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Definition: polytheism from Philip's Encyclopedia

Belief in or worship of many gods and goddesses. The ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman religions were all polytheistic, as were the religions of the Americas before European settlement. Hinduism is a modern polytheistic religion. See also animism; monotheism


Polytheism

From Encyclopedia of Anthropology
Polytheism (from the Greek polutheos , “many gods”) denotes a theological system involving a belief in, and worship of, multiple divinities. The term was first popularized in the writings of 18th century European ethnographers as they sought to identify and label the religious beliefs of “primitive” peoples they studied and contrast them to Judeo-Christian monotheism, or the belief in a solitary divinity. Over time, polytheism has been used to refer to various belief systems in which multiple beings are worshipped or propitiated. These may include gods, goddesses, semi-divine beings, good or evil spirits, or the spirits of departed ancestors. Depending upon the tradition, there may be an established and recognized hierarchy of worshipped beings or they may be seen to act independently. They may work in conjunction with one another or occasionally at cross-purposes. There are several significant characteristics typically found in polytheistic traditions, including: Each divinity or…
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Full text Article polytheism

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(pŏl'ēthēĭzӘm), belief in a plurality of gods in which each deity is distinguished by special functions. The gods are particularly synonymous with function in the Vedic religion (see Vedas ) of India: Indra is the storm god, Agni the fire god, Vayu the wind god, Yama the god of death. Polytheistic…
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Full text Article POLYTHEISM

From Global Dictionary of Theology
Polytheism is a worldview that postulates the existence of a multitude of gods and goddesses. Hinduism is considered the best-known polytheistic faith in the world. The early Vedic scriptures (1500-1000 BC) refer to 33 deities, and later the Puranas (c. AD 500) talk about 330 million gods and…
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Full text Article polytheism

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Belief in many gods. Though Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic ( see monotheism ), most other religions throughout history have been polytheistic. The numerous gods may be dominated by a supreme god or by a small group of powerful gods. The gods originated as abstractions of the…
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Full text Article polytheism

From The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language
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From The Macquarie Dictionary
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From Philip's Encyclopedia
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Full text Article polytheism

From The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin
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Full text Article polytheism

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
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Full text Article polytheism.

From Essential Bible Dictionary
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Full text Article polytheism

From Collins English Dictionary
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