What Is Polytheism? Definition and Meaning

　　Poly means “many,” as in polygamy (many marriages) or polyglot (many languages). Polytheism means “many gods.” Polytheists believe in and worship multiple gods. While one might consider such religions primitive, there are several extant polytheistic belief systems.

　　

Thoughts on Polytheism

Scholar R. J. Zwi Werblowsky points out that a belief in multiple gods is not the same as a belief in supernatural beings per se, such as ghosts and the spirits of ancestors.

　　In this writer’s eyes, all theism stems from a need to understand the forces at work around us, such as the power of nature and the pain of death.

　　There is curiosity and fear mingled with the beliefs rising out of primitive civilizations which lacked the sophistication to explain everyday phenomena which we now understand.

　　In other words, theism, in general, is a human construct, not a result of divine intervention and communication.

　　Werblowsky asserts that polytheistic religions predate the monotheism of Judaism, but not everyone agrees that the earliest societies believed in multiple deities’ certain theories sound very like the earliest Jewish traditions, which indicate a monotheistic worldview.

　　One idea, rejected by Werblowsky, is that “polytheism developed as humans degenerated from a more innocent state,” but the writer proposes that this is merely a “refurbishing” of Jewish teachings about Adam and original sin.

　　

Forms of Polytheism

Norse gods include Odin (Father of the gods), Loki (“trickster” and “shapeshifter”), and Frigg, wife of Odin (goddess of wisdom, fertility, et al.). They were worshipped by the Vikings of Scandinavia many centuries ago, and ancient records tell us a lot about their beliefs.

　　Today, Norse gods are made famous in books, TV, and films such as the Thor series. Norse gods were thought to control nature and to give the gifts of wisdom and foresight to those whom they favored, and it seems that each god judged according to his or her unique set of standards.

　　For instance, one expert asserts that ‘whatever their social stature, the men and women favored by Odin are distinguished by their intelligence, creativity, and competence in the proverbial “war of all against all.’ Whether such people become kings or criminals is mostly a matter of luck.”

　　Subhamoy Das explains that Hindus worship “a single, universal god known as the Supreme Being or Brahman [and] numerous gods and goddesses, known as deva and devi, who represent one or more of Brahman's aspects.”

　　Ganesha is regarded as “the lord of success, knowledge, and wealth,” and all Hindu sects worship him. “Shiva represents death and dissolution, destroying worlds so they may be recreated by Brahma” (Ibid.).

　　Hanuman, depicted as a “divine primate,” is the god of “strength, perseverance, service, and scholarly devotion.” Karma is an essential part of Hinduism: behave well as a human being and you will be rewarded by the gods. Behave badly, and your next life might not be as good as this one.

　　Justin Taylor explained that Mormons see the Trinity not as the Godhead three in one, “rather of three distinct gods. According to Mormonism, there are potentially many thousands of gods besides these.”

　　Proponents of several other world religions worship multiple gods, while some believe not so much in deities as in spirits that walk the earth.

　　These spirits are not associated with particular powers or personified as natural elements. They do not represent wisdom or mischief. These spirits are the departed dead, ancestors, or forms of energy.

　　

How Is Monotheism Different?

Consider Odin’s partiality towards rebellious figures in society. He preferred those who fought the system, arrogant, prideful people who would rather become outlaws than live as part of society.

　　Or any system by which one god grants wisdom and another takes care of people transitioning into the afterworld. There is a division of labor here. No single god does it all or knows it all. The different gods favor various personalities and behaviors.

　　One has to win or earn favor; it’s not a gift. And the outcome of a god’s favor features a random quality — as stated above, Odin’s favor might result in a life of poverty or power.

　　Within many religions, there is the notion that the supreme god, a universal power, is out there somewhere, at a distance from people. He is not personal or involved. But either he or his sub-deities make particular demands upon their subjects to please their sense of right and wrong.

　　If those individuals are to enjoy a good life now or a better-reincarnated life than the one they are currently living. Believers and their gods are motivated by what looks like a good trade: behave well and earn a positive outcome.

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　　9 Ways the Bible Defines True Manliness

　　By way of contrast, monotheism is a belief in one God, and the three most popular monotheistic religions are Island, Christianity, and Judaism.

　　Judaism is “characterized by a belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with scriptures and rabbinic traditions. Judaism is the complex phenomenon of a total way of life for the Jewish people, comprising theology, law, and innumerable cultural traditions.”

　　Muslims also believe in one god, Allah. Islam is a “faithful surrender to the will of Allah. Although its roots go back further in time, scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century, making it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammad. They believe that humans are free to make choices, but “nothing can happen without Allah’s permission.”

　　Both Muslims and Jews reject the Trinity, although Muslims believe Jesus was a great prophet. Their most esteemed prophet, however, is Mohammed, who was not equal to God.

　　Some members and preachers of the Jewish and Islamic faiths argue that the Trinity is, in fact, an example of polytheism — Christians do not believe in one God at all.

　　

Is the Trinity Polytheism?

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. God is One’” (Isaiah 44:6).

　　There is indeed only one Triune God, according to Christianity. Jesus repeated that the “Lord is One” (Mark 12:29). Yet, Christians also believe that Christ is One with God and with the Holy Spirit.

　　“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

　　"Truly, truly, I tell you," Jesus declared, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58).

　　“And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed” (John 17:5).

　　“And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

　　The Trinity is God in three persons, not three gods. One writer explains it this way: “Each person [of the Trinity] is self-conscious and self-directing. Yet one person never acts independently or in opposition to the others.”

　　Jesus even told his disciples to baptize believers “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). There is one God, so why in the name of all three? Because they are One.

　　

Turn to the One God

For those who are wondering about which religion to pursue or which god is the right one, the greatest mystery of all is that the Christian God pursues the lost with purpose. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

　　Jesus’ statement tells us not only that we are dear to him but also that he had a plan. While other gods look for good behavior and reward, Christ saw the worst behavior as a sign that he was most needed, so that is where he went.

　　His reward is not earned; it is granted to those who believe: “the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many” (Romans 5:15).

　　For further reading:

　　Can Monotheism Be Proven?

　　What Do Hindus Believe?

　　What Do Muslims Believe?