Polytheism (from Greek ???????????, polytheismos ) is a worship or belief in many gods, usually assembled into ranks of gods and goddesses, along with their own religion and ritual. In most religions that accept polytheism, different gods and goddesses are representations of natural forces or ancestral principles, and can be seen as autonomous or as an aspect or emanation of the creator god or the transcendental absolute principle (indirect theology). in nature (pantheistic and pantheistic theology). Most of the polytheistic gods of ancient religions, with the notable exception of the gods of Ancient Egypt and Hinduism, were conceived as having a physical body.
Polytheism is a kind of theism. In theism, it contradicts monotheism, the belief in a single God, in many ways transcendent. The polytheists do not always worship all gods equally, but they can become henotheists, who specialize in the worship of one particular god. Other polytheists can become kathenotheists, worshiping different gods at different times.
Polytheism was a peculiar form of religion during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age until the Axial Age and the development of Abrahamic religions, the latter of which enforces strict monotheism. It is well documented in the history of classical religions, especially ancient Greek religion and ancient Roman religion, and after the decline of Greco-Roman polytheism in tribal religions such as Germanic paganism or Slavic paganism.
The important polytheistic religions practiced today include traditional Chinese, Hindu, Japanese Shinto, and various neopagan religions.
Video Polytheism
Terminology
This term comes from the Greek ???? poly ("many") and ???? theos ("god") and was first discovered by Jewish writer Philo of Alexandria to argue with the Greeks. When Christianity spread throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, non-Christians were only called Gentiles (a term originally used by Jews to refer to non-Jews) or unbelievers (locals) a very disdainful polytheist (worshiping "false" gods). The modern usage of this term was first revived in French through Jean Bodin in 1580, followed by the use of Samuel Purchas in English in 1614.
Maps Polytheism
Soft polytheism versus hard polytheism
A major division in polytheism is between soft polytheism and harsh polytheism.
"Hard" polytheism is the belief that gods are separate, separate, and real divine beings, and not the archetypes or psychological personifications of the forces of nature. The polytheists vehemently reject the idea that "all gods are one god." The "hard" polytheists do not always regard the gods of all cultures as equally real, a theological position formally known as integrative polytheism or omnitheism.
This is contrasted with "soft" polytheism, which assumes that the gods may be only aspects of one god, that the pantheon of another culture represents a single pantheon, a psychological archetype or a personification of the forces of nature.
God and divinity
The gods of polytheism are often described as complex figures of greater or lesser status, with individual skills, needs, desires and histories; are in many ways similar to humans (anthropomorphic) in their personality traits, but with additional individual strength, ability, knowledge or perception. Polytheism can not be perfectly separated from the animistic beliefs prevalent in most popular religions. The gods of polytheism are in many ways the supreme order of a continuum of supernatural beings or spirits, which may include ancestors, demons, wangsit and others. In some cases these spirits are divided into heavenly or chthonic classes, and belief in the existence of all these beings does not mean that all people are worshiped.
Type of god
Types of gods often found in polytheism may be included
- Creator god
- Heroes
- The Death God (chthonic)
- The god of life-death-rebirth
- Goddess of love
- The mother goddess
- A political god (like a king or emperor)
- The celestial deity
- The solar god
- Trickster God
- The water god
- Gods of music, art, science, agriculture, or other endeavors.
Mythology and religion
In the Classical era, Sallustius (4th century AD) categorized mythology into five types:
- Theological
- Physical
- Psychologically
- Materials
- Mixed
Theologically are myths that do not use body shape but contemplate the essence of the gods: for example, Cronus swallows his children. Because divinity is intellectual, and all intellect returns to itself, this myth reveals in the allegory the essence of divinity.
Myths can be considered physically when they express the activity of the gods in the world.
The psychological way is to regard (myth as allegory) the activity of the soul itself and/or the act of the mind of the soul.
The material is to regard material things to truly be gods, for example: to call the earth Gaia, Okeanos sea, or hot Typhon.
