Polygodness

I've heard numerous times that the only reason polytheism largely died out was because it wasn't aggressive enough in conversion and the monotheist nations were stronger. If I had a powerful pagan nation who had a supposed prophet or demigod that claimes that the pantheon is now at war with the other pantheons and/or the monotheist unbelievers, would that give the nation and its religious peers more survivability?

I suspect the various leaders would be reluctant to go to war at the claims of a single person, but if they were a respected warrior or chief or some such maybe they'd listen. Then the problem of going to war at the whims of a god, though it IS a god...

What do the all knowing men and women of the forums think?
 
Honestly I think a better way of looking at how to make polytheistic religions survive is to look at the biggest example we have of one, Hinduism, rather than looking to try something that has never been done before and honestly does not strike me as workable.
 
I've heard numerous times that the only reason polytheism largely died out was because it wasn't aggressive enough in conversion and the monotheist nations were stronger. If I had a powerful pagan nation who had a supposed prophet or demigod that claimes that the pantheon is now at war with the other pantheons and/or the monotheist unbelievers, would that give the nation and its religious peers more survivability?

I suspect the various leaders would be reluctant to go to war at the claims of a single person, but if they were a respected warrior or chief or some such maybe they'd listen. Then the problem of going to war at the whims of a god, though it IS a god...

What do the all knowing men and women of the forums think?

Based on my understanding of it the conversion of Europe happened for two reasons:

1) The Roman state cult by the 2nd century was becoming increasingly corrupt, insular, and out of touch with the masses. This led to an explosion of mystery cults across the empire, several of which were as big if not bigger than Christianity with the Cult of Isis and the Cult of Mithras as two famous examples. The death blow was the cessation of state funding and support for the Roman state cult which instead went to Christian churches and schools.

2) The conversion of the post-Roman world of the empire carved up by Germanic warlords was much less a question of grassroots appeal and more to do with power and politics. Christianity offered educated clerics who were knowledgeable in the administration of the Roman Empire, the maintenance of records, and the status that came with having something associated with the old Empire. This plus new policies by Charlemagne of forcing the tribal states of central Europe to convert or be exterminated helped push it forward followed up by an incredibly bloody process to bring Scandinavia and the Baltic in line.

In the end the spread of Christianity had less to do with deficiencies in polytheistic belief structure and was more thanks to the decisions of very powerful people. The one exception was the Roman state cult which had long been in decline by the reign of Constantine. That said there's nothing that says the Cult of Isis or another popular mystery cult could gain the upper hand if Constantine is removed from the picture. Christianity didn't really take off as a massively popular religion until after the Edict of Milan; prior to that it was very much one of MANY religious sects in the empire.
 
Honestly I think a better way of looking at how to make polytheistic religions survive is to look at the biggest example we have of one, Hinduism,

Hiduism is'nt Polytheist, or atleast not all of it is; Hinduism, while considered a single religion is in reality a collection of dozens of religions, ranging from Monotheist to Panentheism and Pantheism to true Polytheism, that share various theological similarities.
 
Given how popular faith turned Christianism into an unconfessed polytheism with the triad Father Mother Son (so similar to Osiris [Serapis] Isis Horus [Harpocrates]) at the head of a rich pantheon of Saints, polytheism by itself was not doomed. Christianism (and later Islam) were more competitive because they offered a V.I.P. membership card to a very elitist club: those saved from eternal damnation / doom, instead of promising a largely undifferentiated afterlife. A not-elitist paganism (though mysteries can be reserved to an inner circle of specially devout / worthy followers as an additional incentive) ensuring a significantly better afterlife to its followers (several 'circles' in Heaven) could have be competitive. Several areas in such 'Upper Afterworld' could be specialized, e.g. a Valhalla-type realm for the military? Of course without the very peculiar concept of 'original sin' it is probably harder to justify a dramatically better afterlife to the Faithful.
 
Interesting, even more factors to consider. Great. I suppose it's like that with anything pertaining to an alternate history though. Thanks for your opinions! They were very helpful.
 
Hiduism is'nt Polytheist, or atleast not all of it is; Hinduism, while considered a single religion is in reality a collection of dozens of religions, ranging from Monotheist to Panentheism and Pantheism to true Polytheism, that share various theological similarities.

It has multiple gods, and people who are Hindu worship most-all of them. That is how Hinduism works works right? If that's not polytheism, I don't know what is.
 

Rex Mundi

Banned
It has multiple gods, and people who are Hindu worship most-all of them. That is how Hinduism works works right? If that's not polytheism, I don't know what is.

No, that is not how "Hinduism" works. You are correct in assuming that many Hindus worship multiple gods, but there are various branches that profess to worship only one, and others that are for all intents and purposes atheist. Those branches are relatively minor, inasmuch as a majority of Hindus probably revere more than one deity, but they do exist. Further, it wouldn't be accurate to say that "people who are Hindu worship most- all of them". There's a great variety as to which deities are worshiped and how, and especially as to the manner in which those deities are viewed. Some Hindus may worship a trinity of Gods, others a pantheon of hundreds; some may worship hundreds but attach a particular importance to a certain number, say three or one. There also sects which have the philosophical basis of worshiping one God who reveals himself (or is perceived) in many forms.

Hinduism is much like the grouping known as Chinese folk religion. There's a great diversity of views with some shared foundation in the common mythology of India, but nothing like the coherence that comes to mind when you say, for instance, "Islam".
 
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