Concepts of God (Leaving Cert Religious Education): Flashcards

Belief in multiple deities or gods

Family/collection of gods & goddesses

Greek 'pan' (all) + 'theos' (god) = 'all gods'

Followers focus on deities relevant to their needs

Most were polytheistic

Developed from earlier polytheistic belief systems

Approx. 4,500 years old (around 2500 BCE)

From Aryan peoples who settled in India

One ultimate divine reality; all gods are its aspects

Dominant religion of India

Indigenous religious tradition of Japan

Nature (mountains, rivers, trees) & ancestral spirits

Spirits in natural features & representing ancestors

No single founder; developed organically over time