An Intellectual History of
Judaism and Christianity

HILR Fall 2015

SGL: B Ruml


4. From Polytheism to Monolatry; Covenant

Review of Last Week


How did the mind of ancient man differ from our own?

  • man embedded in society embedded in nature
  • I-Thou encounters: no uniform natural forces
  • anthropomorphic expectations of gods: appease and be rewarded; ignore and be punished


How did their anthropomorphic expectations differ from our own?

Why is religion culturally universal?


Evolutionary psychologists emphasize the hardwired human tendency to ascribe agency.


Our HAAD: hyper-active agency detector


Example: Joseph Weizenbaum's ELIZA program (1966)

What's the main difference between Judaism and Christianity?


cosmic monism vs. cosmic dualism

Smith's Common Theology

What are the main points?

  • ANE descriptions of gods and their actions have an over-all pattern
  • appeasement directed at one god at a time
  • particular devotion to a single god
  • the worshiper exhalts by flattery
  • typical progression: "our god is the greatest of all gods; there is none like him; there is none other"

Smith's Common Theology

  • worshiper's desire to convince himself that this god can grant his requests
  • if the god created nature, he naturally maintains it; and can change it by miracles
  • god as a father or a king; therefore merciful (love) and just (fear)
  • god's justice is expressed in his law (including civil law)

Smith's Common Theology


"The relationship between people and god was therefore essentially a contractual one."

Smith's Common Theology


The various theologies of the ANE probably developed independently, based on these common characteristics, rather than by borrowing.


Why were the characteristics common?

Because the gods served the same
function in each civilization.

Smith's Common Theology


What are the anomalies of the Hebrew Bible?

  • extreme jealousy of YHWH (marriage convenant formula?)
  • neglect of the underworld
  • aniconism (makes idolatry obvious?)

Smith's Common Theology


Was there no theological development in Israel?

Was the "discovery of monotheism" just exaggerated patriotism?


"No sooner was the God of Israel declared to be the only God than he promsed Israel the hegemony of the world."

If the most important attribute of the major god was to be more powerful than the gods of neighbors, the God of Jews scattered in a diaspora could only be monotheistic.

Smith's Common Theology


What other pressures for cosmic monism?

Hellenization: Greek philosophy

Smith's Common Theology: footnote 16
(anticipates next week)


How do you remove the other gods to arrive at monotheism?

  • subsume them into the great god (heavenly court?)
  • convert them into demons (cosmic dualism)
  • deny their existence (as Second Isaiah)

Smith's Common Theology: footnote 16


Smith suggests this move to monotheism could have been prompted by economics. How did that work?

  • The priesthoods of scattered temples encouraged the worship of secondary gods.
  • Those temples (and priesthoods) were destroyed by the Babylonians.
  • Nonetheless, most Israelites remained at best monolatrous, giving credit to (if not worshipping) the pagan gods.

Covenant


Many covenants:

  • Noahide
  • Abrahamic
  • Sinaitic
  • Davidic


"Secrets of Noah's Ark"

1 Kings 18

The contest between YHWH and Ba'al

  • all the priests of Ba'al were slaughtered

The End