English Language & Usage Asked on May 4, 2021
I am writing an article on “God, Types of Worship” and I’m looking for a term which describes worshiping a single god at a time.
That is, given that different gods exist, the practise of worshiping only one of these at a given time, then moving on to worship another god. The focus of worship changes, but the worshiper’s overall religion remains the same.
Monotheism is not the word I am looking for. I know the term but I can’t recall it.
____ is the practise of worshiping one god of many extant gods, one at a time.
The term is Kathenotheism. It was coined by Max Muller from Greek kath' hen "one by one" i.e. kata- "according to" + en- "one" plus -theism.
So, in Kathenotheism (it is not a religion in itself, it is use to denote a particular type of religion) you worship one God head at a time and then move ahead to worship another Gods (Trinity)/Deities in same sect, or religion.
Reference from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathenotheism
Müller coined the term in reference to the Vedas, where he explained each deity is treated as supreme in turn.
Please note, Kathenotheism is different from Polytheism. In Polytheism, we worship all Gods (Trinity) and other deities at the same time, but in Kathenotheism we worship ONLY one God at a time, then move ahead to worship another one.
Also, note that Kathenotheism is different from Henotheism. Henotheist person, worships only one God, and neglects all other. Henotheist, does know, that there exists other Gods and Deities, but she/he worships only ONE God. The word Henotheism was also coined by Max Muller.
I don't want to complicate things for you, but I think you should also know, the difference between Monotheism and Henotheism. Monotheism is different from Henotheism, in a way, that in Monotheism you know that there is only one God and no other i.e. no concept of Trinity or deities.
Correct answer by Ubi hatt on May 4, 2021
Is monolatry the word you're looking for?
Monolatry, in contrast to monotheism, refers to the worship of a single god, without denying the validity of others.
Answered by Hearth on May 4, 2021
Another word for this is henotheism, which is very similar to the already-mentioned monolatry. Both are religions where one only worships one God without denying the existence of other gods.
Answered by EJoshuaS - Reinstate Monica on May 4, 2021
There are some good answers already offered, and I was going to jump in with monolatry myself. However I noticed that none of them actually quite meet the specifics of your question:
given that different gods exist, the practise of worshiping only one of these at a given time, then moving on to worship another god.
So, what then is the word for believing in many gods, but worshiping one at a time? It's just polytheism. That is exactly what polytheists actually did. The Romans, for example, had 12 major gods, 12 minor gods, and hundreds of indigitamenta; the Greeks had even more. No-one can possibly worship more than, at most, one or two at a time! So if you're preparing for the harvest, you offer a sacrifice to Ceres; if it's Bacchanale time, you have a drunken orgy; if you're sick, you offer a cockerel to Asclepius.
Answered by Securiger on May 4, 2021
A less complex term might be serial monotheism; coined on the model of "serial monogamy". The reason I would prefer this term to many of the linguistically accurate offerings above is that it's immediately clear what is meant, and doesn't leave the reader floundering for a definition.
Answered by Rich on May 4, 2021
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