different between polytheism vs multitheism

English

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Etymology

From French polythéisme, from Ancient Greek ????? (polús, “many”) and ???? (theós, “god”), corresponding to poly- +? theism.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?l.???i?.?z.?m/

Noun

polytheism (countable and uncountable, plural polytheisms)

1. The belief in the existence of multiple gods.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• atheism
• henotheism
• kathenotheism
• monotheism
• pantheon

Anagrams

• polyethism

English

Etymology

multi- +? theism

Noun

multitheism (uncountable)

1. The existence of multiple forms of theism, as in a society.
   • 1885, Daniel Defoe, The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, p. 574:

     But for rudeness of manners, idolatry, and multitheism, no people in the world ever went beyond them.

   • 1990, Edward Malcolm Batley, Catalyst of Enlightenment, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, p. 317:

     This led to multitheism and idolatry, a condition which would have grown increasingly confused, had God not decided to give mankind some better direction.

   • 2001, Diana L. Eck, "Honest to God:The Universe of Faith" in Marcus J. Borg, Ross Mackenzie, God at 2000, p. 48:

     But I am convinced that it is time for us to understand all our theisms as aspects of a global multitheism.

   • 2003, Maynard Solomon, Late Beethoven: Music, Thought, Imagination, p. 226:

     By the unprecedented intensity of the finale's rhetoric, by the multitheism of its symbolism — the Greek mythic signposts, the Christian-medieval gestures embedded in the Andante maestoso, and the orientalism of the Alla marcia's "Turkish Music".

2. (dated) Polytheism.
   • 1933, Buddhist Society (London, England), The Middle Way, p. 90:

     This forceful imposition of monotheism and impossibly high moral standards on the slow evolutionary process of multitheism in which people were still learning to live with their gods created guilt, anxiety and fear of the new god.

Derived terms

• multitheist
• multitheistic
• multitheistically

Related terms

• monotheism
• omnitheism
• polytheism