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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Beliefs and Doctrine

Monotheism

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈmɒnəʊθiːɪzəm/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, monotheism means: Belief that there is only one God; Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism are usually described as monotheistic religions.

In Turkish: tek tanrıcılık, monoteizm

How it is used

Used in comparative religion and history of religions, often with the adjective monotheistic (monotheistic traditions, monotheistic faiths). Scholars also discuss the emergence of monotheism in ancient Israel and debates about how strict a tradition's monotheism is.

Example sentences

  1. Islamic theology describes strict monotheism with the Arabic term tawhid.

  2. Sikhism is a monotheistic tradition that emerged in the Punjab in the fifteenth century.

Common collocations

  • strict monotheism
  • ethical monotheism
  • monotheistic religions
  • the rise of monotheism
  • polytheismBelief in and worship of many gods, each often linked to particular powers or areas of life, as in ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Norse religion.
  • theismBelief in a personal God who created the world and remains active in it; in philosophy of religion, the view that such a God exists.
  • Abrahamic religionsJudaism, Christianity and Islam considered together as religions that trace their origins or spiritual ancestry to the figure of Abraham.
  • deityA god or goddess; any being that is worshipped as divine in a religious tradition.

More terms: Beliefs and Doctrine

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