One of the oldest forms of attitude towards reality is religious consciousness. It always corresponded to the urgent needs of the human spirit. Any need, including spiritual, requires satisfaction.
Types of ideas about gods
There are several types of human ideas about gods:
- polytheism is a belief in polytheism;
- pantheism - faith in one God, identified with nature and the world as a whole;
- deism - faith in a creator God that exists beyond the limits of human history;
- monotheism (theism) - faith in the only God as the highest power of the personal and moral, the Creator, who is responsible for his creation.
Definition of polytheism
Polytheism is a religious teaching based on belief in several gods. The word itself is of Greek origin and literally translated as polytheism. Polytheists believe that there are many gods, each of whom has his own character, his own habits and passions. Each god (goddess) has its own sphere of influence. Gods can enter into relationships with each other.
Background of polytheism
Not a single phenomenon in society arises on its own. For the occurrence of polytheism also had its premises:
- Various phenomena of nature and the life of peoples. It was common for people to identify various natural phenomena with individual deities. They believed that the whole world can not be controlled by a single God.
- The idea of re-divine reincarnation. This idea is characteristic of early Hinduism. And if we consider it correct, then the deification of each of the subsequent incarnations leads to the existence of many gods.
- The hierarchy of the social system. It seemed to mankind that if a hierarchy, organization, structure (family, tribe, state) can be clearly traced in society, then in the other world there should be many gods, each of whom takes his place in the divine pantheon and has certain responsibilities.
Polytheism in the myths of ancient cultures
To understand what polytheism is, it is enough to turn to the myths of ancient Greece. So, for example, Poseidon was the god of the sea and the entire water element, the goddess of the earth was Gaia, and the god of war and destruction - Ares. The head of the ancient Greek divine pantheon was Zeus - the most powerful of all. Supporters of polytheism can worship different gods in different ways, they can honor any particular, chosen god. It is noteworthy that polytheism in worshiping its tribal gods does not exclude the possibility of recognizing the divine beings of other nations.
It is possible to determine what polytheism is by the myths of ancient Rome. It is noteworthy that the ancient Romans, like the ancient Greeks, worshiped the gods who were responsible for the same natural phenomena. Only the names of the gods differed, their appearance and preferences. In the Old Slavic religion, worship of various gods is also observed, which was identified with the sun, moon, thunder.
Polytheism as a starting point for subsequent religions
Most scholars believe that polytheism is the oldest form of people's religious beliefs, which is typical of the Bronze and Iron Ages and up to the new time. This type of religion was characteristic of antiquity, which was clearly manifested in ancient Greek and Roman polytheism. Belief in many gods existed among Slavic and Germanic tribes.
Polytheism gradually fell into decline, but its principles can be observed in modern religions, such as Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism and others. In addition, in recent years in Europe there has been an increase in the number of supporters of neo-paganism, also based on faith in many gods. Ancient polytheism has been replaced by new types of religious beliefs such as pantheism, atheism, and monotheism.
What is monotheism?
Monotheism is a religious doctrine of a single God or deity. Translated from Greek, the word "monotheism" literally means "monotheism." Religions based on faith in one God include Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The most ancient religion based on the principles of monotheism, which has survived to this day, is Zoroastrianism.
Although there is an opinion that monotheism was the very first religion on Earth, which over time distorted and turned into polytheism, historical evidence and archaeological finds suggest the opposite. The earliest modern religion of this trend is Judaism, which at first had the character of polytheism, but in the 7th century BC it moved to a new level.
Monotheism first arose as a cult of the preference of one deity over others. And only then did the tendency to take different deities for different forms of one God appear, and after that a religion arose, which was based on faith in one single God.
Monotheism and polytheism: the eternal confrontation
Polytheism opposes monotheism - faith in one God. He is also an opponent of atheism, denying the existence of any gods and deities. Until now, the origin and relationship of polytheism and monotheism has been the subject of controversy, both among anthropologists and religious historians. Nevertheless, most scientists and researchers are still inclined to believe that polytheism first arose, which then developed into monotheism. In the Bible, polytheism is a betrayal of the one God, and he is identified with paganism.
It would be a mistake to assume that polytheism today is completely reborn. Of course, there are not many modern polytheists, and their beliefs have not acquired such a bright form as in antiquity, but polytheism is the type of religion that will never exhaust itself and will always find its supporters.