Monotheism

Monotheism is the belief in only one deity, or God. It is distinguished from henotheism, a religious system in which the believer worships one god without denying that others may worship different gods with equal validity, and from monolatry, the recognition of the existence of many gods but with the consistent worship of only one deity. Monotheistic traditions differ in how strictly they understand the singularity of God. Exclusive monotheism holds that God is a singular existence, whereas inclusive and pluriform monotheism recognize multiple gods or divine forms while postulating each as an extension of the same God. A related spectrum runs from narrow monotheism, which acknowledges the existence of only one deity, to wide monotheism, which characterizes one deity as supreme while permitting lesser deities. Elements of wide monotheistic thought are found in early religions such as ancient Chinese religion, Tengrism, and Yahwism. Monotheism characterizes the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, together with their early offshoots, including Samaritanism and the Druze faith. Other traditions of antiquity described as monotheistic include the Atenism of ancient Egypt, the Platonic and Neoplatonic belief in the Monad, Mandaeism, Manichaeism, Waaqeffanna, and Zoroastrianism. Monotheistic traditions of the post-classical and early modern periods, shaped to varying degrees by Abrahamic monotheism, include Deism, Yazidism, and Sikhism. Many new religious movements, such as Bábism, the Baháʼí Faith, Seicho-No-Ie, and Tenrikyo, are also monotheistic.