Henoteismu

Henoteismu is a religious concept that acknowledges the existence of many gods but promotes devotion to a single, supreme deity. In a henotheistic system, other gods are recognized but are considered subordinate to the primary god, or their worship is deemed less significant or even unnecessary by the followers of the supreme deity. This contrasts with monotheism, which asserts the existence of only one god, and polytheism, which involves the worship of multiple gods without necessarily elevating one above all others.

The concept of hennotheism has been applied to various religious traditions throughout history. For instance, some scholars have interpreted certain periods of ancient Israelite religion as exhibiting henotheistic tendencies before the full development of monotheism. In this view, while the existence of other deities was not necessarily denied, the focus of worship and allegiance was placed squarely on Yahweh. Similarly, elements of Hinduism have been described as henotheistic, where devotees might worship a particular deity as the supreme being while acknowledging the existence of other gods within the pantheon.

The distinction between hennotheism and monotheism can sometimes be subtle. The key difference lies in the acknowledgment of other divine beings. A monotheist would typically deny the existence of any gods other than their one God, whereas a henotheist accepts the existence of multiple gods but chooses to worship only one. This selective worship can stem from various beliefs, such as the supreme deity being the creator of all other gods, or being the most powerful or relevant deity for a particular group or purpose.