monotheism (mŏn`əthēĭzəm) [Gr.,=belief in one God], in religion, a belief in one personal god. In practice, monotheistic religion tends to stress the existence of one personal god that unifies the universe. The term is applied particularly to Judaism Judaism , the religious beliefs and practices and the way of life of the Jews. The term itself was first used by Hellenized Jews to describe their religious practice, but it is of predominantly modern usage; it is not used in the Bible or in Rabbinic literature and
..... Click the link for more information. , Christianity Christianity, religion founded in Palestine by the followers of Jesus. One of the world's major religions, it predominates in Europe and the Americas, where it has been a powerful historical force and cultural influence, but it also claims adherents in virtually
..... Click the link for more information. , and Islam Islam , [Arab.,=submission to God], world religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad. Founded in the 7th cent., Islam is the youngest of the three monotheistic world religions (with Judaism and Christianity). An adherent to Islam is a Muslim [Arab.,=one who submits].
..... Click the link for more information. , as well as Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism , religion founded by Zoroaster, but with many later accretions. Scriptures

Zoroastrianism's scriptures are the Avesta or the Zend Avesta [Pahlavi avesta=law, zend=commentary].
..... Click the link for more information. . Some eastern religions, notably Vaishava, Saiva, Sikhism, and some Hindu sects, tend to promote the omnipotence of one particular god within the pantheon, and thus display some monotheistic characteristics. Monotheism arose in opposition to polytheism polytheism , belief in a plurality of gods in which each deity is distinguished by special functions. The gods are particularly synonymous with function in the Vedic religion (see Vedas) of India: Indra is the storm god, Agni the fire god, Vayu the wind god, Yama the
..... Click the link for more information. , the belief in many gods. Monism monism [Gr.,=belief in one], in metaphysics, term introduced in the 18th cent. by Christian von Wolff for any theory that explains all phenomena by one unifying principle or as manifestations of a single substance.
..... Click the link for more information. , or nondualism between the physical and the spiritual, presupposes unity but deemphasizes personal monotheism. See also God God, divinity of the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as many other world religions. See also religion and articles on individual religions.
..... Click the link for more information. .

monotheism

Belief in the existence of one god. It is distinguished from polytheism. The earliest known instance of monotheism dates to the reign of Akhenaton of Egypt in the 14th century BC. Monotheism is characteristic of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which view God as the creator of the world, who oversees and intervenes in human events, and as a beneficent and holy being, the source of the highest good. The monotheism that characterizes Judaism began in ancient Israel with the adoption of Yahweh as the single object of worship and the rejection of the gods of other tribes and nations without, initially, denying their existence. Islam is clear in confessing one, eternal, unbegotten, unequaled God, while Christianity holds that a single God is reflected in the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

monotheism

the belief or doctrine that there is only one God

Monotheism

a system of religious beliefs based on the idea of the existence of only one god, in contrast to polytheism, the belief in many gods. In theological literature monotheistic religions include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. However, the concept of monotheism is relative, since no religion is consistently monotheistic.

Monotheism appears very late in the historical development of religion. During the period of the dissolution of tribal-clan social structure and the formation of the early states, the gods of different tribes became joined in a single “pantheon,” in which the god of the strongest tribe usually occupied the leading place. In some instances, the priests of this god strove to make him the only or supreme god (Babylonian Marduk, for example); in other cases, kings attempted to counterpose the cult of one god to the traditional priestly cults (the religious reform of Amenhotep IV in Egypt).

Relatively strict monotheism first arose and gained predominance among the Hebrews in the middle and second half of the first millennium B.C., when priests of the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem established their religious monopoly. The strict monotheism introduced in Arabia in the seventh century A.D. formed the basic dogma of the Muslim religion. Thus, the evidence of modern science refutes the assertion of theologians (including the school of Pater W. Schmidt) that monotheism is the original age-old religion of humanity (the theory of protomonotheism) and that other forms of belief are only divergences from the original “true” religion.

REFERENCE

Tokarev, S. A. Religiia v istorii narodov mira. Moscow, 1964.

Mentioned in	?		References in periodicals archive	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found			For example, closing one's eyes in prayer in monotheistic religions is viewed as akin to animal expression of submission to higher-ranked animals. The biology of religious behavior; the evolutionary origins of faith ... by Reference & Research Book News King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has called on representatives of the world's monotheistic religions to meet to discuss ways to shore up faith in the face of what he says is declining family values and rising non-belief. Saudi king seeks monotheistic front against atheism by Church & State While the solutions to our various complex problems and issues definitely lie in political, economic and strategic venues; believers of monotheistic religions have not done enough to distance their religions from the use of violence and terror in their names. Stop the cycle of violence: religious fanatics are a challenge to all ... by Sabella, Bernard / Presbyterian Record			Monoscope Monosigales monosiphonous monosodium acid methanearsonate monosodium glutamate monosome Monosomy monospaced font monospacing monospermous monosporangium Monospore monostable monostable blocking oscillator monostable circuit monostable multivibrator monostat monostatic radar monostome monostyle Monostylifera monosubstituted alkene Monosyllabism monoterpene Monotheism Monotheistic religions Monotheletism Monothelites Monothematic Music Monotomidae monotone monotone convergence theorem monotone decreasing function monotone decreasing sequence monotone function monotone increasing function monotone increasing sequence monotone nondecreasing function monotone nondecreasing sequence monotone nonincreasing function monotone nonincreasing sequence monotone sequence monotonic monotonic decreasing function Monotonic Function monotonic increasing function Monotonic Stress monotonic system of sets monotonically nondecreasing function monotonically nonincreasing function monotonicity			Monosyptomactic Delusional Parasitosis Monoterpene Monoterpene Monoterpene Monoterpenes Monoterpenes Monoterpenes Monoterpenoid Monoterpenoid Monoterpenoid monoterpenols Monotessaron Monothalama Monothalaman Monothalamous Monothalmic Monothecal monotheism monotheism monotheist monotheist Monotheist Paganism Monotheist Paganism monotheistic monotheistic Monotheistic God Monotheistic God Monotheistic God Monotheistic religion Monotheistic religion Monotheistic religions monotheistically monotheistically Monotheists Monotheists Monothelete Monotheletes Monotheletism Monotheletism Monothelism Monothelite Monothelite Monothelite heresy Monothelites Monothelites Monothelitic Monothelitism Monothelitism Monothelitism and Monothelites monothematic monothematic Monothematic Music monotherapy Monotherapy Assessment of Ranolazine in Stable Angina Monothermal Warm Caloric Screening Test monothermia Monothesism Monothesism Monothiest Monothiest monotint

Monotheism (redirected from Monotheistic religions)

monotheism

REFERENCE

Monotheism
(redirected from Monotheistic religions)