Polytheism, << POL ee `thee` ihz uhm, >> is the idea that the sacred appears in many gods rather than in one God. The belief in one God is called monotheism. Hinduism, for example, is a polytheistic religion. There are three main gods in Hinduism and traditionally 33 million other deities as well. But most Hindus accept the idea that behind them all lies a single spiritual entity, often called Brahman. The belief that there is a single high God beyond the gods is also found in many tribal religions. Thus, the line between monotheistic religions and polytheistic religions is not absolute. See also God; Hinduism; Pantheism; Indigenous peoples of the Americas (Religion); Religion (Belief in a deity).
