Religious Studies
Henotheism
Henotheism is the worship of one supreme god while accepting that other gods may also exist. It occupies a middle ground between polytheism and exclusive monotheism, and is used by scholars to describe stages of religions such as Vedic Hinduism and early Israelite religion.
Monolatry
Monolatry is the belief that many gods exist combined with the practice of worshipping only one chosen god. It is distinguished from henotheism and monotheism, and is the category scholars often apply to Akhenaten's Atenism and to stages of early Israelite religion.
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief that only one deity exists. It is the core of the Abrahamic religions and is distinguished from polytheism, henotheism, and monolatry. Most modern scholars see Israelite monotheism as a development that crystallized around the Babylonian exile rather than an original condition.
The Exodus
The Exodus is the founding narrative of the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible: enslavement in Egypt, deliverance under Moses, the ten plagues, departure, the crossing of the sea, and the covenant at Sinai. Mainstream scholarship treats it as a foundational cultural narrative rather than an accurate historical record.
Henotheism and Monolatry in the Biblical Exodus Narrative
Many biblical scholars read the older layers of the Hebrew Bible, including the Exodus narrative, as reflecting henotheism or monolatry rather than strict monotheism: other gods are assumed to exist, but Israel is bound by covenant to worship YHWH exclusively. Strict 'there is only one god' monotheism is generally dated to the Babylonian exile and after.
The Prince of Egypt and the Henotheism the Film Skips Over
DreamWorks' 1998 film The Prince of Egypt presents the Exodus through a modern monotheistic lens, smoothing over the henotheistic and monolatrous worldview that scholars find in the underlying biblical text. A close look at the film highlights questions the text itself raises about faith under suffering and worship of one god among many.