Is Christianity monotheistic, polytheistic or both?

[Sleeppy]

Judaism was a flawed attempt at monotheism; Christianity is a continuation of said flawed attempt.

Both are founded on the idea of free will- suggesting that individuals hold a superiority of self-control above that of God's superiority.

More polytheistic.

 

[David T]

OK.

My brother studied religion at the university and became atheist. Funny.
I'm a city boy who grew up in the country side. For a very short time I lived in a very isolated place, in a forest, by the beach. I loved it. Mom hated it. My appendix hated it, probably nearly died then. For a brief time, I played in the forest, enjoyed the sound of the tempest in the trees, moved a cow or two when they needed to have their grass pin with rope moved. The school I went to at that moment was all classes in one room, everyone sitting on benches, and because I came from the big city, I found myself under all the other kids at intermission one day when I first arrived, they were all beating me up one day, but somehow I crawled out from under them and stood at the side looking at them being on top of me (supposedly). Unusual time.

In the city, I had just begun school before moving to the country side; there we had gangs and you didn't go to apartment blocks where you didn't belong. I was chased by a group of kids and still have the scar to show it today.

My brother used to abuse me physically, nearly killed me a few times.

I wonder why I have a tendency to not let people get away with violence against me any longer. Don't want it, but don't mind killing people if they prove to need it.

Maybe we need Freud today.

The city is freudf

 

[Rival]

Judaism was a flawed attempt at monotheism;

How?

 

[Epic Beard Man]

What do you guys think? I mean it does look like a monotheistic religion, but if you look at the other side, doesn't it look like a polytheistic religion, as well? Apparently, Christians like to worship a supernatural being other than God, like Mary for example or St Christopher. Many tens if not hundreds of millions of Christians carry around Mary or St Christopher talismans. They may be seen on neck chains and on car dashboards throughout the world. They are often called charms because they are believed to act as magical charms to ward off danger. It is clear that millions believe that a supernatural being other than God is able to provide them with supernatural protection, right? Also, Icons are also worshipped.

I believe Christianity historically was a splinter group or branch from Judaism but centuries later and Jesus' disappearance has morphed the faith of Christianity into some sort of complexity in which the tri-monotheism that exists then, is that which it is today. It went from Arianism, homo-ousion, to homi-ousion, to Athanasian Creed.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Christianity is tritheistic.

I hinted at the complex philosophy of tri-monotheism

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Christianity is definitely monotheistic if you understand it's theology. Honestly, most Trinitarians are not going around thinking of three individuals in a triad. They see them as more like roles or modes of God, if that's a good way of putting it. Christians also don't believe saints are deities. I understand how it might seem polytheistic though. It certainly is unique in it's monotheism.

From a philosophical level yeah such as same substance and different substances, which I believe in the early forms of Christianity such as the middle ages many took on the Socratic/Platonic views of Christianity.

 

[Vouthon]

No, that’s modalism. Modalism is considered heretical by Trinitarian Christians:

Sabellianism - Wikipedia

Thank you for pointing that out, you beat me to the punch!

The modalist standpoint suggested by our friend @Buddha Dharma is a common misinterpretation people make when trying to understand the Trinity doctrine within a monotheistic context.

As you correctly note: for us this is a heretical stance, because we don't understand God to be one person with three aspects or temporary modes of being only in relation to his creatures, as if he had multiple personality disorder or liked to act different parts or try on different hats. The distinction between the persons is real and ontological, every but as much as the fact that we view them as One Being, One God.

We Trinitarians really, genuinely believe - no matter how difficult to fathom it may sound - that God exists eternally as three distinct, co-equal, uncreated persons of one being or substance.

The paradoxical nature of the doctrine reflects the inconsistencies in the biblical data that later theologians had to synchronize and smooth out.

The Pauline Epistles, the Gospel of John and Hebrews (in particular) take for granted the personal pre-existence of Jesus as a divine figure co-eternal and co-equal with God the Father. As the eminent New Testament scholar Larry Hurtado has noted on his blog: “NT texts clearly ascribe to Jesus a status and role that goes beyond that of a human: e.g., as the agent of creation (e.g., 1 Cor 8:4-6), and as bearing “the form of God” (Philip 2:6).”

At times, he is actually equated with God as in the Johanine prologue but the texts equally make clear that God is one, that there is one God.

And yet, Jesus is also clearly described as separate from God (the Father). "with God and God", like a separate...well, later theologians came up with the word "person" even though its not explicitly used in the scriptural text.

Unfortunately the New Testament is unsystematic and doesn't explain these apparent logical inconsistencies and so some very smart theologians beginning with St. Justin Martyr in the second century reconciled these statements with the Trinity doctrine.

Trinitarianism cannot be described, technically, as "polytheistic" - since it is adamant that there is only one theos or God with one essence/being/substance, not a plurality. But I admit that because it introduces a plurality within the One God, a trinity-in-unity, the concept is not so "straight" as the pure, singular monotheisms of Judaism and Islam in their developed orthodox forms, even though Trinitarianism is a mutation of monotheism.

Add to this the doctrine of the incarnation - that God or one of the divine persons can assume human form - and you have a very different beast from conventional monotheism with its pure, unadulterated transcendence.

It's sort of an intermediate position between the two extremes, if that makes any sense, but we definitely see ourselves as monotheists since the Trinity is not three gods but One God in three persons.

 

[Vouthon]

I believe Christianity historically was a splinter group or branch from Judaism but centuries later and Jesus' disappearance has morphed the faith of Christianity into some sort of complexity in which the tri-monotheism that exists then, is that which it is today. It went from Arianism, homo-ousion, to homi-ousion, to Athanasian Creed.