History of polytheism
Some famous polytheistic pantheon idols include the Sumerian gods and the Egyptian gods, and the classical pantheon that includes ancient Greek religion and Roman religion. Post-classical polytheistic religions include Norse ÃÆ'â € sir and Vanir, Yoruba Orisha, Aztec gods, and many others. Today, most historically polytheistic religions are referred to as "mythology", although story culture tells of their gods to be distinguished from their religious worship or practice. For example the gods depicted in conflicts in mythology will still be worshiped occasionally in the same temple side by side, portraying differences in the minds of worshipers between myth and reality. Scholars such as Jaan Puhvel, JP Mallory, and Douglas Q. Adams have reconstructed aspects of ancient Proto-Indo-European religion, from which the religions of the various Indo-European peoples originated, and that this religion is a numenistic religion that is essentially naturalist.. An example of a religious idea from the past that was shared was the concept of * dy? Us , as evidenced in several different religious systems.
In many civilizations, pantheons tend to grow over time. The first gods were worshiped as city patrons or places to come to be collected together as the kingdom extended in the larger territories. Conquest can lead to the subordination of the older culture pantheon to the newer, as in the Titanomachian Greek, and possibly also the case of ÃÆ'â € sir and Vanir in the Norse myth. Cultural exchanges can cause "the same god" to be famous in two places with different names, as seen with the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, as well as the cultural transmission of elements of foreign religion into local sects, such as with worship. the ancient Egyptian god Osiris, who was later followed in ancient Greece.
Most ancient belief systems believe that gods influence human life. However, the Greek philosopher Epicurus argued that the gods were mortal, immortal, happy beings who did not trouble themselves with mortal affairs, but which can be felt by the mind, especially during sleep. Epicurus believed that these gods were material, human-like, and that they inhabited the empty spaces between the worlds.
Hellenistic religion may still be regarded as polytheistic, but with a strong monistic component, and monotheism eventually emerged from the Hellenistic tradition of the Ancient End in the form of Neoplatonism and Christian theology.
- Neolithic Era
- Serer religion
- Bronze Age to Classical Ancient
- Ancient Near Eastern Religions
- Ancient Egyptian Religion
- Ancient Semitic Religion
- Historical Vedic Religion
- Ancient Greek Religion
- Ancient Roman Religion
- Celtic polytheism
- Late Antiquity to High Middle Ages
- Germanic paganism
- Slavic paganism
- Baltic paganism
- Finnish paganism
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek classical schematics of the Twelve Olympians (Twelve Art and Poetry) are: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hestia. Although it is suggested that Hestia resign when Dionysus was invited to Mount Olympus, this was a matter of controversy. Robert Graves' The Greek Myths cites two sources that clearly do not advocate Hestia to give up his seat, though he suggests he do so. Hades is often excluded because he dwells in the underworld. All gods have power. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of flexibility for who is numbered among their number in ancient times. Different cities often worship the same god, sometimes with a nickname that distinguishes them and determines their local nature.
The Hellenic Polytheism extended beyond the Greek mainland, to the islands and beaches of Ionians in Asia Minor, to Magna Graecia (Sicily and southern Italy), and to Greek colonies scattered in the Western Mediterranean, such as Massalia (Marseille). The Greek religion confirmed the Etruscan cult and beliefs to form many Roman religions later on.
People's religion
The animistic nature of popular belief is a universal anthropological culture. The belief in ghosts and spirits that animate the natural world and the practice of ancestor worship is universally present in the world culture and reappears in monotheistic or materialistic societies as "superstition", belief in demons, saintly overseers, fairies or extraterrestrials.
The presence of a full polytheistic religion, complete with a cult ritual performed by a priestly caste, requires a higher organizational level and is absent in every culture. In Eurasia, Kalash is one of the few examples of living polytheism. Also, a large number of polytheistic folk traditions are incorporated into contemporary Hinduism, although Hinduism is doctrine dominated by monisted or monotheistic theology (Bhakti, Advaita). Vedic Vedic Vedic Vedicism survives as a small stream in Hinduism, known as the Shrauta. More broadly is folk Hinduism, with rituals dedicated to various local or regional gods.
