If a person were to juxtapose the western religions that exist in our society today, a vast amount of people would conclude that a major similarity between them is that they are all monotheistic. There is a multiple amount of religions in this world today, but a few are monotheistic like the western religions and then there are the polytheistic religions, which tend to be more along the eastern side. Monotheism can be straight forward with its definition; however, there are certain concepts that need to be known in order to completely understand the true nature of monotheism in today’s western religions. These concepts can be comprehensible by exploring a few themes within monotheism.
Fundamentally, monotheism refers to the notion that there is only one Supreme Being, who is known as God. Monotheism, which is derived from Greek, can be broken down into “monos” which means “one” and “theos” meaning “God”. This particular theism is continually contrasted with the other common word referred to as polytheism. Essentially, polytheism refers to the belief in a numerous amount of gods, which again is common in many eastern religions. By doing some research, there seems to be a slight difference in the historical inception of the term monotheism. There were a few sources that referred to monotheism beginning back in ancient Egyptian times. It was stated that the notion of believing in one God was mentioned in the Egyptian Book of the Dead ; however, other sources referred to monotheism beginning with the tribal people known as the Hebrews. It was said that Abraham began to believe that the universe was created by only one higher being and decided to teach this notion to others. The story behind Abraham is much more in depth ...
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..., western religions in today’s society are known as Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. That is not to say that there are other religions that share the monotheistic view. Needless to say, monotheism seems to be a straightforward definition but in all actuality it does have a much deeper meaning to it. As mentioned previously, there are shared beliefs among the western religions but there is also the notion of there being a variety of different forms of monotheism. Most of the forms don’t necessarily relate to the main western religions but they do exist. These different forms provide a much different meaning to monotheism and how different monotheism can be viewed. Some of these forms, such as Deism, are actually considered an actual religion. But by exploring a few main concepts of monotheism, it may give a more comprehensible look into the western religions.
Between 600 BCE and 600 CE, religion played an important role in the social order of the Middle East. The introduction of monotheistic religions challenged earlier polytheistic religions and caused people to have faith in in one almighty god. Social order was affected by these new understandings because people began to believe that those who sided with God would be granted everlasting life while those who were on the side of evil were sentenced to eternal punishment.
Is God a Christian written by Kirby Godsey is a very powerful book that forces its readers to take an introspective journey into not only one self’s religious beliefs, but also the fundamentals of one 's morals, judgment, and principals. Godsey begins his book by answering the title of his book. He believes that God is not tied to any single religion, like Christianity. That rather, the presence, feelings, and support of God should be perceived through a combination of beliefs, experiences, and perhaps even religions in order to understand the entirety of God.
The Roman Empire began polytheistic like many earlier civilizations. The practice of monotheism was not legalized until 313 C.E. when Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians. As with many religions, there were various groups of Christians with different views as to what defined Christianity. In 325 C.E. the Council of Nicaea, brought together by Constantine to resolve this issue, established The Nicene Creed. According to this doctrine Roman Christians believe “in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father...And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost” (p 142-143). Though Christians believed in three divine beings they only worshipped one God. Even then polytheism was still dominant among the Romans.
Monotheistic religions tended to develop in Southwestern Asia. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all began in very similar regions in Southwestern Asia. All three also share a common bond of being monotheistic. Islam's belief system was centered around the importance of making the God happy by your behavior (Doc 2). By the end of your life, there would be a final judgement where the God would assess your behavior and you would hopefully be granted a peaceful afterlife.
Three equals one. Out of all of the statements made by the Christian faith, perhaps none is more confusing. The Doctrine of the Trinity has been questioned for decades and many Christians do not even understand it. Colin E. Gunton argues that this does not have to be so. Instead, he calls the Western Church to learn from Eastern Orthodoxy and allow Trinitarian thinking to permeate every aspect of the church. It is when the Western Church embarrasses “The Forgotten Trinity” (the name of the chapter) in thinking and in worship, that we not only learn the nature of God, but how we should live in light of it.
