Instead, there are several ways that one can classify hinduism as there. The broader definition of monotheism characterizes the traditions of babism, the baha. In the world in which the bible was written, polytheism was the rule. Polytheism is the worship of many gods, demi gods or deities and in the modern world it is epitomised in the eastern religions, particularly hinduism. Different traditions of hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism, monotheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic, humanism, atheism or nontheism monotheism is the belief in a single creator god and the lack of belief in any other creator. This view also implies the superiority of monotheism over different formulations of the sacred that may have their own value. Also find out how hindu religion perceives different aspects of life with a specific god. So, all illuminated souls have been given some powers and also responsibilities to function in this creation. As with holy books, philosophies are thought up and written by our human minds. The supreme god of hinduism has several different names and natures. Hinduism is the most ancient religion among all the great living religions in the world today. Second, if hinduism is not monotheistic, the general implication is that hinduism must be polytheistic, meaning heathen, pagan, primitive, superstitious and idolatrous. This is true with those responses, but gods do not need to be all powerful. Hindus practice with many different books but some of the important.
Like there is a god of war, and there is a god of the sun, and the god of the land, and the god of the sea, etc. Ancient religions are characterized by the worship of a number of gods. In hinduism, polytheism and monotheism are like two sides of the same reality. Polytheism can be a terribly confusing affair to monotheists. Romans did the rites proscribed by tradition and shared common concepts about what is the appropriate behavior towards humans and gods. Atheists and western monotheists together denigrate polytheists and. The legacy of the monotheism in hindu india hindu history.
While many cultures practice monotheism, some practice polytheism. Academically speaking, the ancient vedic scriptures, upon which hinduism is derived. Vedantism was the closest to their own monotheism a set of faith practices bourgeois in their mood and conduct. Often a point of contention in religious debates, the idea of god. That is how the hindu reform movements started in the nineteenth century. Why do christians believe in one god evidence in holy books. Jan 18, 2016 common notion about hinduism is that there are multiple gods and infact there can be millions of them. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Buddhism and hinduism monotheistic interfaith dialogue basics. Please read the books of swamy vivekananda, ramakrishna paramahamsa, bhagavad geeta and other books on hinduism.
The concept of monotheism in islam and christianity. I quote a text from in search of the cradle of civilization by george feuerstein, subbash kak and david frawley, the theosophical publishing house, 1995, p. Scripture for jewish, christian, and muslim religions is considered to be the word of god, and therefore infallible. The difference between polytheism and monotheism, including christian tritheism three boxes in one box, is the number of boxes one imagines putting the source some call gods into. Monotheism is directly opposed to polytheism, which is belief in more than one god, and to atheism, a disbelief in all deities. It should be noted at the outset, however, that this is chiefly a western difficulty. At that dawn of knowledge, the acknowledgement for supreme presence stemmed. Polytheism is more logical than monotheism because for them its unrealistic to believe in one god who rules everything.
The early vedic religious understanding of brahman underwent a series of abstractions in the hindu scriptures that followed the vedic scriptures. In no particular order, they represent judaism, wicca, taoism, christianity. Monotheism characterizes the traditions of judaism, christianity, and islam. An illuminating discourse on the fundamentals of hinduism. With many branches of polytheism, it is impossible to define them all in a single book.
God, the father, god, the son christ and god, the holy ghost spirit. Just as the holy rivers ganga ganges and yamuna yamuna join each other in the sacred. It begins with pharoah akhenaton, who attempted and failed to transform egypt from a polytheistic society to one that worshipped only the sun god, spends substantial time on the history of judaism, and then focuses, for most of the book. The history of the war between monotheism and polytheism. Hindu views on monotheism hinduism is a religion which incorporates diverse views on the concept of god. Yes, hinduism also says that god is beutiful and powerful etc etc as what polythiesm religions says. Ancient religions worshipped many gods instead of the one, true god.
Feb 12, 2014 wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity, not an insult. So, it doesnt really matter if you believe those, or make one up of your own when it comes to god concepts. Brahma is the creator aspect of the supreme being, shiva is the destroyer and vishnu is the preserver. If you are a seller for this product, would you like to. First is the idea that monotheism is a higher form, if not the highest form of religion, which is both debatable and controversial. They gave out a call for purging hinduism of its polytheism so that hinduism could be saved. If we were to take into consideration the general meaning of the word monotheism judaism, christianity, islam and zoroastrianism, and some hindu philosophies could all be included. Analyzing constructions of polytheistic and monotheistic religious. For india, however, where roughly 80 percent of the population practices hinduism, diwali 2011 is and. Learn and hinduism buddhism islam religion christianity sikhism with free interactive flashcards. However, to call hinduism monotheism would be, in most cases, erroneous as well. Monotheism, belief in the existence of one god, or in the oneness of god. Hinduism, a premier religion since the dawn of civilization, advocated the concept of god to make humans understand that.