Neither Arianism nor Trinitarianism existed in early, first century Christianity. These are third and fourth century terms.

The earliest Christians were binatarian or dyadic monotheists in their worship practices (although they already used a triadic discourse when speaking about God including the term Holy Spirit), as St. Paul (writing in the early 50s AD) explains in 1 Corinthians when he quotes a pre-Pauline creedal declaration:

1 Corinthians 8:6

6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
​

The above statement is not thought by scholars to have been composed by Paul, rather they believe he was referencing an already well-known creed of the primitive church, which tells us that the earliest Christians had already come to regard Jesus as a pre-existent divine agent of creation co-eternal with God, here incorporating him into the shema.

There is a consensus in New Testament scholarship now that "high christology" emerged early, before the writing of the Pauline epistles (which are our first Christian documents). See the relevant chapters in Bart Ehrman's 2014 book, "How Jesus became God" for an accessble overview of this scholarly consensus.

 

[Quintessence]

I feel the need to answer the question with another question:

Why does it matter?

 

[Rival]

I feel the need to answer the question with another question:

Why does it matter?

Because it's a religion that says you make it to heaven by correct belief.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I feel the need to answer the question with another question:

Why does it matter?

Polytheism is generally considered to violate the First Commandment, so a polytheistic Christian is, almost by definition, a hypocrite.

(And a hypocrite in a religion that's very anti-hypocrisy, which would make them doublt hypocritical)

As to why Christian hypocrisy would matter... that depends on context. Robert Burns used it as good fodder for poetry, so there's that at least.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

What do you guys think? I mean it does look like a monotheistic religion, but if you look at the other side, doesn't it look like a polytheistic religion, as well? Apparently, Christians like to worship a supernatural being other than God, like Mary for example or St Christopher. Many tens if not hundreds of millions of Christians carry around Mary or St Christopher talismans. They may be seen on neck chains and on car dashboards throughout the world. They are often called charms because they are believed to act as magical charms to ward off danger. It is clear that millions believe that a supernatural being other than God is able to provide them with supernatural protection, right? Also, Icons are also worshipped.

It's, IMHO, a polytheistic religion in denial. They've already put Jesus ahead of God and some even put the Bible ahead of both of Them. I don't know why they can't just own it.

Mary and the Saints aren't really supernatural, though. Praying to the Saint of Whatever is like asking a company spokesman to talk to the CEO of the company for you. At least, that's how it seems to me. Talismans are religious merchandise: important for many, souvenir traps in essence. They are also not technically supernatural, as it's like wearing a branded t-shirt or something. Painting lamb's blood is a bit much, so buy Special Fandom Amulet now for only 16.95. Just because a cosplayer buys a lightsaber doesn't make them a Jedi.

It is controversial, but I believe there is sufficient justification to consider traditional Christianity to be Tritheistic, and the Roman Church polytheism with Mary considered a Goddess. Some churches to their credit have rejected the Trinity, for a more rigid monotheism.

Indeed. Sometimes I wonder if the state of the religion is such because the other deities were ignored when monotheism created a religious and economic monopoly. Polytheism just seems more reasonable considering how the ancient gods were portrayed, with limited jurisdictions and limited power sets.

 

[Quintessence]

I don't know if I'd cast it as hypocrisy. My thoughts as I considered that question were more along the lines of "why does it matter what type of theist you are?" Is it implied that there's something bad or wrong with some type of theism but not another type of theism? If so, why? Are such judgements necessary? Are they useful? Do they help us live the good life?

I suppose as an outsider to Christian traditions, I'm not concerned with whether or not their tradition is classified as monotheist or polytheist. It's not a question that matters to me. What does matter to me is whether or not their interpretation of their theology is lending itself to authoritarian proclamations or exclusivist dogmas. From what I've seen, that mileage varies from tradition to tradition.

 

[LuisDantas]

I feel the need to answer the question with another question:

Why does it matter?

From my frankly non-Christian, non-theistic stance it seems that it does in fact matter, mainly because setting itself as a strictly monotheistic religion causes stresses that could be avoided.

 

[Kenny]

It is monotheistic for some, in the sense that there is one Almighty Creator. Yet, his son is also a Mighty God, but not almighty and even humans have been said to be gods, though that is more as a warning, was it?! Even the angels are called sons of God, thus having godlike qualities, being divine in a limited sense. The fallen angels have used this to make themselves worshiped in many parts of the globe.

If you speak of those believing in a Trinity, I cannot see how that is monotheistic.

Actually, Jesus is also Almighty.

Rev. 1:7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

[Kenny]

From my frankly non-Christian, non-theistic stance it seems that it does in fact matter, mainly because setting itself as a strictly monotheistic religion causes stresses that could be avoided.

Maybe it is in one's interpretation. For me, it relieved stresses.

 

[LuisDantas]

Maybe it is in one's interpretation. For me, it relieved stresses.

I definitely see monotheism as a personal inclination that some people may have, while others will not.

 

[shunyadragon]

I definitely see monotheism as a personal inclination that some people may have, while others will not.

Phfffft! Poof!

 

[shunyadragon]

I definitely see monotheism as a personal inclination that some people may have, while others will not.

Doctrines, dogmas, and established beliefs of religions and churches, does not amount to personal inclination or opinion.

 

[shunyadragon]

From my frankly non-Christian, non-theistic stance it seems that it does in fact matter, mainly because setting itself as a strictly monotheistic religion causes stresses that could be avoided.

I believe that the belief in a monotheistic religion, the Baha'i Faith, relieves a great deal of stress to have to deal with the contradictions of relying on ancient mythology to define my belief.