Monotheism refers to a belief system that only one God exists. Monotheists follow the Christian religion, and consider the deity to only be one. They believe God came to earth in three ways: as a Father, Lord Jesus Christ, or as the Holy Spirit. Monotheists believe if one does not practice monotheism they are not entitled to the protection of God.
Religions that believe one deity
Monotheism holds that there is only one God and is the basis for all world religions. It differs from polytheism and atheism, which each attribute responsibility for reality to a separate god. Monotheistic religions emphasize the belief in God's all-knowing and all powerful nature. They are often non-anthropomorphic.
Dualistic religions can be described as dividing the universe into two fundamental principles: spirit or matter. This is a variant on monotheism, and can be found in some Gnostic systems. These religions are founded on esoteric wisdom and are sometimes deemed heretical for orthodox Christians. The demiurge may be called a demonic being.
Many religions have sacred texts which guide their lives. The Christian Bible, Hebrew Scriptures and the Islamic Qu'ran are some of the most well-known. Some religions believe these texts were written by a deity while others believe they were written by humans. For example, Oromo's single god Waaqeffanna is known as "the word" in Oromo.
Quasi-monotheistic religions
Quasi-monotheist religions share some similarities to true monotheism but have many differences. True monotheism holds that there is one god and all other gods are illusionary. Quasimonotheism emphasizes the importance of God in all aspects human life.
The concept of monotheism and its application to religion has its origins in the early modern period. Henry Moore invented the term "monotheism" in 1660 to differentiate between Christian anthropomorphic notions of God and Deistic ideas. The term "monotheism" was later paired with the term "polytheism", a concept that originated in the first century CE.
The ancient Greeks and Romans had monotheistic religions, and they believed in a supreme god. Zeus' worship signaled the change from polytheism toward monotheism. Also, the veneration and reverence for Zeus diminished the respect for the lesser gods.
Monotheistic religions
Monotheistic religions believe in one god. Polytheistic religions believe in multiple gods. Monotheism first emerged in the Old Testament Hebrew Bible. Other gods were referred to as "false deities". Later, Christianity and Judaism began to emphasize the concept of a single god.
Monotheistic religions imply that one God is the only true God. All other belief systems are rejected. In the past they were very assertive and often justified their actions by claiming that their religion was the only one true. In many instances, they have also used monotheism as a means to justify the behavior of other people, which is incompatible with the message of the religion.
Although ancient cultures worshipped many gods, the idea of one god is not uncommon. Some ancient civilizations elevated one god above all others.