monolatristiaa

Monolatristiaa is a term used in religious studies to describe the position or practice of worshiping a single god while not denying the existence of other gods. The form is usually rendered as monolatry in scholarly writing, with monolatristiaa appearing as a less common or variant spelling in some sources. The term comes from Greek roots meaning “one worship” (monos + latreia).

In contrast to monotheism, which asserts that only one god exists, monolatry allows for the existence of other deities but directs exclusive worship to one deity. It is also related to henotheism, a broader category in which adherents devote themselves to one god while acknowledging others may exist and be worshiped by others. The distinction among these positions is a central topic in the study of ancient Israelite religion and other Near Eastern traditions.

Scholarly use of monolatry focuses on historical phases rather than on a single, universal doctrine. In biblical and archaeological criticism, some argue that early Israelite religion operated as monolatry or henotheism—worshiping Yahweh exclusively within a multi-god milieu—before a shift toward explicit monotheism. Others emphasize that biblical texts reflect evolving religious ideas rather than a single developmental path.

Today, monolatry and its variants are used as descriptive categories to analyze ancient practices and texts. The spelling monolatristiaa is uncommon in academic literature and typically appears as a transliteration variant or orthographic anomaly rather than as a standard term. See also monotheism, henotheism, and Yahweh worship.