Polytheism

At its root, the term polytheism (from the Greek poly, meaning “plural,” and theos, meaning “god”) not only acknowledges a plurality of gods but in its current usage implies the worship of a plurality of gods. The complexity of meanings in the term invites an interrogation of our understanding of what god refers to as well as the characteristics of divine and human plurality involved.

The dominant ethos in the Abrahamic religions and corresponding cultures asserts a monotheism that has sometimes been deployed as a means of distinguishing it from polytheism. In this dynamic, it is not unusual to find a tension between divergent traditions and allegations of superiority of the preferred option.

In the Hebrew scriptures, references to plurality in association with divinity are not unknown. For instance, one of the Hebrew terms used to refer to the one true God is elohim, wherein el is “lord” and the suffix im denotes plurality. In some Christian denominations, the one true God is addressed as a Trinity of persons. In these traditions, mention of plurality is not understood to detract from the professed monotheism. For what may be more political than theological reasons, sometimes these same traditions have difficulty acknowledging that other traditions may have similar usages and denounce any reference to plurality in traditions different from their own. In some Hindu Advaita traditions, the ultimate reality is not that which is termed god but that which is beyond the differentiated plurality in which one encounters gods. The counterallegation by polytheists has been that monotheist traditions [Page 1006]cannot succeed in maintaining monotheism while retaining an internal plurality.

In practice then, polytheism has multiple meanings rather than one understanding common to all. In a functional sense, the perception of polytheism may not require a belief in a plurality of divinities, and a functional polytheism may or may not correspond to an actual belief in a plurality of divinities. A functional plurality can be present where each allegedly distinct divinity is understood as a means of relating to the divine for particular circumstances and reasons. In some respects, a functional polytheism may be expressed as a belief in a multiplicity of avatars, all of which originate from a common, ultimately monotheistic understanding of divinity. A single divinity appearing in multiple incarnations and being worshipped through those incarnations may or may not be perceived as polytheism and may be more accurately described as polyentheism.

Polytheism in the sense of the Greek pantheon of gods may also be encountered in more contemporaneous contexts with different names for divinities. In a secular world, devotion to higher powers may not be expressed as polytheism but could manifest common characteristics. In this sense, polytheism may be more prevalent in practice and may not be as alien or primitive as some may think.

Appreciation for the forces unleashed by geological events has been seen in recent catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the earthquake in Haiti, where the human capacity to “subdue nature” has been relatively insignificant in the face of such events. For some in the environmental movement, there is a renewed appreciation for the directive or influential role that the earth or Gaia may have over human actions. Understood as a singular divine being, the earth or the cosmos may be encountered in the phenomena of the environment. In this appreciation of phenomena, polytheism may present itself as an economic plurality of powers or may be contextualized by cosmic unity. The issue in such a discussion, as with references to divinity generally, necessarily includes a consideration of the position of human beings.

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