Monotheism

====Zoroastrianism====
{{Main|Zoroastrianism|Iranian religions}}
[[File:Faravahar-Gold.svg|thumb|[[Faravahar]] (or Ferohar) is one of the primary symbols of Zoroastrianism, believed to be the depiction of a Fravashi (guardian spirit).]]

By some scholars, the Zoroastrians ("Parsis" or "Zartoshtis") are sometimes credited with being some of the first monotheists and having had influence on other world religions.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Ferrero |first=Mario |date=2021-12-01 |title=From Polytheism to Monotheism: Zoroaster and Some Economic Theory |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s41412-021-00113-4 |journal=Homo Oeconomicus |language=en |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=77–108 |doi=10.1007/s41412-021-00113-4 |issn=2366-6161|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Heckert |first=Jason |date=May 2023 |title=Reflections Across Religions: A Historical Examination of Common Themes in Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity |url=https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1151&context=graduatetheses |website=digitalcommons.winthrop.edu}}</ref> 
Zoroastrianism combines [[Cosmology|cosmogonic]] dualism and [[Eschatology|eschatological]] monotheism which makes it unique among the religions of the world. There are two issues that have long made it problematic to identify Zoroastrianism as true monotheism: the presence of lesser deities and dualism. But before hastening to conclude that the Amesha Spentas and the other yazatas compromise the purity of monotheism, we should consider that the other historical monotheisms too made room for other figures endowed with supernatural powers to bridge the gulf between the exalted, remote Creator God and the human world: the angels in all of them (whose conception in post-exilic Judaism was apparently developed after the pattern of the Amesha Spentas; Boyce and Grenet, 1991, 404–405), the saints and the Virgin Mary in several Christian churches, and the other persons of the Trinity in all of Christianity. Despite the vast differences with Zoroastrian theology, the common thread is that all these beings are subordinate to the Godhead as helpers or (in the case of the persons of the Trinity) co-equals, hence they do not pursue different interests and are worshiped jointly with the Godhead, not separately; therefore the supplicant’s dilemma does not arise.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Citation |title=Buddhism in China: A Historical Sketch |journal=The Journal of Religion}}.</ref><ref name="Boyce_1975_155">{{harvnb|Boyce|1975a|p=155}}.</ref>{{Ref_label|water_worshippers|ε|none}}