Many religions have followed a henotheistic approach to worshiping deities. Some of the most widely known religions that have practiced henotheism are Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and the religions of ancient Greece and Rome. Some have contended that even Christianity can be considered henotheistic.
Hinduism
Hinduism is a religion that originated as a part of Indian culture and is now practiced around the world by more than one billion people. This makes Hinduism the third-largest religion in the world. It is difficult to know the true date of origin of Hinduism because of the long oral tradition that existed before the scriptural texts, Vedas, began to be converted into written form. Scholars have found evidence that the Hindu religious tradition is estimated to have originated between 3102 BCE and 1300 BCE.
Hinduism is one of the most prominent examples of a henotheistic religious tradition. The term was applied to the religion by Max Muller, who coined the term in his research on the Vedas. Many deities exist in the Hindu religion. However, according to Muller's analysis of the early Vedic scriptures, one deity was considered to be superior to all others. This deity was known as Indra, who had the power to control rain, lightning, and thunder. In addition to ruling the stormy sky, Indra is represented in early Hindu scripture to have reigned over the realm of war among the Hindustani people.
Zoroastrianism
The origin of Zoroastrianism dates to the tenth century BCE and is thought to have been based on the teachings of Zarathustra, a Persian prophet. Once the most followed religion in the world, Zoroastrianism is the first religious tradition to have developed beings that represented the ideas of heaven and hell, such as angels, a Satan-like being, and a judgment day. These aspects of Zoroastrianism have influenced religions that are widely practiced today, such as Christianity and Judaism.
Although the prophet Zarathustra demanded strict worship of one deity, Ahura Mazda, Zoroastrianism evolved throughout its history to move through polytheism and then settled into a henotheistic philosophy. Many deities are recognized, but Ahura Mazda has remained the most powerful deity.
Ancient Greek and Roman Religions
A classic example of henotheism is seen in the pantheons of ancient Greek and Roman religions. A "pantheon" is the term used to describe the existence of many gods who interact with each other and influence the lives of mortals (human beings) in different ways. The academic consensus is that the Greco-Roman religions originally demonstrated a true polytheistic ideology by worshipping the many gods of the pantheon, but the religions evolved to become more henotheistic over time.
Uranus is considered the first supreme deity of the Greek pantheon. He ruled the pantheon as the god of the sky and the heavens until he became too domineering. He was overthrown by his son, Cronos. Cronos was the god most often associated with the passage of time, as well as wielding power over the success or failure of the harvest cycle. He was worshipped as the most powerful god of the pantheon throughout the Golden Age of Ancient Greece. Like his father, Cronos became too power-hungry and dictatorial. He befell the same fate and lost his status as the supreme deity of the pantheon when he was overthrown by his own son, Zeus.
The god Zeus was the son of Cronos and Rhea. Zeus ruled the sky and controlled the thunder. Once he overthrew his father, he became more powerful than the other gods of the pantheon and was considered to be the supreme deity from then on. This marked the transition for Ancient Greek religion to evolve from a polytheistic ideology to a henotheistic one.
The ancient Roman religions had a similarly henotheistic ideology and pantheon of gods. The gods initially competed for the status of supreme deity for worship and then evolved to accept one supreme deity, Jupiter. The early deities of the Roman pantheon were specialized and interacted with mortals to assist in the activities of daily life. Like Zeus, Jupiter was the ruler of the stormy sky. His weapon was a bolt of lightning.
When the ancient state of Rome commandeered control of Greece in 146 BCE, the Roman religions absorbed and merged the Greek pantheon with their own.
Christianity
While Christianity seems obviously situated as a monotheistic religion, scholars have argued that there are valid reasons to consider Christianity from a henotheistic perspective. For example, the Holy Trinity consists of three deities, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. According to scholars, the existence of the multiple deities of the Holy Trinity can be viewed as a pantheon. Although the doctrine of the Holy Trinity asserts that the deity of God is comprised of these three equal beings, traditional Christians refute that they are three separate entities of equal power and continue to worship the Father as the supreme deity in the pantheon.