The origin of hinduism is shrouded in antiquity of the distant past far beyond the times of known history. People often think that hinduism is a polytheistic religion. As an old religion, hinduism inherits religious concepts spanning monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, and atheism among others. On the moabite stone king mesha speaks just as samuel or joshua might have spoken. Hinduism includes elements of what western thought might call monism, theism, pantheism and polytheism, but as part of a many sided and multileveled approached to the sacred that honors the freedom of the individual to search out the truth from all perspectives. Ram swarup, for example, points to the vedas as being specifically polytheistic, 15 and states that, only some form of polytheism alone can do justice to this variety and richness. Different traditions of hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism, monotheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic, humanism, atheism or nontheism. May 18, 2010 as with holy books, philosophies are thought up and written by our human minds. Worship of one god, monotheism in hinduism by jayaram v this article is about the origin and development of the concept of god in hinduism in the context of the vedas in general and the isa upanishad in particular and whether the elements of monotheism entered hinduism indigenously through prevailing traditions or through some external source such as judaism or christianity. And all in all polytheism is the opposite of monotheism which is the worshipping of only one god, as their names say since mono is used to refer to one and poly is used when referring to multiple.
Henotheism was the term used by scholars such as max muller to describe the theology of vedic religion. Muller 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, thereby asserting that the essence of the deities was unitary, and the deities. May 2002 hinduismmonotheism and polytheism reconciled. Hinduism incorporates diverse views on the concept of god. Exclusive monotheism, on the other hand, actively opposes polytheism. The history of religions, however, indicates many phenomena and concepts that should warn against oversimplification in this matter. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity, not an insult. It is a paradox, which hinduism addresses with great subtlety and openness, while some traditions fail to appreciate it or embrace it. Especially in contemporary times, religious narrowmindedness is a. Unlike vedic religion, which is pure monotheism, holy bible preaches the doctrine of trinity, i. Monotheism is often contrasted with theistic dualism ditheism. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity.
It comes from the word poly meaning, many, and theism where we get the word god. Monotheism is the belief in a single creator god and the lack of belief in any other creator. Polytheism from greek, polytheismos is the worship of or belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religions and rituals. But in reality, there is only one god and rest are not gods but dieties devas or demigods. What are 3 monotheistic religions and their holy books. Mar 17, 2015 hinduism is a decidedly theistic religion. Polytheism and monotheism in hinduism hindu website. Max muller,the well known interpreter and translator of hindu sanskrit texts writers note even coined a new term henotheism in order to explain the tendency of the.
Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the oldest religions in the world, with a history going beyond that of the many abrahamic faiths in the world. Vedantism was the closest to their own monotheism a set of faith practices bourgeois in. There are many polytheistic religions including hinduism, taoism, shintoism and mahayana buddhism, just to name some. Bias, monotheism, polytheism and arguments religious forums. The worship of many gods is called polytheism while the worship of one god is called monotheism. Mar 07, 2004 god against the gods depicts the emergence and eventual triumph of monotheism over polytheism in the west. Many other hindus, however, view polytheism as far preferable to monotheism. World religions introduction to sociology lumen learning. The christians believe that each god is equal in power and glory, and that these three are one.
Theistic hinduism encompasses both monotheistic and. Im aware of a wide variance within the hindu faith, so im not expecting answers that all hindus would subscribe to, just beliefs and information that helped form those beliefs. First i need to differentiate between monotheism with polytheism because even in polytheist religions, one god is quite often supreme. Hard polytheism project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Apr 22, 2017 plus, polytheism to me has more options of spiritual growth. Monotheism is a form of theism, generally defined as the belief in a single deity though it has also been defined as the belief that one supreme being exists whose will is sovereign over all other beings similar concepts in practice and somewhat related include. Hindus believe that everything is god or contains the energy of god therefore is worthy of worship, be it icons or symbols or nature itself. Worship of one god, monotheism in hinduism by jayaram v this article is about the origin and development of the concept of god in hinduism in the context of the vedas in general and the isa upanishad in particular and whether the elements of monotheism entered hinduism indigenously through prevailing traditions or through some external source. Monotheism is the belief in a single creator god who is almighty, omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. Monotheism has been defined as the belief in the existence of only one god that created the world, is allpowerful and intervenes in the world. Hinduism is monotheistic religion from the beginning. Polytheism characterizes the beliefs of hinduism, mahayana buddhism, confucianism, taoism and shintoism in the east, and also contemporary tribal religions in africa and the americas. Even hinduism, though not polytheistic belief in multiple godscreators, have that sense of connection because you have multiple incarnations and so forth working together.
