Editing Henotheism (section)

==Zoroastrianism==
{{further|Zoroastrianism|Iranian studies}}
Zoroastrianism is often regarded as one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. Although [[Ahura Mazda]] is the supreme god, Zoroastrianism believes in lesser divinities known as Yazatas.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | doi=10.1007/s41412-021-00113-4 | title=From Polytheism to Monotheism: Zoroaster and Some Economic Theory | date=2021 | last1=Ferrero | first1=Mario | journal=Homo Oeconomicus | volume=38 | issue=1–4 | pages=77–108 | doi-access=free }}</ref> These [[yazatas]] ("good agents") include [[Anahita]], [[Sraosha]], [[Mithra]], [[Rashnu]], and [[Tishtrya]]. According to some scholars, there are two issues that have long made it problematic to identify Zoroastrianism as true monotheism: the presence of lesser deities and dualism. But before hastening to conclude that the Amesha Spentas and the other yazatas compromise the purity of monotheism, we should consider that the other historical monotheisms too made room for other figures endowed with supernatural powers to bridge the gulf between the exalted, remote Creator God and the human world: the angels in all of them (whose conception in post-exilic Judaism was apparently developed after the pattern of the Amesha Spentas; Boyce and Grenet, 1991, 404–405), the saints and the Virgin Mary in several Christian churches, and the other persons of the Trinity in all of Christianity. Despite the vast differences with Zoroastrian theology, the common thread is that all these beings are subordinate to the Godhead as helpers or (in the case of the persons of the Trinity) co-equals, hence they do not pursue different interests and are worshiped jointly with the Godhead, not separately; therefore the supplicant's dilemma does not arise.<ref name=":0" /> Others such as [[Richard Foltz]] has put forth evidence that [[History of Iran|Iranians of Pre-Islamic era]] worshipped all these figures, especially Mithra and Anahita.<ref>[[Richard Foltz]], "Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present", Oneworld Publications, 2013, p. xiv</ref>

[[Prods Oktor Skjærvø]] states Zoroastrianism is henotheistic, and "a dualistic and polytheistic religion, but with one supreme god, who is the father of the ordered cosmos".<ref>Prods Oktor Skjærvø (2006), ''[http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~iranian/Zoroastrianism/Zoroastrianism1_Intro.pdf Introduction to Zoroastrianism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713150418/http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~iranian/Zoroastrianism/Zoroastrianism1_Intro.pdf |date=2017-07-13 }}'', 2005, Harvard University Archives, p. 15 with footnote 1</ref> Other scholars state that this is unclear, because historic texts present a conflicting picture, ranging from Zoroastrianism's belief in "one god, two gods, or a best god henotheism".<ref>{{cite book|author=Brian Arthur Brown|title=Four Testaments: Tao Te Ching, Analects, Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita: Sacred Scriptures of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_MsvDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA347|year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-6578-3|pages=347–349}}</ref>