WI More major Polytheistic cultures?

[Madhukar_Shah]

Advaita Vedanta recognizes 5 deities, Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, and Surya to be worshipped.

But it denies any real ontological difference between them- fundamentally, they're all the same thing, which essentially makes it one god. I don't see how that position is different from the Christian insistence on One god, even while allowing a "plurality of worship" between the forms of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

[PsyloSurgeon]

But the doctrine of advaita vedanta is strictly monist, and thus monotheistic, so that's as far from polytheism as you can get- in a way, the "orthodox" position is monotheism but the "orthoprax" position is polytheism, and it takes a pretty protestant understanding of religion as comprised solely of a set of dogma and beliefs to disregard the way that people actually interact with religion in favour of what the theologians agree they should "believe".

As a Hindu, I get concerned when I see fellow Hindus arguing that their religion fits the definition of monotheism. It seems more like a defense mechanism to competition and denigration by various Christian and Islamic polities rather an integral belief. There is monism and henotheism; but monotheism is certainly not as integral as it to Hinduism as it to these other religions. Hindu thought is quite sophisticated and developed, and is unique in its own right. The Samkhya, Mimamsa, Vedanta, Nyaya, Vaisheshika schools are unique in their own right and have original perspectives therein.
Neoplatonism and maybe Taoism has rather similar monistic beliefs as Vedanta does, but calling it monotheism seems like an attempt to raise their stature to that of Abrahamic religion, as if it possessed some sort of inferior stature in the first place. Just because a religion may not be monotheism does not make its merit any less than a monotheistic one.
Overall, I see a trend where Hindu thought is seen by many in comparison to Abrahamic religions or to Buddhism, rather than on its own merits. That not to mention the "critical" or "psychoanalytic" or marxist perspectives by various "academics" which are of questionable credibility. I see this as more of cheapening of a complex and well developed belief system, if not downright insulting.
I think a good comparison to hinduism are Neoplatonism and Taoism, which possess rather similar monistic beliefs. I see many comparisons of Hinduism to Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism riddled with past connotations of supremacism and inferiority.

 

[Tom_B]

But the doctrine of advaita vedanta is strictly monist, and thus monotheistic, so that's as far from polytheism as you can get- in a way, the "orthodox" position is monotheism but the "orthoprax" position is polytheism, and it takes a pretty protestant understanding of religion as comprised solely of a set of dogma and beliefs to disregard the way that people actually interact with religion in favour of what the theologians agree they should "believe".

"History has the relation to truth that theology has to religion, -- ie. none to speak of". Robert A. Heinlein

 

[Madhukar_Shah]

I think a good comparison to hinduism are Neoplatonism and Taoism, which possess rather similar monistic beliefs. I see many comparisons of Hinduism to Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism riddled with past connotations of supremacism and inferiority.

I definitely agree with you completely, a lot of the movements that have tried to call Hinduism monotheistic have been protestant inspired "modernisers" with a really damaging colonised insecurity and i feel the exact same way.

I just think that the categories of polytheism/monotheism are pretty much useless when you're talking about things like Hinduism and Taoism.

 

[CountDVB]

With African religions, I believe West Africa, like with the Orisha or Alusi pantheons in Nigeria, could grow and become bigger if they manage to get a formal alphabet during that time, either homegrown or maybe the Latin Alphabet trickles down from Roman refugees escaping Muslim expansion.

The latter would help as a bit of the influence could help formalize some stuff and create this need to protect the faith of Caliphate

 

[PsyloSurgeon]

I definitely agree with you completely, a lot of the movements that have tried to call Hinduism monotheistic have been protestant inspired "modernisers" with a really damaging colonised insecurity and i feel the exact same way.

I just think that the categories of polytheism/monotheism are pretty much useless when you're talking about things like Hinduism and Taoism.

A lot of these supremacist views I have seen are often peddled by various academics western and indian. Not exactly in the context of colonized mentality, but some of these academics do not hide their contempt.
I can safely say that my opinion is justified given my various interactions with certain academics in the humanities.

 

[Frrf]

All this said, I keep getting the idea of doing a timeline that focuses on a polytheistic world.

I would read and comment on that religiously. Please do. If I had the time or motivation I would do one myself, but I have no experience and am too easily distracted, plus I just don't know enough about Indian, Sub-Saharan African or South-East Asian history to do those regions justice.

 

[PsyloSurgeon]

With African religions, I believe West Africa, like with the Orisha or Alusi pantheons in Nigeria, could grow and become bigger if they manage to get a formal alphabet during that time, either homegrown or maybe the Latin Alphabet trickles down from Roman refugees escaping Muslim expansion.

The latter would help as a bit of the influence could help formalize some stuff and create this need to protect the faith of Caliphate

I think the Serer of senegal would be a better candidate being a sahelian people, they could contact the berbers and adopt berber alphabet.

 

[WilliamOfOckham]

It was a very, very long journey (one that’s still not really complete) to get Hinduism to be “a religion” by Christian and Islamic standards, let alone “the religion” of India. A little push in one of several different directions could presumably make what we call Chinese folk religion into a recognised “religion” on the same bases... which is to say, not much, except by the rigidly Abrahamic / liberal-pluralist definitions that mangle those traditions in the first place.

 

[CountDVB]

I think the Serer of senegal would be a better candidate being a sahelian people, they could contact the berbers and adopt berber alphabet.

I suppose though the Amazighs didn't really use their alphabet all that much and I am unsure if pre-Islamic Serer faith would be considered polytheistic.

 

[PsyloSurgeon]

It was a very, very long journey (one that’s still not really complete) to get Hinduism to be “a religion” by Christian and Islamic standards, let alone “the religion” of India. A little push in one of several different directions could presumably make what we call Chinese folk religion into a recognised “religion” on the same bases... which is to say, not much, except by the rigidly Abrahamic / liberal-pluralist definitions that mangle those traditions in the first place.

OTL Chinese folk religion was coopted by Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Perhaps ATL, it might develop into a fourth competing religion with its own unique doctrines.
Hinduism developed its own doctrines that are collectively termed as Astika, versus Nastika doctrines which became Jainism and Buddhism .
The Astika doctrines are called Vedanta, Mimamsa, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, etc...
For Chinese folk religion, it would need to relinquish Taoist and Confucian influence.