Apr 052011
How many gods are too many?
1? (atheism)
2? (monotheism)
Or: Bring ‘em on – there can never be too many! Woohoo! (polytheism)
On his blog Siris our friend Brandon Watson has been doing a book review of an interesting book by a polytheist named John Michael Greer, called A World Full of Gods.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about monotheism and polytheism, and I think this looks interesting.
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I do recommend the book; it has its flaws and a fair portion of it you’d find lightweight, but it does a very good job of putting a new perspective on things, and the argument that religious experience naturally favors polytheism is interesting and nicely developed.
Brandon, I would especially want to read the book if it proposes a theogony and a cosmogony. Does the book propose a theogony and a cosmogony?
Hi, James,
It sticks to very general issues. It’s a problem with writing a book arguing that polytheism, as such, that there are so many different kinds, and Greer (although a neo-Druid himself) is deliberately not taking any sides. It’s not a full-fledged polytheistic philosophy, in other words; it’s an argument that thinking about polytheism can enrich philosophy of religion.
It would be nice to have the sort of work you have in mind — a Hellenic Reconstructionist, for instance, giving a well-thought-out and updated version of Hesiod, for instance– but Greer is aiming for something more basic than that, to get polytheism more of a hearing at the philosophy of religion table.
Hi Brandon.
Thanks. I’m sure that I’ll eventually read the book, and in the short term I’ll keep up with reading your review.
However, my criticism of neo-paganism focuses on the lack of a solid cosmology. I concede to multiple paranormal entities in religious experiences. Those entities could be interpreted as paganism or monotheism with good and bad angels in a fallen universe. Given the current fallen universe, distinguishing between the two could be difficult for some. But I’ve never heard a neo-pagan provide a solid view of origins or have a positive outlook for the destiny of all galaxies turning into black holes. The eventual black holes disturb many religious monists.
Well, that’s the outline of my criticism of neo-paganism.
Hi Dale,
I suppose some tritheists would say that 4 are too many.