Polytheism is the belief in and worship of many gods. It contrasts with Monotheism, belief in one god, and Pantheism, identification of God with the universe. 多神教，是信仰和崇拜许多神，它反差与一神教信仰，一个真主，与泛神论，鉴定上帝与宇宙。 In polytheism the gods are personified, distinguished by functions, related to one another in a cosmic family, and the subjects of myths and legends.在多神教神人格化，由杰出的职能，互相关联，在宇宙家人和科目的神话和传说。
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The belief in a multitude of distinct and separate deities.相信在众多的独特和单独的神灵。 It is formally contrasted with pantheism, the belief in an impersonal God identical with the universe, although the two doctrines can sometimes be found in the same religious tradition.它是正式形成对照的泛神论思想，信念，在一种非人格神与宇宙，虽然两种学说有时会发现在同一宗教的传统。 Polytheism is distinguished from theism, also called monotheism, on the basis of polytheism's claim that divinity, while personal and distinguished from the universe, is many rather than one.多神教，是区别于有神论，又称为神，在此基础上的多神教的声称神，而个人和杰出从宇宙中，是有很多，而不是只有一个。 Except for the great monotheisms of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the world's religions are overwhelmingly polytheistic.除了伟大monotheisms的犹太教，基督教和伊斯兰教，世界宗教的绝大多数都是polytheistic 。 Polytheism characterizes Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shintoism in the East, and also contemporary African tribal religions.多神教的特点，印度教，大乘佛教，儒教，道教，神道都在东部地区，也当代非洲部落宗教。 In the ancient world Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians worshipped a plurality of deities, as did the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Norse.在古代世界，埃及人，巴比伦人，亚述人崇拜多元化的神佛，像古希腊人，罗马人，和挪威。 Belief in several distinct deities serves to provide a focus for popular religious devotion when the official deity or deities of the religion are remote from the common person.相信在几个不同的神灵给我们提供了一个焦点受欢迎的宗教献身的时候，这位官员神或神的宗教是远离普通的人。
According to Ninian Smart, deities are formed around a number of aspects of life.据尼尼安聪明的，神是形成围绕若干方面的生活。 These include natural forces and objects such as fertility and atmospheric forces; vegetation such as trees, sacred herbs, and vineyards; animal and human forms such as serpents, cattle, and animal - human hybrids; and assorted functions such as love, agriculture, healing, and war.这些措施包括自然力和物体，如生育率和大气的力量;植被，例如树木，神圣的草药，和葡萄园;动物和人的形式，如serpents ，牛，和动物-人的杂种;等配套功能，如爱情，农业，愈合，和战争。
The birth of Western philosophy in ancient Greece occurred in a culture with a rich popular polytheism.诞生的西方哲学，在古希腊出现了文化与丰富的流行多神教。 Socrates was sentenced to death for "impiety" and "atheism" in denying the deities worshipped by Athens and for corrupting the youth.苏格拉底被依法判处死刑， "不虔诚"和"无神论"在否定神灵崇拜，由雅典和腐蚀着青少年。 Socrates firmly believed in the divine, and in fact believed himself to have a special mission from the gods.苏格拉底坚定地相信，在神圣的，而事实上，相信自己有一个特殊使命，从神。 His theology was more philosophically and spiritually sophisticated than that of his contemporaries.他的神学更哲理和精神上的成熟比他的同时代的。 It became in fact a matter of indifference in his thought whether gods were one or many, since he denied the distinct personality quirks and moral irregularities that served to differentiate them within the Greek pantheon.它已成为事实上的事漠不关心，在他的思想是否有神明被一个或多个的，因为他否认了鲜明的个性怪癖和道义不合规定送达，以区分它们的希腊神殿。 His successor Plato carried on this tradition, and held that in a well run state there would have to be substantial revision in the Homeric mythology before allowing it to be used, because it depicted the gods performing evil and petty acts (Republic 376e - 383c).他的继任者柏拉图延续了这一传统，并认为，在良好的运行状态，所以必须大幅度修改，在荷马的神话，才允许它用，因为它描绘神的表演邪恶和零用行为（共和国376e -3 83c） 。 Thus the intellectual motive for maintaining a plurality of deities was disappearing from philosophy at an early stage.因此智力的动机，为社会保持多元性的神佛是逐渐消失，从哲学处于早期阶段。
Islam erroneously interprets the Christian Trinity as a polytheistic doctrine, and ancient Israel possibly contended with the devotion to other deities in addition to Yahweh. Nonetheless, it is clear that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam represent forms of theism incompatible with polytheism. 伊斯兰教错误地诠释基督教三一作为一个polytheistic学说和古代以色列可能可与奉献的其他神佛除了雅威，不过，很显然，犹太教，基督教和伊斯兰教的代表形式的有神论格格不入，与多神教。 As the West becomes infiltrated with Eastern religions and their derivative movements, Western Christians will need directly to confront polytheism.作为西部成为渗透与东方宗教及其衍生运动，西方的基督信徒将需要直接面对多神教。
DB
Fletcher分贝弗莱彻
(Elwell Evangelical Dictionary)
（ Elwell宣布了福音字典）
Bibliography
参考书目
SGF Brandon, ed.,
A Dictionary of Comparative Religion; LE Goodman, Monotheism: A Philosophical
Inquiry; JM Koller, Oriental Philosophies; Plato, Apology and Republic; N Smart,
"Polytheism," Encybrit; GE Swanson, The Birth of the Gods: The Origin of
Primitive Beliefs.碳纤维布兰登，版，一本字典的比较宗教学;古德曼乐，一神论：一种哲学探究;
jm科勒，东方哲学;柏拉图，道歉和共和国氮精明的， "多神教" ， encybrit ;葛万森，诞生了神：起源的原始信仰。
The belief in, and consequent worship of, many gods.信仰，并作出相应的崇拜，许多神。 See the various articles on national religions such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Hindu, and the ancient religions of Egypt, Greece, and Rome; see also ANIMISM, FETISHISM, TOTEMISM, GOD, MONOTHEISM, PANTHEISM, etc.看到各条款对民族宗教，如亚述，巴比伦，印度教徒和古代宗教的埃及，希腊，罗马，还见万物有灵论，拜物教，图腾崇拜，神，一神论，泛神论等。
Publication information The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII.出版信息天主教百科全书，体积十二。 Published 1911. 1911年出版。 New York: Robert Appleton Company.纽约：罗伯特Appleton还公司。 Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. nihil obstat ， 1911年6月1日。 Remy Lafort, STD, Censor.人头马lafort ，性病，检查员。 Imprimatur. imprimatur 。 +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York +约翰farley枢机主教，大主教纽约
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