An Intellectual History of
Judaism and Christianity
HILR Fall 2015
SGL: B Ruml
5. The Triumph of Monotheism and its Consequences
Welcome Prof. Cohen!
Could you riff a bit on:
- your professional training
- Morton Smith
- the "hermeneutics of suspicion" (example)
- the forthcoming Mishnah in English
What's the main difference between Judaism and Christianity?
Smith is known for his hypothesis that a minority "party" which insisted on worshipping "YHWH-only" ultimately prevailed. Could you amplify?
People are often puzzled by the idea of complimentary divine beings making up a heavenly court. How should we understand this?
Questions from study group members!
What's the gist of Kaufmann's description of the fundamental difference between polytheism and monotheism?
What popular understanding was he at pains to refute?
What is magic? Why is it absent from cosmic monism?
What is evil in polytheism? In cosmic monism?
The Book of Job
Why do bad things happen to good people?
What's the answer in the prose envelope?
What's the answer in the poetic middle?
Does Hayes's description of evil in the Hebrew Bible as the conflict of the will of God and the will of humans help?
What's the consequence of the triumph of monotheism?