Monotheism

The belief in one God, the defining theological commitment shared by all three Abrahamic faiths. This distinguishes them from polytheistic religions that worship multiple deities.

Origins

The Abrahamic tradition traces monotheism to Abraham, who rejected the idol worship of his father Terah and his homeland of Ur. However, scholars debate whether early Israelite religion was strictly monotheistic or evolved from henotheism (worship of one god while acknowledging others exist) to exclusive monotheism.

The clearest biblical statement comes from Moses in the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

In Judaism

Jewish monotheism is absolute and uncompromising. God is one, indivisible, incorporeal, and without form. The first of the Ten Commandments forbids other gods, and the second forbids idolatry. The Hebrew prophets consistently condemned any worship of other deities.

Key expressions:

• The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• “I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5)
• The first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me”

In Christianity

Christianity affirms monotheism while teaching the doctrine of the Trinity—one God in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Christians insist this is not tritheism (three gods) but a mystery of one divine essence in three distinct persons.

This understanding developed through early church councils responding to controversies about Christ’s nature. Judaism and Islam reject the Trinity as incompatible with pure monotheism.

In Islam

Islamic monotheism (tawhid) is the absolute core of the faith. The shahada declares: “There is no god but Allah.” The Quran emphatically rejects any partners with God:

“Say, He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent” (Surah 112).

Shirk (associating partners with God) is the greatest sin in Islam, and the Trinity is explicitly rejected.

Shared Implications

Despite differences, all three faiths agree on fundamental implications of monotheism:

• Creator: The one God made everything that exists
• Sovereignty: God alone rules over all creation
• Worship: Only God deserves worship and devotion
• Ethics: Moral law derives from God’s nature and will
• Meaning: Human purpose is defined in relation to God

Historical Significance

Abrahamic monotheism shaped world history by:

• Challenging polytheistic cultures of the ancient Near East
• Providing the foundation for Western religious and ethical thought
• Spreading through Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to encompass billions of adherents
• Influencing philosophy, law, and culture across civilizations