Contemporary world religion
Buddhism and Shinto
In Buddhism, there are higher creatures that are usually designed (or designated) as deities, Gods; however, Buddhism, in essence (the original Pali canon), does not teach the idea of ​​praying or worshiping Deva or god (s).
However, in Buddhism, the core leader of the 'Buddha', who pioneered the path to enlightenment was not worshiped in meditation, but only reflected. Buddha statues or images (Buddharupa) are worshiped in front to reflect and reflect on the qualities represented by certain positions of the form. In Buddhism, there is no creator and the Buddha rejects the idea that a permanent, personal, permanent, omniscient God can exist, connecting into the core concept of impermanence (anicca).
Deva, in general, is a creature that has more positive karma in their past lives than humans. Their life span ends. When their life ends, they will be reborn as gods or as other creatures. When they collect negative karma, they are reborn as humans or other lower creatures. Humans and other creatures may also be reborn as deities in the next rebirth, if they accumulate enough positive karma; However, that is not recommended.
Buddhism develops in many countries, and some of these countries have polytheistic folk religion. The Buddha's teachings sync easily with other religions. Thus, Buddhism has been mixed with popular religion and appears in polytheistic and non-theistic variants. For example, in Japan, Buddhism, mixed with Shinto, who worshiped our so-called gods, created a tradition that prayed to the Shinto gods as Buddhist forms. Thus, there may be an element of god worship in some form of Buddhism in the future.
The concept of Adi-Buddha and Dharmakaya is the closest to monotheism, all forms of Buddhism come. All the famous resi and Bodhisattva are considered as reflections. Adi-Buddha is not said to be the creator, but the trigger of everything, being a god in the sense of Emanasionis.
Christianity
It is sometimes claimed that Christianity is not really monotheistic because of its doctrine of the Trinity. This is the position of some Jews and Muslims who argue that because of the adoption of the Trinitarian deity, Christianity is actually a form of Tritheism or Polytheism, for example, see Shituf. However, the main doctrine of Christianity is that "one God is in the Three Persons and One Substance". Strictly speaking, the doctrine is a mystery that is revealed which while the above reasons are not against it. The word 'person' is an imperfect translation of the original term "hypostasis". In the daily conversation "person" denotes a separate rational and moral individual, has self-awareness, and is aware of individual identity despite changes. The human person is a distinct individual essence in which human nature is individual. But in God there are not three individuals on the side, and apart from, each other, but only the differences of the self in the divine essence, which not only in general, but also numerically, one. Although the doctrine of the Trinity was not formulated with certainty before the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the doctrine of one God, inherited from Judaism was always the definitive premise of the Church's faith.
Jordan Paper, a self-described Western intellectual and paganist, considers polytheism a normal state in human culture. He argues that "Even the Catholic Church shows the polytheistic aspect by 'worshiping' the saints." On the other hand, he complained, monotheistic missionaries and scholars eager to see proto-monotheism or at least henotheism in polytheistic religion, for example, when taking from the Chinese couple Sky and Earth only one part and calling it> King of Heaven , as did Matteo Ricci.
Mormonism
Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint movement, believes in "God's pluralism," says "I always declare God as a different person, Jesus Christ a person separate and distinct from God the Father, and that Holy Ghost is a distinct character and Spirit: and these three are three different people and three Gods ". Mormonism also affirms the existence of a Heavenly Mother, as well as glorification, the idea that humans can become like gods in the afterlife, and the prevailing view among the Mormons is that God the Father once became a man living on the planet with his own. A higher God, and who became perfect after following this higher God. Some critics of Mormonism argue that the statements in the Book of Mormon illustrate the trinitarian conception of God (eg, alma 11:44 ), but are replaced by subsequent revelations.
