Monotheism

Aten

Satan before the Lord

Monotheism is the belief in one all-powerful, all-encompassing deity. Many modern religions practice it, however, polytheism is a more ancient tradition. The first monotheistic state was Egypt under Pharaoh Akhenaten, who instituted the worship of Aten, displacing the entire previous pantheon. However, his changes were reversed upon his death.

Judaism later emerged as a monotheistic religion, from which Christianity and Islam then emerged. Other monotheistic religions include Zoroastrianism, Sikhism and the Bahá'í Faith. Some monotheistic religions have a deity and his antagonist, such as God and Satan, or Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.

Some of the religions mentioned above though underwent (or still are) a period of Monolatry or Henotheism.

List of notable monotheistic religions

Afro-Asiatic

• Egyptian
  • Atenism: religious reform made by pharaoh Akhenaten in Egypt to mainly worship Aten, although some Egyptologists argue that it was actually henotheistic.
• Abrahamic
  • Judaism: the first Abrahamic religion, the most important prophet is Moses.
  • Christianity: the most popular religion around the world. prophesied by Jesus.
  • Islam: the third Abrahamic religion, has elements from Arabian folklore, Muhammad is the most important prophet in the Islam.

Indo-European

• Indo-Iranian
  • Indian
    • Sikhism: prophesied by Guru Nanak, it is both a monotheistic and Pantheistic religion, having elements from Hinduism and Islam.
  • Iranian
    • Zoroastrianism: the first monotheistic religion in history by the self-proclaimed fist priest Zoroaster.
    • Bahá'í Faith: Its founder was Baháʼu'lláh, who believes that Sabeanism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism ,Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Bábism and the own Bahá'í Faith are part of a progressive revelation made by God.

Gnosticism

• Afro-Asiatic
  • Aramean
    • Mandeism: Is a religion whose language descends from Aramaic, being his most importan figure is John the baptizes, existing from the firts century after christ.
  • Islam
    • Druze faith: originally was a sect inside of the Sufism (an esoteric branch of the Islam), whose belief system are the reincarnation, God as a being that transcends everything and rejection of Iblis.
    • Alawites: A gnostic islamic religion influen influenced by Phonecian mythology and has its own trinity.
• Indo-European
  • Roman
    • Valentinus: A roman gnostic sect that the precursor of current Gnosticism.
    • Florinus: was a gnostic religion from the 2nd-century, all its information is currently missing.
  • Iranian
    • Manicheism: prophesied by Mani, is dualistic religion about ve battle between the Zurvan againts the Prince of Darkness, Mani self-proclaimed as the successor of Zoroaster, Buda and Jesus.
  • Greco
    • Hermeticism: Is both a philosophy like a religion, its main figure is Hermes Trismegistus, Hermeticsm share many concepts with other gnostic religions but witn a positive point view.

Note: Even in Gnosticism share origins with the abrahmic religions, also has elements from the Platonism, Neo Platonism, Mesopotamian mythology and esoterism, the Gnosticism deserves its own section.

Altaic

• Japan
  • Tenrikyo: is a new religion founded in Japan by Nakayma Miki, its main topics are the joyful life, the anthropology and Tenri-O-no-Mikoto as the creator of entire universe and only deity for worship.