One such category is popularly referred to as "western religions", thereby differentiating the religions constituting it from "eastern religions." Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are of the three most popular religions that rest on the foundation of a single creator belief and are therefore called western religions. As these religions have the core conviction in common; the religious belief that this universe came into existence, as well as controlled and governed by one God.The significance and popularity of western religions can be determined from the fact that "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic faiths practiced by about half of the world's population
The term monotheism is significant to Islam, meaning that a belief in only one God. The first article of faith in Islam is the belief that there is no deity but God (Allah) and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. A belief in a number of gods or in the extension of God’s spirituality to any person is strongly forbidden. Islam rejects the human points that the Christians and Jews added to their doctrines, such as the incarnation of God. It has been estimated that over ninety percent of Muslim theology deals with the implications of Unity. God, while One, is referred to by ninety-nine names (Fisher 233).
Religions of the ancient world were in a state of constant flux. Karl Jaspers states that between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.E, “great changes took place in all the civilized world” (qtd. in Basham 36), and the great thinkers of these times began thinking independently and individually. Moreover, “after these great thinkers the world was never the same again” (qtd. in Basham 36-37). These times were dubbed the “axial period” (qtd. in Basham 37). The axial religions that emerged during this period were profound and lasting. In fact, the religions discussed in this paper—Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity—are considered the most practiced religions to do this day. Although these religions have changed over time, their underlying structure remains intact.
The conception of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam is monotheism, the belief in the existence of a single indivisible God. The three of religions maintains that there is only one God, who is active in and concerned about the world. These religions are also patriarchal, male-dominated, which has resulted in God being described as “He.” However, how Christians, Judaism and Islam conceptualize God in their respective theologies is actually quite different. In Christianity, God is the supreme creator and ruler of the universe. Christians believe God is infinite, omnipotent, all-powerful, perfect, personal, eternal, unchanging, holy, all-knowing, and all-loving. Their idea of God is shown in the belief of the Trinity. God is one, but with three aspects: God is Father, the creator, ruler, and sustainer of all life, and divine judge; God is the Son, who is Jesus, God made incarnate and savior of humanity; and the Holy Spirit, who is God working in the world. Both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus, however, the major difference between Islam and Christianity is the Christians insistence on the supposed divinity of Christ. In Christian scriptures, God never claimed divinity while the emphasis in the Islamic theology of God is “absolute unity;” God is sublimely one. Muslims think that by believing in the Trinity, Christians believe in three Gods. For them, God is One God. Judaism views the existence of God as a necessary prerequisite for the existence of the universe, and the existence of the universe is sufficient proof of the existence of God.
The first similarity of these three major monotheistic religions is their belief that there is only one God
Both Islam and Christianity are coinciding in that they are monotheistic, meaning they only believe in on...
Human beings have always been curious about the meaning and purpose of life. Religions try to answer the curiosity people have about there being a higher source, typically identifying this greater domination as God. Some beliefs teach that there is only one G-d this is defined as a monotheistic religion. Some examples of monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Although each sect has a different perspective on teachings and beliefs they have one common thread; the belief in a singular deity.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three great religions of the world. They are all monotheistic religions, which mean the followers believe in one God. Each religion has a sacred book that contains God 's message for the world. These books are the Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible, and the Muslin Qur 'an (Religion Explained 16).
To even begin a religion a people have to set a certain belief. Whether it be monotheism, polytheism or no theism at all, a certain faith structure is crucial in order to have and maintain religion. This belief or faith is chosen, yet again, by the people of the area. They are the ones that decide what to believe and how to believe it. Then the people come who, more by convenience than be choice, partake in these certain beliefs. It is almost considered necessary for people to believe the same ideas who are in the same community in order for more peaceful living. For example, a person would not find a Christian practicing their faith in India’s predominantly Hindu villages. If a person was born in India he/she would more than likely practice the Hindu religion just as if a person that was born in South China’s Taoist areas would practice Taoism. This is not a personal choice. It is a community effort in the way that the community forces their ways upon an individual. In order for these beliefs to occur, though, people must engage in conversation with one another to be knowledgeable about the correct belief of their particular religion.
Monotheism stems from Abraham when God made a covenant with Abraham stating “To make of Abraham a great nation and bless Abraham and make his name great so that he will be a blessing, to bless those who bless him and curse him who curses him and all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham” in Gensis 12 – 17. God also promised that Abraham’s descendants will live in the Promised Land. Abraham went through on God’s promise and had six children, two of which, Ishmael and Isaac, whose descendants went on two create two significant monotheistic religions Islam...