Henotheism vs Monotheism

byKevin Shrestha 12/11/2021 05:19:00 PM

You might have often heard terminologies such as:

(Very simple definition given)

1. Monotheism= One God exists denying existence of polytheistic environment

2. Polytheism= Many gods exist

3. Pantheism= God is all, All is God,

4. Deism= God exists but doesn't interact with creation

5. Animism= Worship of Nature

6. Panentheism= Existence of universe is within God etc.

But have you ever heard the term Henotheism?

Let me simply illustrate: we are in a Hindu environment right? So, there are particular Hindu friends or neighborhood who might say something like- I worship Shiva in particular but do not reject pantheon of Hindu deities. Now, that's what is called Henotheism (Although, learnt Hindus usually deny this for sure!).

But, how is henotheism different from monotheism?

	Henotheism	Monotheism
1	The word comes from the Greek ‘heis’ which means one and ‘theos’ which means God. This is not to be confused with monotheism which is the belief that there is only one God in all existence.[1]	The word monotheism comes from the Greek μόνος (monos) meaning "single" and θεός (theos) meaning "god".[2]
2	Monotheism in principle and polytheism in fact[3]^,[4]	In both principle and fact.
3	Term coined by Max Muller[5]^,[6] who introduced it as a transitional stage from polytheism to monotheism.[7]^,[8]	According to the hypothesis, monotheism was first attempted by the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), who attempted to substitute for the previously held polytheism the exclusive worship of Aten.[9] The English term was first used by Henry More (1614–1687).[10]
4	devotion to a single primary god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities. It can also be the gods form a hierarchy with a chief god.[11]	Belief in existence of only one God or oneness of God.
5	Related terms are monolatrism and kathenotheism[12], which are typically understood as sub-types of henotheism.[13]	There is, however, a wide range of positions between exclusive monotheism at one extreme and unlimited polytheism at the other.[14] Between the extremes of exclusive monotheism and unlimited polytheism are the middle positions of inclusive monotheism and henotheism.
6	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.[15]	Exclusive monotheism: only one god exists; other gods either simply do not exist at all or, at most, are false gods or demons—i.e., beings that are acknowledged to exist but that cannot be compared in power or any other way with the one and only true God. Inclusive monotheism: accepts the existence of a great number of gods but holds that all gods are essentially one and the same, so that it makes little or no difference under which name or according to which rite a god or goddess is invoked.[16]
7	Critics insists, instead of taking the trouble of coining the word ‘henotheism’, Max Muller could have simply said that the gods are regarded as mere manifestation of the Supreme God so that when any god was praised he was not praised in his individual capacity, but merely as the manifestation of the Supreme God.[17]	Critics insists, monotheism runs into difficulties in trying to answer the question concerning the origin of evil in a universe under the government of one god.[18]
8	This system of theism has no objection over existence of other gods but personally get attached or associate to one particular God. It is distinct from its sub-category Kathenotheism as this holds to one particular god at one time that might alter in life according to demand and situations or so. It is also distinct from Monolatrism in which only one particular god is worthy of worship in crowd of many gods.[19] It may have social, geographical or individual preference basis.[20]	In general, Monotheism excludes the existence and worship of other deities, powers or gods.
9	It exists in a polytheistic environment.[21]	It exists outside a polytheistic environment generally.
10	Hinduism can be one best example for its practice in general daily life. Also, the Bible reports its practice in O.T. periods (E.g. Isaiah 37, 2 Kings 5).[22]	Religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam