Atenism as Related to Henotheism, Monotheism, and Polytheism - Research Paper Example

Atenism as Related to Henotheism, Monotheism, and Polytheism Abstract Atenism is one of the many religions that came out of ancient Egypt. In the eighteenth dynasty period Pharaoh Amenhotep IV instituted a regime that eventually put a stop to the polytheism of the day. It was a religion based on the worship of one Supreme Being, to the exclusion of all others. This Supreme Being was not so much a personified deity, interfering in the affairs of mankind; rather it was a source of energy entity, a reminder of one’s role as a part of all creation. It was a peaceful religion with brotherhood and kindness, taking precedence over the activities of daily living. Although many have considered it a type of pre-cursor to monotheism; there is no proof that it was; neither was it polytheism. It was actually a quasi blend of the two more associated with the New Age religions, also known as henotheism. Atenism as Related to Henotheism, Monotheism, and Polytheism Initially one can say there are elements of monotheism, polytheism, and henotheism intrinsic to the ancient Egyptian religion of atenism. In taking a closer look, atenism is not polytheism, the worship of many gods and goddesses, or monotheism, the worship of one close and personal god, exclusive of all others, but more closely related to henotheism, a blend of the two where there is one main deity, either with multiple manifestations and names, or one main deity with many associates. While early Egyptologists felt that atenism was a predecessor of monotheism, there has been no proof linking that cult with today’s traditional monotheistic beliefs. (Lawlor, 2007) Atenism is the religion associated with the worship of Aten, the sun disk, who until about the 12th century B.C., was just one of the many gods and goddesses associated with ancient Egyptian religion. Though the ancient Egyptians worshipped a multitude of deities, there had been a gentle shift from many to the focus on one primary god, Amun-Ra, under the ruler, Amenhotep III. Atenism was founded by Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, beginning in the eighteenth dynasty, when Aten was given the status of being one of the supreme gods. This step was one of many to slowly revolutionize the religion of early Egypt. (Keiser-Go, 2007) Initially, the worship of other gods was permitted; however within five years of its introduction; atenism had become the supreme religion with only one Supreme Being worshipped. During this time, Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaton, Glorious Spirit of the Aten, beneficial to Aten. He then proceeded to build a new city in honor of Aten, Akhenaten, horizon of the sun disc; it is near what is known today as Amarna, between Thebes and Memphis in the Valley of the Kings. There is some speculation that since pharaohs were thought to be deity personified that perhaps Akhenaton was, as well, the messenger person for Aten. (Geller,2002) With the installation of Aten, nine years from the beginning of Akhenaton’s reign, all traces of Amun, the previous supreme deity, were erased even to the point of chiseling the inscription off of temples, statues and entering tombs to remove all traces of the former deity. This was a common practice aimed at removing the old and instituting the new as though the old never existed; it continues with Egyptian history today, as the national history books are re-edited with the installation of new leaders, showing the previous leaders as ineffective and requiring replacement. (Geller, 2002) In atenism, God is seen as loving and beneficent, protecting and supporting his people through his very presence, which is real enough, though not personally involved. He is not seen as authoritarian, judgmental, and justice oriented. The worship of idols was banned, and all references to Aten in written form were shown using a sun disk whose rays culminated in upraised hands. Later, Akhenaton permitted it to be written phonetically; a symbol of his radicalism in the new religion. This new fanaticism lasted about twenty years, dying out with its leader when the new pharaoh, Tutankhamen succeeded the throne. Once again, all traces of the cult were removed and Amun, the previous deity was restored to his position as the supreme god. (Biko, 2001) Henotheism is the belief that the Supreme Being is All in One; many gods co-existing as one entity; modern versions feel it may be many names or manifestations of the same Supreme Being. Ancient Egyptians had many types of gods and goddesses to whom they frequently attributed every unexplainable force or naturistic event as being caused by or under the control of. Before atenism, they worshipped Amun-Ra; the sun god. This deity had many lesser associates that controlled aspects of daily living, change of seasons, the weather, fertility, death and the afterlife, etc. It was very easy initially for the people to follow Amenhotep IV in the transition of religions; they didn’t see there was a difference until he demanded that the other gods and goddesses be destroyed. (Geller, 2002) Monotheism is an ancient religion assumed to first be associated in the Bible with the story of Abraham, the father of Judaism. It is defined as the belief in one god, only one god, to the exclusion of all others. Monotheism is actually a belief system based on the divine nature and character of one Supreme Being. It doesn’t allow for any human forms such as the pharaohs, who were considered part of the deity in atenism. The character of this Supreme Being grew with the telling and retelling of historical events until there was no other possible conclusion than this god character acted alone, requiring no assistance and allowing no associates. (Serandour, 2005) Early monotheism was rich with cultural hues, which made it appear to be actually a form of henotheism. There was the central god character, but also the other deities which were a norm of the culture and tradition. This is part of the reason the early Egyptians had a struggle with assuming the new religion under Akhenaton. When he demanded that they worship Aten only, ordering the destruction of all other deity, they began to conspire against him, calling him heretical. (Serandour, 2005) The role of priest was highly revered; coming with many benefits, therefore when Akhenaton declared himself as the only one worthy to be a priest of Aten, many priests and temple servants found themselves suddenly out of a social rating. The whole society began to suffer as those artists and craftsmen who made deities were no longer permitted to sell their wares. Under atenism, only statues of the high priest, Akhenaton, and his family were allowed to be made. This new religion instituted change on many