Comparison of Monotheistic and Polytheistic Belief Systems and Their Attitudes Towards the Environment

Running head: ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
COMPARISON OF MONOTHEISTIC BELIEF SYSTEM WITH POLYTHEISTIC
BELIEF SYSTEM AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ENVIRONMENT: A
CASE STUDY OF HINDUISM AND CHRISTIANITY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY1
As opined by Moody (2016), religion had formed an integral part of the lives of the
human beings since the traditional times and thereby have been integrated within the cultural
practices or traditions followed by the people. Abdou and Chan (2017) are of the viewpoint
that different religious practices or the customs that the people related to the various religions
have become a part of their routine lifestyle and also the attitude that these people towards the
environment or for that matter towards life in general. In this regard, it needs to be said that
the entire cannon of religion can be segregated into two major categories, namely, the
monotheistic and polytheistic belief system or forms of religion. According to McClure
(2017), the monotheistic religious belief or system is one in which the followers of the
concerned religion believe in the existence of one God who in turn is considered to be the all-
power God, creator of the world and the dictator of the course of life events of the common
people. Some of the most common examples of this religious belief system are Christianity,
Judaism, Islam and others in which the people worship only God (Balcerowicz, 2018). On the
other hand, the Manian and Bullock (2016) have stated that the polytheistic belief system is
the one in which the followers worship multiple deities or Gods and each of these Gods are
related to some certain specific supernatural elements and are believed to have contributed
towards the creation of the universe. Hinduism, Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism, the
different tribal regions, pagan religions and others belong to this category of belief system
(Scott, 2016). The aim of this essay is to compare the monotheistic (Christianity) and
polytheistic belief system or forms of religion (Hinduism) and the attitude that the followers
of these religions have towards the environment.
Corrigan et al. (2016) have articulated the viewpoint that the different religions of the
world have one factor in common, that is, the followers related to the concerned religions
worship some form of supernatural power (or powers) who is (or are) considered to be the
creator of the entire universe itself. However, at the same time it is seen that over the years a

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demarcation or differentiation between the different religions of the world is being made on
the fact whether the followers worship one God or multiple Gods and it is on the basis of this
aspect itself that the notions of monotheistic and polytheistic belief system or forms of
religion have been formulated (Ratzinger, 2016). More importantly, as noted by Kéri (2016),
the religion or the religious beliefs to which the different individuals ascribe themselves to
not only influences their way of life but at the same time forms an integral part of their
identity or culture as well. The resultant effect of this is the fact that the present times the
entity of religion is being ascribed to the aspect of culture of the individuals and both of these
are greatly considered to be coterminous with each other. As a matter of fact, the followers of
the religion of Christianity are largely being identified as the followers of the Christian
culture which is being followed within the framework of the Christianity following nations of
the world (Sirgy et al., 2019). Likewise, the followers of the religion of Hinduism are largely
being identified with the culture which is predominant in the Hinduism following nations of
the world. More importantly, it is seen that the machinery of religion over the years had
significantly shaped the attitude of the people towards the environment and its different
entities like animals, plants and others (Norenzayan et al., 2019). This can be explained on
the basis of the fact that different religions have certain dictates or precepts regarding the
manner in which they need to treat the animals, plants and others and this in turn over the
years had been integrated within the cultural framework of the followers.
Clobert, Saroglou and Hwang (2017) are of the viewpoint that the monotheistic
religious belief system is the kind of religious belief system in which the followers of the
concerned religion believe in the existence of one Supreme God who is considered to be the
source of all life force as well as the creator of the entire universe itself. As opined by
McClure (2017), the monotheistic religious belief system is often distinguished from the
henotheism religious system wherein the followers although worships one Supreme God yet

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believe in the existence of other Gods or deities as well who are considered to be as important
or as powerful as the one whom they are worshipping. As a matter of fact, it is seen that one
of the most important features of monotheistic religious belief system is the fact that the
followers of this religious belief system completely repudiate or negate the existence of other
Gods apart from the one that they are following (Theguardian.com, 2019). More importantly,
another important feature of the monotheistic religious belief system is the fact that the
Supreme God who is being worshipped is not only considered to be all-power but at the same
time the creator of the entire universe itself as well as the entity who determines the fate and
the things which are befalling the lot of the common people. The researcher for the purpose
of analysis had opted for the religion of Christianity as an example of monotheistic religious
belief system.
Abdou and Chan (2017) have articulated the viewpoint that the religion of
Christianity is widely considered to be one of the oldest religions of the world and also one of
the fastest growing ones of the world itself. More importantly, it is seen that the religion of
Christianity gained popularity in the first century AD after the birth of Jesus Christ, who is
considered to be the Son of the all might God and was sent to the earth so as to redeem the
sin of Adam and Eve, the ancestors of the modern human beings (Bbc.com, 2019). In this
regard, it needs to be said that the followers of the religion of Christianity follow the principle
of totemism and thereby Jesus Christ is widely worshipped as a totem. Furthermore, it is seen
that the figure of Jesus Christ is widely considered to be a symbolical representation of a
scared spirit and as the one spirit who had single-handedly united the different followers of
the concerned religion from the various parts of the world in which the concerned religion is
being followed (Moody, 2016). In this context, it needs to be said that the religion of
Christianity is widely being followed in the different nations of the world like USA, UK,