Henotheism
Mine is better than yours. (The Bus 5.46)
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ARCHIVE EDITION - FIRST PUBLISHED (1.29) 14 JULY 2022
The Stop
A term rarely found outside of the academic study of the history of religion,1 henotheism is defined as the ‘worship of one god in preference to others, while not denying a plurality of gods.’ In other words, henotheistic religions are those systems of belief that worship one deity as supreme – while accepting the existence of many others.2
Henotheism was coined by the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling3 to describe what he considered to be the stage in religious development following polytheism and preceding monotheism. Brought into common academic usage by the linguist Max Müller,4 henotheism soon became the preferred term to describe what most scholars considered Schelling’s ‘natural phase in the progression of religious development.’ Specifically, henotheism was considered the point in religious evolution between the ‘less-developed’ polytheistic systems to its ‘culmination’ in monotheism. Though henotheism questioned - controversially - the claim of the three Abrahamic religions5 that ‘God was monotheistic from the start,’ the term allowed academia ‘greater precision’ when classifying religious belief systems.
The academic study of religion recognises different categories of religious systems including monotheism, polytheism, deism and pantheism.6 Within these (and other) classifications, the greatest function of henotheism is its ability to allow ‘nuances’ when discussing forms of worship which might ‘otherwise be labelled under the more general headings.’ For example, while Hinduism is generally described as polytheistic in nature, henotheism is a more accurate description because while most Hindus will worship a chosen deity as supreme they nonetheless accept the real co-existence of other gods. Henotheism is also uniquely helpful in ‘understanding ancient religious and mythological systems’ which are based on cultural narratives that, over time, ‘bring one god into primacy among others.’
Henotheism raises the question of whether there are any truly polytheistic or monotheistic religions. In actual practice all contemporary religions are henotheistic in nature as they require the putative acceptance of the existence of other deities in order to claim sole truth as their own: e.g., ‘my god is better than yours.’ Henotheism is also a way of explaining the dualistic claims held by certain religions and believers which discuss or require a struggle between personified forces of good and evil. In this understanding, the existence of the forces of evil and good must be equally ‘real’ if there is to be an actual choice. Whether choosing good over evil or evil over good, the side not chosen is nevertheless believed to exist - just not supreme.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to an article from Archaeology Magazine providing an account, based on recent discoveries, of the organisation, structures and lives of the workforce that built the pyramids at Giza. It is a very interesting read – and one which totally debunks many of the myths (e.g., they weren’t built by slave labour) surrounding their construction.
Journeys of the Pyramid Builders - Archaeology Magazine
The Recommendation
Today’s Book is Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black. Though better known for her Thomas Cromwell trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light), this was the first of her books I read and remains my favourite.
From the back: ‘Colette and Alison are unlikely cohorts: one a shy, drab beanpole of an assistant, the other a charismatic, corpulent psychic whose connection to the spiritual world torments her. When they meet at a fair, Alison invites Colette at once to join her on the road as her personal assistant and companion. Troubles spiral out of control when the pair moves to a suburban wasteland in what was once the English countryside. It is not long before the place beyond black threatens to uproot their lives forever. This is Hilary Mantel at her finest--insightful, darkly comic, unorthodox, and thrilling to read.’
It is a dark book and if the Cromwell trilogy is the only exposure you’ve had to Mantel, you will find it very different. It is a great book, though – and one I highly recommend. Give it a try!
Here is a review from The Guardian: Enfield, where the dead go to live
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is composed of five tracks that would have been playing in my apartment in the mid-90s. I thought they fit today’s photo: The Orb’s ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ (1990), Children of the Bong’s ‘Interface Reality’ (1995), Orbital’s ‘The Box-Part 2’ (1996), Ozric Tentacles’s ‘Spyroid’ (1997) and BT (feat. Tor Amos)’s ‘Blue Skies’ (1996). I haven’t listened to (most) of these in a while … and they’re certainly representative of a rather distant time. Enjoy.
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Sigmund Freud:7
‘Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this stop - I hope you enjoyed a brief diversion from your regular journey!
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History of religion is the academic study of the origins, evolution and cultural impact and influence of religions throughout human history. Though originally an attempt to justify particular religions as historically superior to others, the modern study is an ‘explanatory study … to understand the genesis and function of religion.’ For a brief overview, see: History of Religion (Britannica)
Sources for this Stop include: Henotheism (New World Encyclopedia), Henotheism (Britannica), and the Schelling and Müller links below.
Schelling (1775-1854) was a philosopher and educator who – along with Hegel and Fichte – was one of the most important figures in post-Kantian German idealism. For a good biography, see: Schelling (Britannica)
Müller (1823-1900) was a scholar of comparative language, religion and mythology who believed any ‘genuine understanding of various aspects of life, including religion, required knowledge of their origins.’ In pursuing his academic quest, he rejected any reliance on ‘divine revelation,’ instead basing his investigation entirely on ‘sense perception and reason, two universally accepted sources of knowledge.’ For a good biography, see: Müller
The Abrahamic religions are those claiming the figure of Abraham as a common ancestor: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Some definitions: monotheism is the ‘doctrine or belief that there is only one God and that no other gods exist’; polytheism is the ‘belief in or worship of more than one god’; deism is the ‘belief in a supreme being or creator that neither interacts with humankind nor intervenes in the universe’; pantheism is ‘a doctrine that either identifies God with the universe or recognises the universe as a manifestation of God’.
For a good biography of the founder of psychology, see: Freud (Britannica)