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Written by philosopher Edward Butler, “The Way of the Gods” explores the Polytheisms of the world. (Note 1) Butler not only introduces the reader to the richness of Polytheisms but also to how they exist in the face of Monotheism(s) (Note 2). Because the hegemonic cultures of the world are dominated by Monotheism(s), these traditions face tremendous pressure to conform. Butler discusses the issues that these contemporary and historical traditions face. Since the hegemonic culture places a stigma on Polytheistic beliefs, therefore it becomes difficult to be a practicing Polytheist.
In the Preface, Butler writes “I believe that the concept of polytheism will prove crucial…,because it does not presuppose that all traditions worship the same God, which inherently privileges those religions which launched the long historical struggle to enforce the idea that there is only one God. Polytheism, rather, leaves questions of internal theological self-definition open while honoring the prima facie distinction of names and identities of the divinities that these traditions have maintained….”
Because he states that “all their Gods are real,” (emphasis his) Butler lays out the power imbalance in modernity between Monotheism and Polytheism. Mainstream studies of historical Polytheistic cultures will divorce the religion from the culture. For example, in Rome, the Senate (and later the Emperor) regularly consulted the Will of the Gods. The Roman Civil War was a result of dueling divinations between Caesar and Pompey. However, that aspect of Roman life is ignored by historians.
By its nature, Monotheism strives to eliminate Polytheism. For example, the Polytheisms of North America have been reduced to a monolithic “Great Spirit.” Since these Polytheisms are not regarded to be religions, “spiritual technologies” can be extracted from them. (Note 3). “Monocentrism denies plurality, it totalises structure,” according to Edward Said. (Note 4). Thus, Polytheistic traditions are pushed to the edges.
In contrast, Butler stresses that Polytheistic traditions have the ability to engage with their Gods on multiple levels. Polytheism has the self-correcting method of seeking multiple deities. The existence of other people’s Gods is not a problem, unlike Monotheism which strives to unify all Gods or eliminate Them.
Where Monotheism is the dominant culture, Polytheism is relegated to the corners of society. Moreover, a Monotheist need not engage fully in a Polytheistic tradition. Instead, they can simply extract “useful” spiritual technologies such as Astrology. Furthermore, Polytheisms can be regarded as “proto-Monotheisms.” Polytheists, who protest that their traditions cannot be translated into universal terms, are considered to be xenophobic.
To keep the existing paradigm of monotheism as the defacto religion of humans, many scholars use secularism to examine historical cultures. Butler writes “There is a deep investment in this divorce of the products of ancient polytheistic civilizations from the religions which gave birth to them. Starting from Christianity’s need for a kind of peace with the past which it had violently suppressed, it has become an entire project of conceiving a rigorously secularized sphere of the human, a project which in certain ways undoubtedly continues the work begun by Christian conversion.”
After demonstrating on how Monotheism disrupts each Polytheist tradition, Butler then presents what that tradition is or was. Radically different, the Polytheistic lens presents insights to cultures that people think they know such as the North American or Roman. For greater understanding, I believe that this lens needs to be cultivated more.
Butler concludes the book with the assertion that people cannot ethically study Polytheistic traditions with disinterest. A person needs to reflect on the power relations between Polytheisms and the dominant Monotheism. To protect and to cherish Polytheisms is a part of this engagement. According to him, Polytheism is “the living record of the relationship established between humans and Gods.” Therefore, a person needs to approach Polytheism on its terms.
Notes:
Note 1. This was originally a course given by Edward Butler under the auspices of the Center for Global Polytheism and Indigenous Traditions.
Note 2. Butler differentiates between Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, since their interactions with native Polytheisms differ.
Note 3. Technologies such as sweat lodges and vision quests.
Note 4. Edward Said (1933-2003, Palestine-U.S.) was a noted critic on how Westerners viewed the Middle East and other cultures. Said called their attitude “Orientalism,” to describe how it was imbued with European imperialism.
