WHAT IS HINDUISM?
From Atheism to ‘Nootheism’............................................................................
Hinduism is not reducible to any form of polytheism or
monotheism. Instead it is essentially monistic – asserting the
divinity and unity of a single divine reality – awareness – in
all its multiple worldly manifestations and godly
personifications. By recognising the divinity of this ultimate
and universal awareness it is essentially ‘nootheistic’ - from
the Greek noos – awareness.
- Atheism, strictly speaking, is not disbelief in God. It is
disbelief in the existence of God as a BEING. - Theism is the belief that God exists as a BEING.
- Monotheism is the belief that God is ONE supreme
BEING separate from the world and other BEINGS. - Polytheism is the belief in a plurality of Gods, each of
which is a divine or trans-human BEING. - Hentheism (from the Greek ‘hen’ meaning ‘one’) is the
belief that God is the ONENESS of all beings or
‘BEING’ as such.