Polytheism: belief in many gods

The word comes from the Greek poly, “many,” and theos, “god.” Like “monotheism,” it is a modern classification. For centuries it was often used dismissively by writers from monotheistic traditions, so scholars today use it carefully and try to describe each tradition in its own terms.

In many polytheistic religions, gods have particular domains: the sky, the sea, war, love, wisdom, fertility or the household. Greek religion, for example, honoured Zeus as king of the gods, Athena as goddess of wisdom and Poseidon as god of the sea. Gods could have personalities, family relationships and stories told in myths.

Worship typically involved offerings, sacrifices, festivals, temples and prayers addressed to the god most relevant to a person’s need.

Ancient Egyptian religion honoured gods such as Ra, Osiris and Isis and was closely tied to kingship and the afterlife. Mesopotamian religion honoured city gods and cosmic deities such as Anu and Enlil. Roman religion absorbed many Greek and foreign gods and emphasized correct ritual for the welfare of the state. Norse religion honoured Odin, Thor, Freyja and others.

These religions declined with the spread of Christianity and Islam, although they influenced art, literature and culture and some are being revived today.

Hinduism is often described as polytheistic because Hindus worship many deities, including Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi, Durga and Ganesha. Many Hindus, however, understand these deities as forms or aspects of one supreme reality, Brahman, or of one supreme God. Others worship one chosen deity while respecting others.

For this reason, scholars often say that Hinduism includes monotheistic, polytheistic, monistic and other views, and that a single label misrepresents it.

Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, honours kami, sacred powers present in nature, ancestors and places, from the sun goddess Amaterasu to the spirits of mountains and rivers. Chinese folk religion honours many deities and ancestors, often alongside Buddhist and Daoist practice. In these traditions, the boundaries between gods, spirits and honoured ancestors are often fluid.

Many African traditional religions recognize a supreme creator God who is distant, along with lesser deities or spirits, such as the orishas of Yoruba religion, who are more directly involved in human affairs. Similar patterns appear in some Indigenous religions of the Americas. Scholars debate whether such systems should be called polytheistic, monotheistic or something else.

Monotheistic traditions have historically rejected polytheism as idolatry, worshipping created things instead of the creator. Polytheistic traditions often see divinity as present in many forms throughout the world. Some scholars point out that the contrast is less sharp in practice: monotheistic religions may honour angels, saints or spirits, while polytheistic religions may recognize a supreme deity.

In recent decades, movements such as Hellenism (reviving ancient Greek religion), Heathenry (reviving Norse and Germanic religion) and various forms of contemporary Paganism have practised polytheistic worship, often combining historical research with new forms.

In many polytheistic traditions, worship is local and practical. A family may honour household gods or ancestors at a home shrine, a village may celebrate its own protective deity, and a traveller or merchant may seek the favour of the god associated with journeys or trade. Festivals often follow agricultural and seasonal cycles.

Worship usually focuses on maintaining good relationships with the gods through offerings, prayers and rituals rather than on accepting a single creed. This is one reason scholars describe many polytheistic religions as centred on practice more than doctrine.

Polytheism is belief in many gods, typical of ancient religions and present in various forms in Hinduism, Shinto, Chinese folk religion and African traditional religions today. The category is useful but imperfect: many traditions combine many gods with belief in one supreme reality, and each should be understood in its own terms.