Mormon taught that the scriptural statement of the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit symbolizes the unity of purpose, not substance. They believed that the early Christian church did not characterize divinity in terms of substance that was immaterial and unformed until post-apostolic theologians began to incorporate Greek metaphysical philosophies (such as Neoplatonism) into Christian doctrine. The Mormons believe that the truth about the nature of God is restored through modern revelation, which restores the original Judeo-Christian concept of a natural, physical, eternal God, who is the literal Father of the human spirit. It is only for this individual that Mormons pray, as He is and will always be their Heavenly Father, the supreme "god of the gods" (Deuteronomy 10:17). In the sense that the Mormons only worship God the Father, they consider themselves monotheists. However, the Mormons obey the teachings of Christ that those who receive the word of God can obtain the title of "gods" (John 10: 33-36), because as literal children of God they can take upon them their divine attributes. Mormon teaches that "the glory of God is intelligence" (Doctrine and Covenants 93:36), and that is by sharing the Father's perfect understanding of all things that both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are also divine.
Hinduism
Hinduism is not a monolithic religion: many varied religious traditions and practices are grouped together under this umbrella term and some modern scholars question the legitimacy of artificially unifying them and suggesting that one should speak of "Hinduism" in the plural. Theistic Hindu religion includes both monotheistic and polytheistic tendencies and variations or mixtures of both structures.
Hindus worship the god in the form of murti , or idol. The Puja (worship) of murti is like a way of communicating with divinity, without the abstract form (Brahman in Hinduism) that creates, sustains and dissolves creation. However, there is a sect which advocates that it is not necessary to give form to God and it is everywhere and beyond the things that man can see or perceive. Especially Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati and founder Brahmo Samaj by Ram Mohan Roy (there are others as well) do not worship the gods. Arya Samaj loves the singing of Veda and Havan, Brahmo Samaj goes for simple prayers.
Some Hindu philosophers and theologians argue for a transcendent metaphysical structure with a divine essence. This divine essence is usually referred to as Brahman or Atman, but this understanding of the essential nature of divine essence is the line that defines many traditions of Hindu philosophy such as Vedanta.
Among Hindus, some believe in different gods who come from Brahman, while others practice traditional polytheism and henotheism, concentrating their worship on one or more personal gods, while giving the existence of others.
Academically, the ancient Vedic scriptures, upon which Hinduism is descended, describe four lines of teaching disciplines handed down for thousands of years. (Padma Purana). Four of them argue that Absolute Truth is Fully Personal, as in Judeo-Christian theology. That the Original Primal God is the Person, both transcendent and immanent throughout creation. He can, and is often approached through the worship of Murtis, called "Archa-Vigraha", which is described in the Vedas as various forms of his various dynamic forms of spirituality. This is the theology of Vaisnava.
The fifth line of Vedic discipline, founded by Adi Shankaracharya, promotes the concept that the Absolute is Brahman, with no clear differentiation, no will, no mind, no intelligence.
In the Smarta denominations of Hinduism, the Advaita philosophy described by Shankara allows the worship of many gods with the understanding that they are merely the manifestation of an impersonal divine power, Brahman. Therefore, according to various schools of Vedanta including Shankara, which is the most influential and important Hindu theological tradition, there are a large number of Hindu deities, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Lakshmi, and Kali, different forms of the same "Presence". However, many Vedanta philosophers also argue that all individuals are united by impersonal and impersonal divine powers in the form of Atman.
