Monotheism is the belief that one god is the only deity.[1][2][3][4][5] A distinction may be made between exclusive monotheism, in which the one God is a singular existence, and both inclusive and pluriform monotheism, in which multiple gods or godly forms are recognized, but each are postulated as extensions of the same God.[2]
Monotheism is distinguished from henotheism, a religious system in which the believer worships one god without denying that others may worship different gods with equal validity, and monolatrism, the recognition of the existence of many gods but with the consistent worship of only one deity.[6] The term monolatry was perhaps first used by Julius Wellhausen.[7]
The prophets of ancient Israel were the first to teach Monotheism, establishing it as a foundational tenet of the Jewish religious tradition, which endures as one of its most profound and enduring legacies.[8][9]
^Cleveland, William L. (2004). A History of the Modern Middle East (3rd ed.). WestView Press. pp. 2–3. ISBN0-8133-4048-9. Monotheism was first preached by the prophets of ancient Israel and is one of the most significant and enduring legacies of the Jewish faith.
McDaniel, J. (2013-09-20). "A Modern Hindu Monotheism: Indonesian Hindus as 'People of the Book'". The Journal of Hindu Studies. 6 (3). Oxford University Press (OUP): 333–362. doi:10.1093/jhs/hit030. ISSN1756-4255.
Zoroastrian Studies: The Iranian Religion and Various Monographs, 1928 – Page 31, A. V. Williams Jackson – 2003
Global Institutions of Religion: Ancient Movers, Modern Shakers – Page 88, Katherine Marshall – 2013
Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia – Page 348, James B. Minahan – 2012