Defining "Monotheism"
In its simplest terms, "monotheism" is the belief that there is one, and only
one, God. It is usually distinguished from "polytheism" (a belief in many gods)
and "henotheism" (a devotion to one God who is viewed as supreme without denying
the existence of other gods, who are often associated with other peoples or
ethnic groups). But monotheism also includes the belief that this one God is
transcendent (and thus over and distinct from the material universe) and
personal (able to be in some type of relationship with creation). Thus,
pantheism's belief in the identity of all that is as God would not qualify it as
a monotheistic religion.
Monotheism and "Western Religions"
The historical origins of monotheistic religions are widely debated by among
religious studies scholars. Some describe its origins in the beliefs of
Akhenaten (Amenophis IV, c. 1364-1347 BCE), sometimes
called the "heretic pharaoh," whose singular devotion to the Egyptian god Aten
(the solar disk) may have crossed the boundary between henotheism and genuine
monotheism. Others locate its origins in the beliefs of the ancient Hebrews and
Israelites that over time developed into Judaism. Both of this explanations
associate it with "Western" societies as the development of monotheism was most
furthered in Judaism and its related religions of Christianity and Islam.
Many scholars are now backing away from the association of monotheism and
"Western" religion and cultures. The reasons for this are twofold. First,
historically it is clear that the origins of monotheism on either theory do not
reside in "Western" or European societies (whose indigenous religions were of
the "traditional" varieties) even though over time it came to dominate the
religious views of those cultures. Second, in the twenty-first century it is
clear that at least for Christianity and Islam the vast majority of followers of
these faith live outside "Western" countries. The country with the largest
Muslim population in the world is Indonesia, followed by India (despite the fact
that in India's huge population Muslims are a small minority in comparison to
the Hindu majority). As the number of Christians declines in Europe, that
religion's fastest growth is found in the developing regions of Africa, Asia,
and Central and South America (on this point in particular, see Phillip Yancey,
The Next Christendom).
The "Religions of the Book"
The practice within Islam of including Christianity and Judaism along with
itself as "the religions of the book" points out both the historical
interconnections between these faith traditions and the importance of scripture
as a written compendium of divine revelation within them. Christianity has
adopted the Jewish scriptures as a portion of its own scriptural tradition, and
the Islamic scriptures have parallel accounts of some stories from the Jewish
scriptures as well as mentions of Jesus as one of a series of great prophets
that also include Abraham and Moses and reaching a culmination for Islam in
Mohammad.
Yet while each of these religions recognizes certain commonalities as peoples
who worship the one God revealed to Abraham (leading some now to call them as a
group the "Abrahamic religions"), they also recognize profound differences of
belief and practice between them. For example, both Jews and Muslims have
serious reservations about the consistency of monotheism with the widely held
Christian doctrine of the Trinity (that the one God exists eternally as "Father,
Son and Holy Spirit").
The links at the left will provide brief overviews of each of these
monotheistic faiths in terms of their history, their scriptures, and some basic
religious practices.
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