What does "henotheism" mean?
Belief in or worship of one deity without denying the existence of other deities.
Henotheism
/ˈhɛnəʊˌθiːɪz(ə)m/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Belief in or worship of one deity without denying the existence of other deities.
- Grammar: henotheism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: allotheism, anthropomorphism, deism, ditheism.
- Usage evidence: There is one kind of oneness which does not exclude the idea of plurality; there is another which does. […] If, therefore, an expression had been given to that primitive intuition of the Deity, which is the mainspring of all later religion, it would have been—'There is a God,' but not yet 'There is but "One God."' The latter form of faith, the belief in One God, is properly called monotheism, whereas the term of henotheism would best express the faith in a single god.
How to use "henotheism"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Definition decision workflow
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Belief in or worship of one deity without denying the existence of other deities. countable, uncountable
"There is one kind of oneness which does not exclude the idea of plurality; there is another which does. […] If, therefore, an expression had been given to that primitive intuition of the Deity, which is the mainspring of all later religion, it would have been—'There is a God,' but not yet 'There is but "One God."' The latter form of faith, the belief in One God, is properly called monotheism, whereas the term of henotheism would best express the faith in a single god."
Example
"There is one kind of oneness which does not exclude the idea of plurality; there is another which does. […] If, therefore, an expression had been given to that primitive intuition of the Deity, which is the mainspring of all later religion, it would have been—'There is a God,' but not yet 'There is but "One God."' The latter form of faith, the belief in One God, is properly called monotheism, whereas the term of henotheism would best express the faith in a single god."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "henotheism"?
Common synonyms include: allotheism, anthropomorphism, deism, ditheism, dualism, monolatry.
How do you use "henotheism" in a sentence?
There is one kind of oneness which does not exclude the idea of plurality; there is another which does. […] If, therefore, an expression had been given to that primitive intuition of the Deity, which is the mainspring of all later religion, it would have been—'There is a God,' but not yet 'There is but "One God."' The latter form of faith, the belief in One God, is properly called monotheism, whereas the term of henotheism would best express the faith in a single god.
How do you pronounce "henotheism"?
Pronounced /ˈhɛnəʊˌθiːɪz(ə)m/.
Etymology
From German Henotheismus, coined in the 19th century by German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775–1854) from Ancient Greek ἕν (hén, stem of εἷς (heîs, “one”)) + German Theismus (“theism”, ultimately from Ancient Greek θεός (theós, “god”))).