Perhaps the most foundational concept in Abrahamic religion is monotheism: the belief that there is only one God, supreme over all creation. That God has always demanded exclusive worship, and never recognised the existence of any other deities.
Yet reading the Old Testament, there are some interesting clues suggesting this was not always the case. In Genesis, God speaks about himself in the plural, saying, for instance, “Let us make mankind in our image” (1:26). In Psalm 82, God presides over a “great assembly” and “renders judgement among the gods”. In Deuteronomy, it appears that various nations and given as inheritance to various Gods, with YHWH inheriting Israel.
I’m joined today by biblical scholar Dan McClellan, author of The Bible Says So, who believes that examples such as these point to a polytheistic culture in early Judaism.
How did these polytheistic origins transform into strict monotheism? When did the Jews start believing in one God? Why? How can we see this trajectory in the Bible? Today’s episode explores these questions and more.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Why Does God Say “We”?
14:36 Does God Create the Universe From Nothing?
28:43 Is This Explained By The Trinity?
34:32 Is There Only One God?
47:39 Fake Idols or Gods?
1:02:50 How English Translations Mislead Us Into Monotheism
01:11:02 The Elevation of YHWH to God of the Universe
1:20:36 Polytheism in the New Testament
01:24:14 The Strongest Case For Monotheism in the Old Testament
