Aspects of Monotheism

Stemming from a popular symposium sponsored by the Biblical Archaeology Society and the Smithsonian Institution, Aspects of Monotheism: How God Is One presents an exciting, provocative and readily understandable discussion of the origins and evolution of monotheism within Judaism and Christianity. Four distinguished scholars from different fields of study—Donald Redford, William Dever, P. Kyle McCarter and John Collins—tackle broad ranging issues related to how the Israelite god came to be identified with the one universal God of the Judeo-Christian tradition. For example, were the ancient Israelites really the first to worship a single god, or did the Egyptians beat them to the punch? And were the ancient Israelites really monotheists, or was the idea of a single, universal God a late development in Israelite history? And what of Christianity? How are we to understand the divinity of Jesus, alongside his Father? Even more difficult, how are we to understand the Trinity? This book grapples with these intriguing questions and provides some often surprising answers.