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Hinduism and Henotheism



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Henotheism refers to the worship of one supreme god. Friedrich Schelling & Friedrich Welcker were the first to coin this term in order to describe primitive monotheism among ancient Greeks. Henotheists do not deny the existence lower deities.

Hinduism

Hinduism is monotheistic religion that believes in a supreme spirit that lives in all creatures. The highest goal of a Hindu is to attain "moksha" (saved state). Moksha means that an individual is free from the cycle of rebirth and can be considered an absolute soul. Hindus believe in karma. It is believed that one's spiritual ramifications will be balanced cyclically.

Hinduism is a monotheistic religion. However, it's often mistakenly viewed as a pluralistic religion. It doesn't necessarily mean that Hindus don’t believe in other gods but they don’t worship them. They consider their gods personifications of a unifying energy. Hindus believe Jesus is a manifestation these gods.


religion lists

The third most popular religion is Hinduism, which has the majority of its adherents residing in India. It differs from Abrahamic religions in that it has no identifiable founder and no central religious authority. It recognizes other gods and believes that there is an afterlife.

Greco-Roman religion

Ancient Greece was home to both the Romans and Greeks who worshiped gods daily and celebrated major life cycles with rituals. These ancient cultures believed there were many gods and each one had different powers. Greek gods believed in a balance between nature and law, while Roman gods focused on raw power. They also incorporated foreign gods into their pantheon.


Greek philosophy stressed logic and reasoned questions. It was one of the earliest attempts at presenting rational explanations of the nature and origin of the universe. The Milesian School, a precursor to Greek philosophy, sought the underlying element that created all matter. Later, the Stoic School added to the existing philosophy political, ethical and social theories. This philosophy was the foundation of Western philosophy.

Henotheism blends the idea of God being one with the idea that God can exist in many forms. The gods exist in many different forms, but all are in firstness. This is a fundamental tenet of Henotheism. While henotheism was present in paganism and early Christianity, it gradually fell into disuse after the twenties.


types of religions

Assyrian religion

The Neo-Assyrian Empire saw the development of an Assyrian religious tradition that was henotheistic and henotheistic. Assur was the Assyrian supreme god, and his role in Assur's cosmology was considered ideal. Assur's cosmology was influenced by the Assyrian philosophers Marduk, Ellil. Asshur, the supreme god of the Assyrians, determined human destiny in the distant future, and was the ultimate awe-inspiring figure.

The Assyrians ruled over a large area which included modern-day Turkey as well as northern Mesopotamia. The Assyrian empire reached its peak under the rule of Ashurbanipal (ca. 1750 BC) and then began to unravel. Ashurbanipal was killed, and the empire began to split. The Assyrians surrendered to an alliance between nations in 612 BCE. The Kassites then ruled the region for 500 years.

These myths were based on a democratic pantheon. The gods dealt with the issues of the universe but ultimately one supreme god emerged. Babylon's Marduk, the local god, rose to the position of god in Babylonian mythology. As a result, he acquired greater attributes and powers.



 



Hinduism and Henotheism