Monotheism and wisdom in the Hebrew Bible : an uneasy pair? / James L. Crenshaw.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Crenshaw, James L., author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in religion and monotheism, 2631-3014.

Cambridge elements. Elements in religion and monotheism, 2631-3014

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament--Theology.

Bible.

Monotheism--History.

Monotheism.

Wisdom in the Bible.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (61 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

Monotheism, belief in only one God, and wisdom, learning to cope by reason alone and teaching others to do so, faced resistance in the polytheistic world of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and lesser states including Israel. Paradoxically, in early biblical wisdom (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes) the deity was thought to be both human-like, with disturbing attributes, and increasingly transcendent-silent, disembodied, and inactive. Like Egyptian Ma'at, God the creator established the universe by decree, a law rewarding goodness and punishing evil, the flaw in creation, never satisfactorily resolved. Satan, a semi-divine rival, bore responsibility for bad things, while Wisdom, a personified female, communicated God's will to the discerning. Combining biblical revelation and Hellenism, Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon chose piety over Job's realism and the vanity literature of Ecclesiastes. Over millennia, the concept of God evolved, continuing a process begun in Paleolithic times.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 28 Feb 2025).

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-009-49186-5

1-009-49190-3

1-009-49191-1

OCLC:

1574115606