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One God Among Many: Rethinking the God of the Bible
Show notes
Episode Outline:
Introduction: How does Israel’s God compare to pagan gods?
Why ancient monotheism seemed strange
What ancient gods were like
What responsibilities did pagan gods have?
How people worshiped the gods
Were ancient gods benevolent or dangerous?
Worshiping the God of Israel
Was ancient Israel truly monotheistic?
Israel’s God among other gods
What made Israel’s God different?
Episode Description
In the modern Western world, monotheism is the rule, rather than the exception. Not so in the ancient past, where many cultures worshipped whole pantheons of gods, each one responsible for specific areas of the mortal experience. How does the one god of Israel compare to this myriad of deities, and can an understanding of how ancient mediterranean cultures thought about and interacted with the divine help us to understand the god presented to us in the Bible?
Also watch these episodes:
Ancient Christianities: The First 500 Years
The Wild Wild West of Early Christianity: Disputes Over Jesus, Doctrine, and Everything Else
Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament
Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament
Meet Marcion: The First Great Christian Heretic
Meet Marcion: The First Great Christian Heretic
Introduction: How does Israel’s God compare to pagan gods?
Why ancient monotheism seemed strange
What ancient gods were like
What responsibilities did pagan gods have?
How people worshiped the gods
Were ancient gods benevolent or dangerous?
Worshiping the God of Israel
Was ancient Israel truly monotheistic?
Israel’s God among other gods
What made Israel’s God different?
Episode Description
In the modern Western world, monotheism is the rule, rather than the exception. Not so in the ancient past, where many cultures worshipped whole pantheons of gods, each one responsible for specific areas of the mortal experience. How does the one god of Israel compare to this myriad of deities, and can an understanding of how ancient mediterranean cultures thought about and interacted with the divine help us to understand the god presented to us in the Bible?
Also watch these episodes:
Ancient Christianities: The First 500 Years
The Wild Wild West of Early Christianity: Disputes Over Jesus, Doctrine, and Everything Else
Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament
Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament
Meet Marcion: The First Great Christian Heretic
Meet Marcion: The First Great Christian Heretic
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