Polytheism
Polytheism is a religious system which admits the existence of more than one god. Religions meet in a first approach to this criterion are too many since ancient times until today to list. The term, all born in Judeo - Christian religions to distinguish poorly known, is a comfortable qualifier for a broad classification and imprecise, but shows its limits in further studies.
The study of religions has indeed revealed several types of possible relationships between the various gods in polytheistic systems, and multiple recipients of worship in some forms of monotheism (worship of saints , prayers to marabouts dead etc..) , challenging traditional classifications polytheism / monotheism / dualism. More specific concepts such as monolatry (belief in the existence of many gods but worship only to one of them) or henotheism (there is a supreme god above the other gods, sometimes seen as its events) occurred. Polytheistic and monotheistic terms are marked with a connotation of inferiority and superiority the first to the second affecting their jobs.
Summary |
The term comes from the Greek poly (many) and theoi (gods), was invented by the Jewish writer Philo of Alexandria ( -12 ~ 54 ) to argue with the Greeks. During the expansion of Christianity around the Mediterranean and Europe, non-Christians / non-Jews were called just nice (a term originally used by Jews to describe non-Jews) and Gentiles (locals) or, a clearly pejorative, idolaters (worshiping "false gods). Jean Bodin would have revived the term polytheistic in 1580. Aspects of polytheism They are different because each system is polytheistic in its way, and may include sub-systems in which the interpretation of the gods and their relationships are different. In addition, some religions are more accessible by archaeological evidence difficult to interpret, the myths and literary texts (epic etc..). Now instead of a god in a myth or a work like the Odyssey does not accurately reflect its place in worship. In polytheistic systems, there is a division of spheres of influence or competence between the gods. Sharing may be territorial (god whose power extends over a limited area), ethnic or professional (god only responsible for a clan or professional group), or other (god governing a natural phenomenon, the afterlife, weddings etc..). Nevertheless, there is a tendency to combine several functions in some important gods, the deity may not be cumulative the same for different human groups belong to the same religious, some gods subject to local preferences, for example. Often there is a higher entity rarely invoked the popular gods, which may be the highest deity in the pantheon as the god Nzambi in the African religion of Lunda , or a more abstract entity such as the Heaven of Chinese religion. Polytheism is a term that may be ambiguous. For example, unlike the traditional Western view, the Hinduism is defined by its adherents as neither polytheistic nor as monotheistic , but as henotheistic or even panentheistic. Muslims consider polytheism as a sin called shirk and have clear criteria to define it. Some polytheistic religion (broadly defined), some of these religions or some of their interpretations may also be described as monistic , dualistic or pantheistic : Qualification popular "polytheistic religion" of ancient Egypt is being challenged by current Egyptologists who see a polymorphic monotheism (one God presented in different aspects depending on its interaction with the world). 
It lends to various gods in general type relationships with family or social (subordinate / superior). All the gods of a religion is called pantheon (from Greek pan "all" and theos "god"). These pantheons may have variants it is not uncommon for groups with similar gods do not lend them exactly the same relations. They are not frozen, can accommodate new deities or accept a redefinition of the relationship between gods. Overview of the monotheistic polytheism
List of polytheistic religions
Notes
See also
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