Monotheism

Some people believe in only one God.

This idea is called monotheism. The word comes from Greek. It means "single god."

Some people believe in one supreme God. They might still believe in lesser spirits. This is called wide monotheism.

Other people believe only one God exists. They do not believe in any others. This is called narrow monotheism.

Many groups follow these ideas. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are some. Sikhism is another.

People have wondered about this for a long time. It is a very big idea.

Monotheism is the belief in only one god.

The word comes from Greek. It means "single god."

There are different ways to believe in one god. Some people follow narrow monotheism. They believe only one god exists. They do not allow for any other gods. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism are examples.

Other people follow wide monotheism. They believe in one supreme god. They may also believe in lesser spirits or gods. Atenism in ancient Egypt is one example.

People have had these ideas for a long time. In ancient Egypt, some followed the god Aten.

Zoroastrians believed in one god named Ahura Mazda.

In China, many people worshipped Shangdi or Heaven.

Some thinkers say these ideas grew over time. Others think these beliefs were very old. Many groups still follow these paths today.

Monotheism is the belief in only one god.

The word comes from two Greek words. "Monos" means single and "theos" means god.

This idea is very important to many people. It changes how they see the world. It also changes how they pray. Some people think this is the original way humans believed. Other scholars think these ideas grew slowly over a long time.

There are different ways to follow this belief. Some people practice narrow monotheism. They believe that only one god exists. They do not believe in any other gods at all. Others follow wide monotheism. They believe in one supreme god. They might also recognize lesser gods or spirits.

There is also inclusive monotheism. This is when people see many gods as parts of the same one god.

History shows many different monotheistic paths. In ancient Egypt, people followed Atenism.

Zoroastrianism is another very old tradition. Zoroasters is credited with starting it long ago. They believe in a god named Ahura Mazda.

In China, people worshipped Shangdi or Heaven.

This belief has existed since the Shang dynasty. Some Chinese thinkers like Mohism also moved toward monotheism.

Many famous religions use these ideas today. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are called Abrahamic religions.

They all believe in one God. Sikhism is another example of a narrow monotheistic faith.

The Baháʼí Faith is also a newer monotheistic movement.

Other groups like Mandaeism and Yazidism have their own ways. Each group has its own unique history and traditions.

These ideas connect to many things we study. Philosophers in ancient Greece thought about these big questions too. Plato spoke of a divine craftsman. Aristotle spoke of an unmoved mover.

These ideas helped shape later religious views. Some thinkers say religions changed as societies grew larger. They say big groups needed shared rules to stay together. This helped formalize how people worshiped one god.

Monotheism is the belief in only one deity, or God.

The term itself comes from two Greek words. "Monos" means single, and "theos" means god. While the concept is ancient, the specific word "monotheism" was actually coined by Henry More in 1660. Earlier thinkers did not use this exact term to describe their beliefs. Today, monotheism is a major way people understand the divine. It shapes how billions of people live their lives and view the universe.

There are several different ways to understand how monotheism works. One type is called exclusive monotheism. In this view, the one God is a single, unique existence. Another type is inclusive or pluriform monotheism. Here, people might recognize many different gods or godly forms. However, they believe these are all just extensions of the same one God.

Scholars also distinguish monotheism from other similar systems. Henotheism is a system where a person worships one god. However, they do not deny that other gods exist for other people. Monolatry is different because it recognizes many gods exist. Yet, the followers choose to worship only one deity consistently.

These distinctions help us understand the nuance in religious thought.

Monotheism can also be viewed on a spectrum from narrow to wide. Narrow monotheism only acknowledges the existence of one single deity. It does not allow for any other gods to exist at all.

Wide monotheism is a bit different. It views one deity as supreme but permits the existence of lesser deities.

For example, Atenism viewed the god Yahweh as a lesser deity compared to Aten.

History shows many early attempts at monotheistic thought. In the 14th century BCE, Akhenaten's Great Hymn to the Aten showed quasi-monotheistic claims in Egypt.

In China, the Shang dynasty practiced worship of Shangdi or Heaven starting around 1766 BCE.

While this included lesser spirits, later groups like Mohists approached true monotheism. Zoroastrianism is another ancient example. The prophet Zoroaster is credited with founding this religion as early as the middle of the second millennium BCE.

Zoroastrians believe in the supremacy of one God named Ahura Mazda.

Many modern faiths follow these traditions. The Abrahamic religions include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

These faiths share a focus on one God. Other examples of narrow monotheism include Sikhism and the Baháʼí Faith.

Mandaeism and Yazidism are also important monotheistic traditions.

Each of these groups has its own unique way of expressing their belief.

Monotheism also connects deeply to philosophy and social science. Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle influenced religious theology.

Plato spoke of a divine craftsman, and Aristotle spoke of an unmoved mover. Additionally, some experts study how society affects belief. Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar suggests that large, crowded societies might need centralized rituals. This could help maintain social cohesion in big groups. These connections show how ideas about God interact with human history and thought.