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  • From: Peter_Kirk AT SIL.ORG
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re[2]: Monotheistic?
  • Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 19:37:31 -0500 (EST)


If Loren defines "monotheism" as a philosophical position, it would be
most consistent to define "henotheism", "polytheism" etc as
alternative philosophical positions. In that case I might well
conclude that there is also no henotheism or polytheism described in
the Hebrew Bible, either in Israel or amongst her neighbours. For I
don't find any philosophical positions in the text, and I would not
expect to as the whole idea is anachronistic: Hebrew thinking was not
about philosophy but about practical realities.

I do find texts which clearly express a world-view consisting of a
single eternal creator God YHWH transcendent over the whole earth and
no other beings more powerful than humans, e.g. Isaiah 40:12-26. If
Loren want to find something more philosophical than that, I suggest
he reads Greek authors rather than Hebrew ones.

Peter Kirk




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