It is an ancient religion, also called santana dharma, and the faith of the majority in india. Trimurtifrom left to right vishnu, shiva, and brahma, the three hindu gods of the trimurti. Different traditions of hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism, monotheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic humanism, atheism or nontheism. As regards mesopotamia many of the records of its polytheism and the royal chronicles reveal the same religious justification of cruelty that disfigure the jewish annals. Learn how hindiusm adopted to polytheism multiple gods with an indepth narration from the groundup. It was a revelation to me that monotheism was not a religious concept but an imperialist idea. Monotheism in judaism as a harbinger of science, eretz acheret magazine. And all in all polytheism is the opposite of monotheism which is the worshipping of only one god, as their names say since mono is used to refer to. Im an american pagan here, wondering what are some hindu perceptions of other polytheistic faiths, such as the greek deities.
Christianity, and islam, which share a common tradition of monotheism, the belief in one god. There is no valid reason to assume, for example, that monotheism is a. So called monotheism religions are just like seeing moon from earth. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history.
They had no holy books in the sense of being inspired or the word. Sep, 2019 the religion that i was born into was hinduism. Most polytheistic gods are just powerful in certain areas. Polytheism creates many gods but misses the one true god. Polytheism distorts the true picture of god it undermines his character. A novelist explains why the polytheism of hindus and their texts.
Polytheism its worth noting that in each of the three abrahamic religions that we just named, you may hear people praying to someone other than the main deity. These religions are widely practiced throughout the world and remain very popular in their ancestral areas. The major religions of the world hinduism, buddhism, islam, confucianism, christianity. Whats the difference between polytheism and monotheism. Polytheism is however reconcilable with inclusive monotheism, which claims that all deities are just different names or forms of a single god. What are your thoughts on other forms of polytheism. On the other hand hinduism says that there is only one almighty. Polytheistic religions have no such belief, allowing not only different views of religious practices but even different interpretations of their deities.
So, it doesnt really matter if you believe those, or. Lastly, as no people have been recorded or discovered with an inborn craving or racebias making for monotheism, but on the contrary the lower and prevalent popular instinct is always polytheistic, we must attribute a profound influence to the inspiration of prophets and great thinkers to account for the victory, or even for the emergence, of monotheism at certain times among certain peoples. It was a profound study of monotheism, the central dogma of both islam and christianity, as well as a powerful presentation of what the monotheists denounce as hindu polytheism. A broader definition of monotheism is the belief in one god.
Major proponents of the monotheistic nature of hinduism point to the fundamental trinity of brahma, shiva and vishnu as three aspects of a single entity, similar to the christian trinity of god, jesus and the holy ghost. If by holy book you mean scripture, as modern abrahamic religions have holy books, then the answer is no. Hinduism, over 1million gods and goddesses that are worshipped by hindus worldwide. The psychology that was at work in the reform movements is illustrated best by the rise of raja ram mohun roy to name and fame in a short time. When humans were getting into civilized life, it was realized that there were beginnings and ends. Multiple gods in hinduism, polytheism or monotheism. Hindu polytheism bollingen series general danielou, alain on. Nov 23, 2009 because they dont have depth knowledge and answer for it. In most religions which accept polytheism, the different gods and goddesses are representations of forces of nature or ancestral principles, and can be viewed either as. God against the gods depicts the emergence and eventual triumph of monotheism over polytheism in the west. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 9 note 4. It is interesting to see how different faiths have responded to the spread of monotheism, such as hiding their true faiths via syncretisms with christianity such as haitian voodou or maya religion, and i share your respect for the polytheistic faiths that have survived such as hinduism.
Common notion about hinduism is that there are multiple gods and infact there can be millions of them. This divine essence is usually referred to as brahman or atman, but. Choose from 500 different sets of and hinduism buddhism islam religion christianity sikhism flashcards on quizlet. Monotheism and polytheism are often thought of in rather simple termse. A distinction may be made between exclusive monotheism, and both inclusive monotheism and pluriform panentheistic monotheism which, while recognising various distinct gods, postulate some. Both books philosophies are just projections and assumptions based on the individual or a group of individuals. In referring to abrahamic monotheistic religions, direct references are made to their holy books.
309 1019 846 530 638 1599 1097 1602 230 1035 1522 203 608 217 1529 1501 961 1215 569 1010 1554 316 1462 689 939 1495 1289 873 333