What is monotheism?

Answer 1

Monotheism is a belief in only one God. Probably the earliest formal monotheistic religion was Zoroastrianism, in which the God is known as Ahura Mazda ('Wise Lord'). Other monotheistic religions followed, including the monotheistic Egyptian religion briefly introduced by the Pharaoh Akhenaten, then Judaism, Christianity and Islam, among others.

There is some evidence of quite early monotheistic worship of a fertility goddess in pre-historic times.

Answer 2

Monotheism is a belief in only one God. Probably the earliest formal monotheistic religion was Zoroastrianism, in which the God is known as Ahura Mazda ('Wise Lord'). Other monotheistic religions followed, including the monotheistic Egyptian religion briefly introduced by the Pharaoh Akhenaten, then Judaism, Christianity and Islam, among others.

There is some evidence of quite early monotheistic worship of a fertility goddess in pre-historic times.

Answer 3

the belief in one god

Answer 4

Monotheism is the belief in One God.

How did monotheism start?

1) According to careful research, the original tradition, which was widespread, was monotheistic. However, it died out completely in a relatively brief span of time. This belief does not refer to a specific people, country, or named religion, since it was not centralized or organized.
2a) The first continuous monotheistic tradition and religion as we know it, was and is Judaism, the tradition founded by Abraham. It began 3800 years ago, and its founding principle is that God is One. This was well before the Egyptian king Akhenaten, who in any case (according to tradition) was influenced by Israelite beliefs.

2b) Some might claim that monotheistic Judaism started later, as (for example) King Josiah made reforms in the late First Temple period. However, this is the view of secular academe, and flies in the face of tradition. Judaism had already been monotheistic for eight centuries by the time of Josiah. All he did was to eradicate the traces of the idolatrous influences of those Jews who had strayed from their own religion. This had happened repeatedly (such as with Jehoshaphat [2 Chronicles 17:6], and Samuel before him [1 Samuel 7:3-4]); and those who strayed into pagan practices never encompassed the entire people.

3) Zoroastrianism, which might be suggested as another early contender, is not such a clear matter. There is no consensus on when Zoroaster lived. Moreover, the Zoroastrians believed in two gods, not one. The Jewish Sages who redacted the Talmud in the early centuries of the Common Era lived in Babylonia, witnessed the practices of the Zoroastrians, and recorded this fact (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39a). In addition, in Zoroastrianism:

• there is worship through intermediaries, who are themselves "worthy of worship"
• evil and good each has its own creator
• some of its adherents believe in a self-creating universe
• some modern scholars see it as a form of pantheism.

Answer 5

Monotheism is a belief in only one God. Probably the earliest formal monotheistic religion was Zoroastrianism, in which the God is known as Ahura Mazda ('Wise Lord'). Other monotheistic religions followed, including the monotheistic Egyptian religion briefly introduced by the Pharaoh Akhenaten, then Judaism, Christianity and Islam, among others.

There is some evidence of quite early monotheistic worship of a fertility goddess in pre-historic times.

Answer 6

Belief in one God and that only one God exists.

Monotheism (from Greek μόνος) is the belief in theology that only one God exists.