12. Monotheism- the belief that there is only one God for all people. Pg 40…
Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., in the 1820s. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself from traditional Protestantism. Mormonism today represents the new, non-Protestant faith taught by Smith in the 1840s. Mormonism in itself is its own religion. It has its own beliefs and customs. But it has some connections to other mainstream monotheistic religions. These religions are Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Mormonism shares some commonalities with these religions and some differences.…
Monotheism, the existence of one universal God, impacted Western civilization in various ways. The second Isaiah describes the strongest statement of Hebrew monotheism in a poem written during the Hebrew exile in Babylonia, 597-539 B.C.E. In this poem, God is described as the creator of the heavens, the earth, and life to the universe. God cannot be worshipped through pictures. The Hebrew God also changes how followers behave. To get God’s approval, a person must act righteously. These beliefs are still practiced in modern Christianity.…
Tenrikyo is known as monotheistic Religion, and is the Biggest and most successful section of Shinto in japan; it was founded in the 19 century, and is often thought of like the evangelistic “new religions” (like Islam, Christianity, etc.) of japan. Tenrikyo is Japanese in origin which means, “The Religion Of Divine Wisdom”. Like most of japanese religions, Tenrikyo also have a place for reincarnation, but the main focus of the religion is on worldly happiness.The Government pressured to make Tenrikyo become absorbed as a Buddhist sect for a while, but later was identified by Japanese government as a sect of Shinto, even though Tenrikyo had a different Theological nature (Monotheistic) than Shinto faith which…
Akhenaten is viewed as one of the most controversial Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. The introduction of Akhenaten’s monotheistic views attributed to the decline of the Egyptian empire during his reign in the 18th dynasty. Akhenaten believed that Aten, the sun disk, was the one true god. This ideology was then adopted, though not willingly, throughout Egypt. Akhenaten focused the majority of his time into building temples and enforcing his new regime that he neglected his duties as Pharaoh. Consequently, Egypt’s boarders shrank and the citizens initiated revolts. Despite this, Akhenaten is seen as a revolutionary, being the starting point for major monotheistic religions such as Christianity.…
In this post, I will discuss the viewpoint of the critics who believe that the doctrine of the Trinity supports polytheism. According to McGrath, in the early part of the nineteenth century, Thomas Jefferson was one of the first leading critics to speak against the doctrine of the Trinity. Jefferson referred to the doctrine as “metaphysical insanities (McGrath, 299).” He argued that these metaphysical insanities “hindered the religious growth of humanity, in that they represented relapses into polytheism, differentiating from paganism only by being more unintelligible (299).”…
Having a monotheistic worldview is important to how we view our life. It is important to have a worldview, so we can manage through different views and interpretations and know how to handle each situation we come across. When we understand the worldviews, we know how to defend the Christian faith. Throughout the world there are three religions that are close to the monotheistic worldview and has been the leader of all faiths. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three religions. All of these religions have some biblical reference pointing towards Gods chosen to whom God reveled himself, that one is Abraham.…
The three major monotheistic religions of the western world evolved. They came in the following order: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All had multiple contributors when referring to their sacred texts. Even though the chapters weren’t exactly written in order, the chapters were placed as chronologically as possible.…
I personally do not believe in a monotheistic God, but I do have a spiritual sense of some great benevolent “otherness”, and I do consider myself a spiritual person. In this piece I will use “God,” and “the divine” interchangeably to represent and speak about this spiritual presence. In The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear, by Christian theologian Michael Kinnamon (2017) he advocates for a, “shared interfaith witness” (p. 47). This is a powerful and thought-provoking position he is taking. He writes that all the major religions, at their best, have the capacity to assist humanity in overcoming fear.…
The origin of Christianity, a monotheistic religion, dates back to the Roman Empire. Based on the Jewish religion and belief of a Messiah, Christianity emerged with the birth of Jesus. Christians believe He was the Messiah and Son of God (Guisepi, n.d.). I was raised in a Christian home. The only other religion I 've been exposed to is Catholicism, as my maternal grandparents practiced. I consider myself to be a born again Christian which means I 've asked God for forgiveness of my sins and have accepted Jesus as my Savior and…
Religion is observed everywhere, and in early empires, it was generally seen as a way to explain the unknown. In the Roman empire, they believed that gods controlled certain things such as the sea, sky, and other important aspects of life (Penza-Clyve). These polytheistic beliefs that came from Rome are no longer worshipped today. There are however, religions that have continued since the Ancient empires. It can be seen that in many empires, the worshipping of multiple gods gradually moves toward monotheism as the empire strengthens. Monotheism has appeared in various religions and cultures for thousands of years before its development in modern-day monotheistic religions.…
The relationship between the Jews and Romans was complex, festering, and long standing to say the least. Like many societies, occupation and rule create animosity and hatred –and with that, resistance and clandestine activities – all of which existed in Juda when the Romans ruled.…
Although the Monomyth is what sets up a story, it is not that which allows for these characters to impact the reader: it is the humanity of the characters that allow for a story to come to life. The characters, not the structuring of their journey, are what bring the words out from the pages and into the real world in order to impact the lives of the readers. Humans are social creatures, striving to connect and reconnect with each other constantly. This need manifests itself in art, where even the most lonely have someone. In these stories, they find tranquility. Humans find ways to connect themselves to these imaginary people for the opportunity to feel less lonely in the world. They allow for real life people to develop themselves, to cry,…
Since Zoroastrianism is centered on Ahura Mazda, this means that Zoroaster was one of the first to establish a monotheistic religion. Monotheistic means belief in one deity, in this case it is Ahura Mazda, who Zoroaster put above all other deities worshipped by the earlier Iranians (Fisher 244). However, Zoroaster’s teachings instilled the theory ongoing dualism in Zoroastrianism. This dualism is caused by the ongoing struggle between good and evil. Zoroaster preached that what caused the making of good and evil was a “meeting” between two spirits, each given the choice of “life or not life,” one chose life the other did not (“Zoroaster” 8). Although, Zoroaster believed that Ahura Mazda is above all, it is considered that there are still…
Hi Natasha. I agree that the religions of Native Americans were polytheistic, as you stated and also provided support to why it was polytheistic, but I do believe the religions of Native Americans were monotheistic as well. Why? Because it stated that some Native Americans believed in the High God or the Great Spirit, which was a personal God. They also believed in the Supreme Being. So, they did have beliefs in many gods and spirits, as shown with nature being spiritually alive, but in some cases they did show actions of monotheistic religion. I’d say the religion had a little taste of both. I liked that you brought up the point, which explained how the Native Americans didn’t waste anything that dealt with nature. This showed that they really…