Of God and Gods: Egypt, Israel, and the Rise of Monotheism (George L. Mosse Series in the History of European Culture, Sexuality, and Ideas) - Softcover

Assmann, Jan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0299225542 ISBN 13: 9780299225544

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press, 2008

Synopsis

[ Of God and Gods: Egypt, Israel, and the Rise of Monotheism George L. Mosse Series in Modern European Cultural and Intellectual History (Paperback) By ( Author ) May-2008 Paperback

About this title

Review:

An important contribution to the fields of Egyptology, Biblical studies, and the general study of religion. - Israel Knohl, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

Synopsis:

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. This work will be of great interest to anyone seeking to understand the relationship between God and gods.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0299225542
• ISBN 13: 9780299225544
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208