levels, causing speculation as to how valid its leadership was. No doubt Akhenaton was fanatical and extremist; many felt he was a false prophet. (Serandour, 2005) Polytheism is the belief in many gods and goddesses simultaneously without them necessarily being interrelated or connected through a central deity. The early religions of the Bronze Age up through the Axis Age were of this nature. These deities are often described according to their characteristics, skills, and abilities, as well as which function in the natural world they dominate. They could be physical in form or just spiritual in nature, unseen, but thought to have powers over the unknown. Many of the ancient Egyptian depictions of daily life found carved in temples and on tombs were the stories of how these gods and goddesses affected the ordinary lives of ancient Egyptians. Polytheism was a great indicator of tolerance in ancient civilizations. (Docker, 2001) At the time of Akhenaton, many of the Egyptian deities were being associated with the sun, Amun-Ra and Aten being among them. This was also a trend in ancient Greece and other cultures. Akhenaton was not one to be a follower, he wanted notoriety; therefore, he chose one deity, elevating it above the rest to the exclusion of any other. He actually called himself the physical son of Aten; becoming the self-appointed one responsible for overseeing all earthly and temple activities, including burial procedures. (Biko,2001) Atenism was easily applicable to royalty, as they were constantly in Akhenaton’s presence, however, this does not constitute monotheism in true form; most of the people practiced in secret with their many deities. The further removed from the throne a person was, the more likely they continued in their traditional practices. (Keiser-Go, 2007) Henotheism is actually a recent term given by Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling to denote early attempts at monotheism. It is based on the belief that any form of a god may appear without changing the basic nature of that god. It also includes using multiple names for the same god. Some believe that it is a higher form of monotheism as it allows one to believe in one Supreme Being, while honoring many manifestations of that Supreme Being. In some ways, when early people were being converted to Christianity, which is traditionally monotheistic, they mixed their traditions and cultural beliefs with early forms of Christianity to come up with a form of henotheism. Many Third World countries still practice this form of religion today. (Geller, 2002) Akhenaton’s new religion focused largely on inner enlightenment as opposed to rituals. It became known as the Religion of Light. Akhenaton was one of the first to put religion and science together in a cognitive form. This was the first religion to reference the state of the universe as being in relationship to light, rather than to a personified being. While it was very short-lived as a religion in Egypt, it spread throughout the area to other cultures forming a foundation for monotheism as we know it today. (Biko, 2001) Akhenaton was seen as unusual, eccentric, and focused on beauty and nature. He was one of the first to follow a religion of peace, brotherhood, and purity from within. It was said that he often appeared in public with his wife and family, and an unarmed guard. There was no army under his reign. Many of his contemporaries were highly suspicious of him because of his infatuation with this Being of Light; prescribing a totally different way of thinking and living. Most of the art work during his time reflects the beauty of life without harshness. Some felt his motives toward such fanaticism were highly political, in that he claimed to be the only prophet, priest, and mediator between Aten and the ancient Egyptians. This put him as the sole source of authority before the people. It wasn’t a faith based religion; however it did focus on the realness of this Supreme Being, along with its visibility, as light is everywhere, and tangibility. (Biko, 2001) There have been many scholars that feel atenism was a pre-cursor to monotheism as it focused on one Supreme Being to the exclusion of all others. The main dividing factor is that monotheism in the purest sense refers to a personal relationship with one Supreme Being to the exclusion of all others; it is faith based, as opposed to nature or light based. It definitely isn’t polytheism, in that it doesn’t allow for other deities to be present. The main reason some scholars have termed it monotheistic is that it was the first religion to recognize only one god to the exclusion of all others. However, there is some speculation as the whether that exclusion was a political move on the part of Akhenaton to establish himself as the Supreme Pharaoh, not subject to the conventions of society, the priests, and the royalty of that time, or if it was, indeed, religions in nature. (Keiser-Go, 2007) Atenism was actually more of a henotheism type of religion, similar to the New Age religions in practice today. The central focus is on the Force, or the Light; as the Supreme Being of energy on planet earth. There are many manifestations of that energy, with many different names. It was a peaceful practice in which there was tolerance and brotherhood for all. The oath was to worship God and do no harm. As with New Age philosophies of today, there was also much fear associated with atenism. It wasn’t a fear of horrible judgment, it was a fear of the unknown; new thinking and reasoning always produces such fears in people who need external limits and validation to feel grounded. References Biko, F. African foundations of world religions. New African. July 1, 2001. Web. April 2, 2011. http://business.highbeam.com/165610/article-1G1-82009653/african-foundations-world-religions Docker, J. In Praise of Polytheism. Semeia. January 1, 2001. Web. April 2, 2011. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-82670864/praise-polytheism.html Geller, M.J. Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia. Folklore, Vol. 113.Questia.com. 2002. Web. April 2, 2011. http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000657472 Keiser-Go, D. Akhenaton and Tutankhamen: Revolution and Restoration. The Journal of the American Oriental Society. October 1, 2007. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-197443021.html Lawlor, A. Rebellious Son. Smithsonian Media. November 2007. Web. April 2, 2011. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/rebelliousson-200711.html Serandour, A. On the appearance of monotheism in the religion of Israel(3rd Century BC. or later?). Diogenes. February 1, 2005. Web. April 2, 2011. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-129629803/appearance-monotheism-religion-israel.html Read More