Osler's Razor

I need church. One reason I need it is that I really learn something every week, and often what I learn changes the way I think in a significant way. This morning, I had one of those moments in Sunday School. As is often true, Lynn Tatum was the one who put something out there in an "... as you already know" aside, which of course I did not know.

Religions, I have always thought, are either polytheistic or monotheistic. It turns out that things are more complicated than that, and that there are at least three types:

1) Polytheistic religions recognize and allow for the worship of more than one God.

2) Henotheistic religions recognize more than one God, but allow the worship of only one God.

3) Monotheistic religions recognize only one God.

I have always thought of Judaism and Christianity as monotheistic religions. However, the ancient Jews seem to have been henotheistic-- they viewed their God as superior but sometimes in conflict with other Gods. Even the Ten Commandments seems to recognize this: They direct not that there is only one God, but that Jews worship no other Gods above Yahweh. (In our modern version, it translates as "have no other Gods above me").

In our own time, many Christians often speak in henotheistic terms. That is, they worship God but also recognize the existence of Satan, who is described as having power that are those of a God: supernatural abilities to create evil.

Does this more complex view challenge the way we think about our faith? Should it?