Gods

Types of Belief

A narrow, technical use of the term theismpicks out the belief that god continues to be active in the world, as opposed to deism (common especially in18th-century Christianity). Deists believe in the god of natural religion—that is, religion based solely on the use of human reason—and typically hold the view that god set up the world to be governed by perfectly designed laws and then stepped back and let it run according to those laws, taking no further part in its affairs. In what follows, however, the term theism will be used in its broader, more everyday sense, referring to any belief in the existence of a god or gods. There are many types of theistic belief, though the following are the most common.

Polytheism is the belief in and worship of more than one god. It seems that most if not all religions were originally polytheistic, the gods usually being seen as powerful versions of human beings or as anthropomorphized animals, heavenly bodies, or other natural phenomena whose origins predate humanity and who often figure in creation stories. [Page 1095]Surviving polytheistic religions include Shinto, Vodoun, and certain types of Hinduism. Some non-Christians, especially Jews and Muslims, consider the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to be polytheistic; indeed,Christian thinkers have also sometimes held this sort of view, most notably the Arians. The belief in just two gods is sometimes distinguished under the label ditheism (orbitheism); in most religions involving two gods, however, only one is worshipped—see below.

It should be stressed that mere belief in more than one god isn't enough to make a religion polytheistic in the strict sense; the issue of worship is also crucial. Henotheism is the belief in a multiplicity of gods but the worship of only one. The one worshipped god might be picked out because it is seen as being especially powerful or important, and this is sometimes labeled monolatry; some Christian sects take this view of the Trinity, holding that only God the Father should be worshipped, Jesus and the Holy Spirit being distinct and lesser gods. On the other hand, different cultures might be seen as having each its own god, so that though other gods exist, they are worshipped each by members of their own peoples (as appears to have been the case at one stage of early Judaism). The distinction between the two versions of henotheism isn't very clear cut, as most people consider their own culture superior to others, and in the same way are very likely to hold that their culture's god is more powerful or important than other gods.Kathenotheism is a similar sort of belief, but rather than worshipping one god throughout their lives, believers worship different gods at different times or in different places. Thus kathenotheism is a sort of serial henotheism.

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