the Canaanite gods all existed and possessed the most power in the lands that worshipped them or in their sacred objects; their power was real and could be invoked by the people who patronised them. The Israelites may have considered the other gods demonic or evil, but they probably were not fully monotheistic before the insists on transporting Israelite soil back with him to Syria in the belief that only then will Yahweh have power. Also, in the Book of Jonah, Jonah attempts to set sail to Tarshish in the belief that Yahweh will not reach him there. Jonah was written long after the Exile; hence, its author believes in Yahweh as a universal deity and Jonah is thwarted. According to Genesis, that he is the same god as El , the supreme being. This could be the recounting, in Myth ical form, of Israel 's conversion to monotheism. HENOTHEISM AND MONOLATRY Henotheism is closely related to the theistic concept of Monolatry , which is also the worship of one God among many. 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. Henotheism thus supposes to know less about divine matters, and Monolatry more.http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_theism_heno.htm SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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