However, many other Hindus view polytheism as preferable to monotheism. Ram Swarup, for example, points to the Vedas as being specifically polytheistic, and states that, "only a few forms of polytheism alone can do justice to these variations and riches." Sita Ram Goel, another twentieth-century Hindu historian, writes:
"I had the opportunity to read the manuscript [Ram Swarup] written in 1973. This is an in-depth study of Monotheism, the central dogma of Islam and Christianity, and a strong presentation of what the monotheists say as Hindu polytheism, I do not ever read such a thing, it is a revelation to me that Monotheism is not a religious concept but an imperialist idea I must admit that I myself have inclined to Monotheism to this day.I never thought that God's diversity was a natural and spontaneous expression of evolved consciousness. "
Some Hindus interpret this idea of ​​polytheism in terms of polymorphism - one God with many forms or names. The Rig Veda, the main Hindu scripture, explains this as follows:
They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, and he is a noble winged Garutman of heaven. For what is One , the receipt provides many titles which they call Agni, Yama, Matarisvan. Book I, Singing Hymn 164, Verse 46 Rgveda
Reconstruction
Reconstructionist ortiteists apply disciplines such as history, archeology and language studies to revive an ancient, traditionally fragmented, corrupted or even destroyed religion, such as Norse Paganism, Greek Paganism, Celtic polytheism and so on. A reconstructionist seeks to revive and reconstruct authentic practices, based on ancestral ways but applicable in contemporary life. These polytheists are very different from those of neopagans because they consider their religion not only inspired by ancient religions but often as the actual continuation or resurrection of those religions.
Serer religion
In Africa, polytheism in the Serer religion dates back as far back to the Neolithic Era (presumably earlier) when the ancient ancestors of the Serer people represented them Pangool on Tassili n'Ajjer. The supreme creator god in Serer's religion is Roog. However, there are many gods and Pangool (singularÃ,: Fangool , intermediaries with the divine) in Serer religion. Each has its own purpose and serves as Roog's agent on Earth. Among Cangin's speakers, a subgroup of Serers, Roog is known as Koox.
Neopaganism
Neopaganism , also known as modern paganism and contemporary paganism , is a group of contemporary denominations influenced by or claiming to originate from various pre-European pagan faith histories -modern. Although they share similarities, contemporary Pagan religious movements are diverse and none of the beliefs, practices or texts are shared by all of them.
The British occultist, Dion Fortune, is the prime collector of soft polytheism. In his novel, The Sea Priestess , he writes, "All gods are one god, and all goddesses are one goddess, and there is one initiator."
Wicca
Wicca is a duotistic faith created by Gerald Gardner that allows polytheism. The Wiccan specifically worship the Lord and the Mistress of Islands (their names are oaths). It is a religion of orthopraxic mystery that requires initiation into the priesthood to consider Wiccan's self. Wicca emphasizes the duality and cycle of nature.
Use as abuse term
The term 'polytheists' is sometimes used by Sunni Muslim groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as an insulting reference to Shia Muslims, who they consider to be "lost from the beliefs of Islamic monotheism because of the respect they show for historical figures , like Imam Ali ".
See also
References
Further reading
- Assmann, Jan, 'Monotheism and Polytheism' in: Sarah Iles Johnston (ed.), Ancient World Religions: A Guide , Harvard University Press (2004), ISBNÃ, 0 -674-01517-7, pp.Ã, 17-31.
- Burkert, Walter, Greek Religion: Archaic and Classical , Blackwell (1985), ISBN 0-631-15624-0.
- Greer, John Michael; God Full World: Investigation into Polytheism , Issuance of ADF (2005), ISBN 0-9765681-0-1
- Iles Johnston, Sarah; Ancient Religion , Belknap Press (15 September 2007), ISBNÃ, 0-674-02548-2
- Paper, Jordan; Many Gods: Polytheistic Theology , State University of New York Press (March 3, 2005), ISBN 978-0-7914-6387-1
- Penchansky, David, Dusk of the Gods: Polytheism in the Hebrew Bible (2005), ISBNÃ, 0-664-22885-2.
- Swarup, Ram & amp; Frawley, David (2001). The word as a revelation: The names of gods. New Delhi: Voice of India. ISBN: 978-8185990682
External links
- The Polytheist Tradition Association - APT, Polythe people community based in the UK.
- The International Year Of Polytheism The philosophical project promotes polytheism by the monochrome group
- Integrity Polytheism
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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