九ツ こゝまでしん／＼゛したけれど もとのかみとハしらなんだ
九つ 此処迄信心したけれど 元の神とは知らなかった
Kokonotsu / koko made / shinjin shita keredo / Moto no Kami to wa / shirananda
Nine / until here / believed have done but / the original Kami / did not know
十ド このたびあらはれた じつのかみにはさうゐない
到頭 此の度現れた 実の神には相違ない
Tōdo / Kono tabi / arawareta / Jitsu no Kami ni wa / sōinai
Ten, finally / This time / appeared / true, actual Kami / there is no mistake
Q: I grew up assuming that Tenrikyo is monotheistic, believing in one creator God. Yet when I once opened The Doctrine of Tenrikyo and read Chapter Four, I see a list of ten Shinto deities. So what gives? Is Tenrikyo a monotheistic or polytheistic or what?
submitted by No Scope in the Morning (real name withheld)
A: Wow, another complicated question, to say the least. I think one way to answer this question is to quote the late Tenrikyo theologian Yoshinori Moroi from his critique of Henry van Straelen’s work The Religion of Divine Wisdom (hold on, this is going to be long):
Continue reading Question no. 4: Is Tenrikyo monotheistic or polytheistic?