Editing Henotheism (section)

==Definition and terminology==
Friedrich Schelling coined the German term {{Lang|de|Henotheismus}} {{ety|ell|''ἕν'' (hén)|one}} and German {{Lang|de|Theismus}} 'theism' (which comes {{ety|ell|''θεός'' (theós)|god}}).<ref name=taliaferro78/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henotheism | title=Definition of HENOTHEISM | access-date=2022-10-24 | archive-date=2022-10-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024073028/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henotheism | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=fahlbusch524/> The term refers to a form of [[theism]] focused on a single god. Related terms are [[monolatry]] and [[kathenotheism]].<ref name=britannicamonolatry/> The latter term is an extension of "henotheism", {{ety||''καθ' ἕνα θεόν'' (kath' hena theon)|"one god at a time"}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kathenotheism |title=Online Etymology Dictionary: kathenotheism |access-date=2009-06-24 |archive-date=2009-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629071644/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kathenotheism |url-status=live }}</ref> Henotheism refers to a pluralistic theology wherein different deities are viewed to be of a unitary, equivalent divine essence.<ref name=taliaferro78>{{cite book |author1=Charles Taliaferro |author2=Victoria S. Harrison |author3=Stewart Goetz |title=The Routledge Companion to Theism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ct7fCgAAQBAJ |year=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-33823-6 |pages=78–79 |access-date=2016-10-15 |archive-date=2023-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115140609/https://books.google.com/books?id=ct7fCgAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Another term related to henotheism is "equitheism", referring to the belief that all gods are equal.<ref>{{cite book|author=Carl Olson |title=The Many Colors of Hinduism: A Thematic-historical Introduction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RVWKClYq4TUC |date=2007 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-4068-9|pages=8–9}}</ref> Furthermore, the term henotheism does not exclude [[monism]], [[Nonduality (spirituality)|nondualism]], or [[Dualistic cosmology|dualism]].<ref name=alonp370>{{cite book|author1=Ilai Alon |author2= Ithamar Gruenwald|author3=Itamar Singer |title= Concepts of the Other in Near Eastern Religions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A1-l66daLgYC|date=1994 |publisher=BRILL Academic |isbn=978-9004102200 |pages=370–371 }}</ref>

Various scholars prefer the term monolatry to henotheism, to discuss religions where a single god is central, but the existence or the position of other gods is not denied.<ref name=britannicamonolatry/><ref name=fahlbusch524>{{cite book|author = Christoph Elsas|editor=Erwin Fahlbusch |title=The Encyclopedia of Christianity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yaecVMhMWaEC |year=1999|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans |isbn=978-90-04-11695-5 |pages=524 }}</ref> According to Christoph Elsas, henotheism in modern usage connotes a [[Syncretism|syncretic]] stage in the development of religions in late antiquity. A henotheist may worship a single god from a [[pantheon (gods)|pantheon]] of deities at a given time, depending on his or her choice, while accepting other deities and concepts of god.<ref name=taliaferro78/><ref name=alonp370/> Henotheism and inclusive monotheism are terms that refer to a middle position between unlimited polytheism and exclusive monotheism.<ref name=britannicamonolatry>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/monotheism Monotheism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229113308/https://www.britannica.com/topic/monotheism |date=2017-12-29 }} and [https://www.britannica.com/topic/polytheism Polytheism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111205729/https://www.britannica.com/topic/polytheism |date=2020-11-11 }}, Encyclopædia Britannica (2014)</ref>