henotheïsme

Henotheism is a religious concept describing the worship of one god as supreme while acknowledging the existence of other gods. The term derives from Greek: hen = one and theos = god; it contrasts with polytheism (belief in many gods) and monotheism (belief in the existence of only one god). A related concept is monolatry, the worship of a single god without denying others’ existence, though without asserting that this god is the sole deity.

In practice, henotheism has been used to describe certain historical and regional religious configurations. In the early Israelite religion, some scholars see a stage of henotheism in which Yahweh was worshiped as the national god of Israel while other Canaanite deities were acknowledged as existent. In the Vedic tradition of ancient India, some hymns exalt a single deity such as Indra, Mitra, or Varuna as supremely powerful in particular verses, and later devotional movements within Hinduism (such as Vaishnavism or Shaivism) develop exclusive devotion to a chosen deity while sharing a broader polytheistic frame. In classical Greece, certain cults or philosophies have been described by scholars as henotheistic when a single god was privileged in worship or civic cults compared to others.

In modern scholarship, henotheism is used as a descriptive category rather than a positive label of truth claims. It emphasizes the social context of worship, the privileging of a deity within a pantheon, and the potential shift toward monotheism over time. It remains a debated term, with different scholars contesting its applicability to particular traditions.