‘Critically assess the idea that Hinduism is a polytheistic tradition.’ W.C: 1513
The umbrella term for a variety of different cultures, traditions, histories, geographies and beliefs, Hinduism
is not simply polytheistic, rather is it both henotheistic and monistic at once, due to the exceptional
number of groups and ideas the noun ‘Hinduism’ refers to. The difficulty in defining ‘Hindu-ism,’ combined
with the impact of 19th and 20th century colonialism on India, makes it unsatisfactory to simply designate
Hinduism as a polytheistic or even monistic tradition, as to do so would disregard the controversy and
diversity present in all aspects of the subject. This essay will examine the term ‘Hinduism,’ alongside
Vedantic monism, the unclear henotheism/polytheism in the Rig Veda, to ultimately argue that Hinduism is
best understood as a mix of henotheism and monism. To clarify, when this essay refers to polytheism, it is
to the idea of the belief in or worship of multiple deities.
A great deal of the issues in attempting to characterise Hinduism as polytheistic come from the immense
diversity of traditions and cultures that the term tries to cover. Indeed, past scholars such as Von
Stietencron entirely denied that ‘Hindu-ism’ existed, due to the lack of an observable single unified
tradition,1 or a common thread binding the diverse cultures together. Whilst this dismissal does often have
racist undertones, due to the way in which scholars disregarded the non-Western religious structures they
observed, as they did not conform to the ‘typical’ religious framework found in Western civilisation, this
inability to wholly define the traditions under the Hindu umbrella is still valid, although for different
reasons.
For example, the cultures and ‘religions’ recognised under the label of Hinduism are so varying and diverse
that it is reductive to attempt to label them in this manner. Indeed, Axel Michaels argues that Hinduism is
comprised of three Hindu religions,2 all of which have different sociological implications. Whilst even three
religions seem reductive in the face of all the diversity found, it serves well to demonstrate the fact that
‘Hinduism’ itself is too varied to be defined in any way. Two of the Hindu religions identified are ‘basis
religions,’ which means that regardless of a person’s religious belief, it is likely that they were born into the
religion,3 if not both, and thus adhere to its traditions from a cultural rather than religious perspective. The
third Hindu religion covers ‘founded religions,’ which tend to hath withdrawn from Brahman authority,
developing their own practices and theology.4 It is therefore clear that ‘Hinduism’ is a term which attempts
to incorporate countless different traditions under its umbrella, and given the sociological and religious
diversity of these traditions, fails to convincingly do so. To conclude, the sheer diversity of practice and
tradition found under the umbrella term of Hinduism presents a convincing challenge as to Hinduism being
polytheistic. Given that the term Hinduism has been found to be insufficient in characterising the depth of
all the traditions under its umbrella, it is then unconvincing to argue that all of these cultures and practices
can be also labelled as polytheistic, since this term is too also broad, and faces the same problems as the
term ‘Hinduism.’
1
Frazier, Jessica, e.d. Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014.
Pg2.
2
Michaels, Axel. Hinduism: Past and Present. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2021. Pg21.
3
Ibid., pg21.
4
Ibid., pg22.
The umbrella term for a variety of different cultures, traditions, histories, geographies and beliefs, Hinduism
is not simply polytheistic, rather is it both henotheistic and monistic at once, due to the exceptional
number of groups and ideas the noun ‘Hinduism’ refers to. The difficulty in defining ‘Hindu-ism,’ combined
with the impact of 19th and 20th century colonialism on India, makes it unsatisfactory to simply designate
Hinduism as a polytheistic or even monistic tradition, as to do so would disregard the controversy and
diversity present in all aspects of the subject. This essay will examine the term ‘Hinduism,’ alongside
Vedantic monism, the unclear henotheism/polytheism in the Rig Veda, to ultimately argue that Hinduism is
best understood as a mix of henotheism and monism. To clarify, when this essay refers to polytheism, it is
to the idea of the belief in or worship of multiple deities.
A great deal of the issues in attempting to characterise Hinduism as polytheistic come from the immense
diversity of traditions and cultures that the term tries to cover. Indeed, past scholars such as Von
Stietencron entirely denied that ‘Hindu-ism’ existed, due to the lack of an observable single unified
tradition,1 or a common thread binding the diverse cultures together. Whilst this dismissal does often have
racist undertones, due to the way in which scholars disregarded the non-Western religious structures they
observed, as they did not conform to the ‘typical’ religious framework found in Western civilisation, this
inability to wholly define the traditions under the Hindu umbrella is still valid, although for different
reasons.
For example, the cultures and ‘religions’ recognised under the label of Hinduism are so varying and diverse
that it is reductive to attempt to label them in this manner. Indeed, Axel Michaels argues that Hinduism is
comprised of three Hindu religions,2 all of which have different sociological implications. Whilst even three
religions seem reductive in the face of all the diversity found, it serves well to demonstrate the fact that
‘Hinduism’ itself is too varied to be defined in any way. Two of the Hindu religions identified are ‘basis
religions,’ which means that regardless of a person’s religious belief, it is likely that they were born into the
religion,3 if not both, and thus adhere to its traditions from a cultural rather than religious perspective. The
third Hindu religion covers ‘founded religions,’ which tend to hath withdrawn from Brahman authority,
developing their own practices and theology.4 It is therefore clear that ‘Hinduism’ is a term which attempts
to incorporate countless different traditions under its umbrella, and given the sociological and religious
diversity of these traditions, fails to convincingly do so. To conclude, the sheer diversity of practice and
tradition found under the umbrella term of Hinduism presents a convincing challenge as to Hinduism being
polytheistic. Given that the term Hinduism has been found to be insufficient in characterising the depth of
all the traditions under its umbrella, it is then unconvincing to argue that all of these cultures and practices
can be also labelled as polytheistic, since this term is too also broad, and faces the same problems as the
term ‘Hinduism.’
1
Frazier, Jessica, e.d. Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014.
Pg2.
2
Michaels, Axel. Hinduism: Past and Present. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2021. Pg21.
3
Ibid., pg21.
4
Ibid., pg22.
