Of God and gods : Egypt, Israel, and the rise of monotheism / Jan Assmann.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Assmann, Jan.

Series:

George L. Mosse series in modern European cultural and intellectual history.

George L. Mosse series in modern European cultural and intellectual history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Henotheism--Egypt--History.

Henotheism.

Henotheism--Israel--History.

Monotheism--Egypt--History.

Monotheism.

Monotheism--Israel--History.

Physical Description:

ix, 196 p.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Madison, Wisc. : University of Wisconsin Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

For thousands of years, our world has been shaped by biblical monotheism. But its hallmark-a distinction between one true God and many false gods-was once a new and radical idea. Of God and Gods explores the revolutionary newness of biblical theology against a background of the polytheism that was once so commonplace. Jan Assmann, one of the most distinguished scholars of ancient Egypt working today, traces the concept of a true religion back to its earliest beginnings in Egypt and describes how this new idea took shape in the context of the older polytheistic world that it rejected. He offers readers a deepened understanding of Egyptian polytheism and elaborates on his concept of the "Mosaic distinction, " which conceives an exclusive and emphatic Truth that sets religion apart from beliefs shunned as superstition, paganism, or heresy. Without a theory of polytheism, Assmann contends, any adequate understanding of monotheism is impossible.Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the American Association of School Librarians, and Best Books for Special Interests, selected by the Public Library Association

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Understanding Polytheism: The Three-Dimensional Structure of the Divine World

2. Seth the Iconoclast: Polytheism and the Language of Violence

3. All Gods are One: Evolutionary and Inclusive Monotheism

4. The Axial Age and the Separation of State and Religion: Monotheism as an Axial Movement

5. Five Steps toward Canonization: Tradition, Scripture, and the Origin of the Hebrew Bible

6. No God but God: Exclusive Monotheism and the Language of Violence

Conclusion: The Mosaic Distinction

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Index Locorum.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-184) and index.

ISBN:

9786612594779

9781282594777

128259477X

9780299225537

0299225534

OCLC:

550576265