Monotheistic Pagans

[Vouthon]

Bit late to the party.



I am.

My pagan monotheist finally came along 5 years later

 

[Rival]

My pagan monotheist finally came along 5 years later

Honestly reading over this thread saddened me a bit. It shows the lengths some will go to exclude monotheism from Paganism and make it henotheism at best. I'm also a little saddened that this thread didn't gain much traction other than 'You're wrong, you're wrong!' and just faded into nothingness. It really shows the tendency of Abrahamic = monotheism, while Pagan = polytheism or henotheism. It strikes me once more that much modern Paganism is just a bitter reactionary movement against Abrahamic beliefs that defines itself almost by being polytheistic, or at the very least, not monotheistic. It leaves monotheistic non-Abrahamics in a bind and it excludes many by default. It's a miserable testament of the state of modern Paganism that it can't accept there are monotheists in their ranks.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Honestly reading over this thread saddened me a bit. It shows the lengths some will go to exclude monotheism from Paganism and make it henotheism at best. I'm also a little saddened that this thread didn't gain much traction other than 'You're wrong, you're wrong!' and just faded into nothingness. It really shows the tendency of Abrahamic = monotheism, while Pagan = polytheism or henotheism. It strikes me once more that much modern Paganism is just a bitter reactionary movement against Abrahamic beliefs that defines itself almost by being polytheistic, or at the very least, not monotheistic. It leaves monotheistic non-Abrahamics in a bind and it excludes many by default. It's a miserable testament of the state of modern Paganism that it can't accept there are monotheists in their ranks.

It's kind of strange as there are basically monotheistic movements within Neopaganism. The Goddess movement is usually monotheistic, and there's variants of Wicca that totally ignore the masculine deity.

 

[Starlight]

It's kind of strange as there are basically monotheistic movements within Neopaganism. The Goddess movement is usually monotheistic, and there's variants of Wicca that totally ignore the masculine deity.

They is often feminist, liberal. Very few of them is conservative

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

They is often feminist, liberal. Very few of them is conservative

I know that. The politics are irrelevant to the subject. The point is that monotheistic Neopagans have been around for decades.

 

[Starlight]

I know that. The politics are irrelevant to the subject. The point is that monotheistic Neopagans have been around for decades.

Yes you are correct about that monotheistic neopagans have been around for decades

 

[Aupmanyav]

They is often feminist, liberal. Very few of them is conservative

Well, not so in India. Most former Hindu kings, people of warrior clans and others who worshiped Mother Goddess were not feminist or liberal.
Mother Goddess denotes power (Shakti). She is better armed then Gods (because Gods gave her the their best weapons). Naturally, rides a lion or a tiger.

 

[Sundance]

I am curious to know if there are any self-identified "monotheistic pagans" on the forum and if so I would be most pleased if you could speak to me a bit about your faith.

There is a common conception that "paganism" refers to polytheism but this is not actually true so far as the 'term' is concerned historically. As most folks know, "pagan" was originally a pejorative term applied by Christians to those who were deemed not to be worshippers of the Abrahamic conception of God. Muslims were not classed as 'pagans' but as 'Saracens,' for instance.

The most important distinction for Christians in assigning someone a "pagan" was not whether they believed in a pantheon of deities or constituted an ancient 'indigenous' religion. Referring to paganism as "pre-Christian indigenous religions" is equally untenable, since not all historical pagan traditions were pre-Christian or indigenous to their places of worship.

Neoplatonism is a key example.

The Neoplatonists were monotheistic - worshipping a single, transcendent deity called The Monad (The One) who had two emanations in the form of the Nous (Divine Mind) and the World-Sou but was still crucially One God i.e.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplatonism

Plotinus taught that there is a supreme, totally transcendent "One", containing no division, multiplicity, nor distinction; likewise, it is beyond all categories of being and non-being. ​

Neoplatonism was founded in the third century AD, after Christianity. It wasn't "indigenous" to anywhere.

Thirdly, Neoplatonism was not an 'unsystematized', fluid creed but a religion with a sacred scripture - The Enneads of Plotinus - and a codified set of official doctrines.

Yet despite all of this, Neoplatonism was viewed as "pagan" by Christians.

So given the inherent diversity of traditions and theologies bracketed under paganism, I am curious if there are any self-identified monotheistic pagans on the forum?

Hi, @Vouthon! I suppose my conception of the Divine is more henotheistic than monotheist proper, though in certain aspects, it approaches monotheism to the point where it’s practically indistinguishable.

As for the word “Pagan”, what tends to be left out regarding its origins is that, initially, it had no theological component (monotheism vs polytheism). Absolutely not. In fact, in the ancient world (I’m fairly certain this was previously mentioned), there was no hard and fast distinction between the two concepts. Christians thus used the word Pagan, not only to refer to polytheists (which typically, but not exclusively, features as an element of those religions), but also to refer to followers of non-Jewish ethnic religions in the Roman Empire, translating the Greek word ethnikōs into Latin.


If you’re interested in the historical basis of the reality of Pagan Monotheism, I’ve screenshot two books that I think you and @Rival may find to be of use:

 

[paarsurrey]

Monotheistic Pagans

Doesn't it mean that belief in One G-d is default position of the human beings, please? Right?

Regards

 

[LuisDantas]

Well, not so in India. Most former Hindu kings, people of warrior clans and others who worshiped Mother Goddess were not feminist or liberal.
Mother Goddess denotes power (Shakti). She is better armed then Gods (because Gods gave her the their best weapons). Naturally, rides a lion or a tiger.

Shakti easily makes my short list of favorite theistic conceptions.

If she does not top it altogether, which she probably does.

 

[LuisDantas]

Monotheistic Pagans

Doesn't it mean that belief in One G-d is default position of the human beings, please? Right?

Regards

Probably not.

For one thing, Allah (similarly to Jesus, HaShem, YHWH and the Elohim) isn't necessarily quite comparable to pagan monodeities. Abrahamism has its own ways.

For another, the existence of monotheism in paganism does not in itself say very much about default beliefs either inside or outside of paganism.

Then again, what would constitute a default belief for the purposes of your question, @paarsurrey ? What would make it a default?

 

[Joshua Pryce]

Neoplatonism is a key example.

The Neoplatonists were monotheistic - worshipping a single, transcendent deity called The Monad (The One) who had two emanations in the form of the Nous (Divine Mind) and the World-Sou but was still crucially One God i.e.

The problem with this belief is its confusing. Spiritual direction comes through assertive understanding. What i mean is we must fully understand and know God to partnership with Him and spiritually grow. Ideals does not cause a person to grow but the intentions of the heart and implementation of the spiritual mentality.