Monotheism
The Bastard Child of Conflict?
There's an internal terror in monotheism.
It can be understood in two ways:
- the terror it causes, and
- the internal terror that drives it.
How does Bausani distinguish between primary and secondary monotheism (cf. p. 168)?
If Fitzgerald is correct, that we can't separate religion from politics, can we explain the ethic of monotheism in "political" terms (see p. 169ff.)? Perhaps "power" and "will"?
Does this statement support the proposal that a reaction to conflict was the catalyst for monotheism?
A religion cannot persist if it cannot explain how the exercise of coercive power in the world of immediate experience conforms to, is encompassed by, or at least does not refute the religion's own theory of how things are or ought to be. (Neusner, God's Rule, 3)
The ideology of the separation of church and state and some recent interpretations of the First Amendment to the Constitution have conditioned Americans to regard religion and politics as distinct realms of experience. A norm of American life is that religion should not, and generally does not, express itself doctrinally through the activities of government. (Neusner, God's Rule, 1-2)
In countries dominated by monotheism, monotheism shapes the dominant rhetoric, value systems, and cultural meanings. Even if one is not a member of the monotheistic tradition.
Overtly and covertly, religion influences political structures and activity by encouraging and enforcing some attitudes and behaviors and by discouraging and disparaging others. (Neusner, God's Rule, 2)
But let's let some colorful figures speak for themselves.
Micro-Case Studies
Explain These Examples in Terms of Our Theory
Is there a line between religious behavior and political behavior in these examples?
The heritage of monotheism predisposes it to resist conflict, perceived or real, as a threat to its own existence.
Does vocabulary regarding "enemy" and outsiders reveal an internal anxiety, a fear of dissolution/irrelevance?
Views such as Christian supercessionism has greatly influenced international policies toward and about Israel.
Fantastic Thesis
In Brief
"Monotheism" is an attempt to build a stable, protected "world." "God" takes on the function of a shared symbol that represents that world.
"Revelation" is the process by which the patterns of that world are legitimated (in the collective mind of the community).
All groups, fundamentalist to liberal, share this heritage. How they engage it will mark some of the differences between them.
A Bit Briefer
Monotheism is the audacious and religious attempt at bringing meaning, order, and stability into the world.
Biblical Monotheism Erupted Out of Social-Political Insecurity
Hey, that's my land!
No, it's not!
Yes, it is!
No, it's not!
Poopie head!
Well, maybe less like a pair of four-year olds ...
But what about Judaism?
The sources of Judaism deal with a lack of political power by pretending none exists. The Israelites receive their revelation from God in the desert, the opposite of territory. Although they are a community and a nation, because they have no monarch, they do not constitute a kingdom. (Neusner, God's Rule, 4).
Monotheistic laws codify the behavior patterns consistent with an ideal world or order.
- Read Exodus 19-20
- What are the central tenets of monotheism portrayed in these passages?
- Can you see elements of them reflected in your newspaper articles?
Other Biblical Examples of Original Attitudes
Religion and politics in the ancient world were so intertwined there was no way to distinguish between them.
Persian Period and later biblical texts (Ezra-Nehemiah, Haggai-Zechariah, Deuteronomy, etc.) emphasize the priority of divine authority as a precedent for restoration, which was primarily a political event.
The word of the Lord came to me: Collect silver and gold from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah—who have arrived from Babylon; and go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak; say to him: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch: for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he that shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. There shall be a priest by his throne, with peaceful understanding between the two of them. And the crown shall be in the care of Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. (Zech 6:9-14)
In the NT, Revelation describes the radical destruction of "this world" to be replaced by a stabilized, peaceful "heaven"--all of which occurs under the power and authority of God.
When he opened the sixth seal ... the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb ..." (Rev 6:12-16)
The wrap up...
Together at last!
Origins of Monotheism
By Jeremiah Cataldo
Origins of Monotheism
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