God Against the Gods The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism
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Author: Jonathan Kirsch Amazon Description
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Commentary/Review
Men and women started to worship gods as soon as they became recognizably human; they created religions at the same time as they created works of art. —Karen Armstrong, A History of God
I’ve recently, since early summer 2005, been on a religion, philosophy, theism kick. I can’t recall which book started it all off, but this book, Kirsch’s God Against The Gods incited a fury of purchases, which I’m still making my way through. From religious inspired terrorism, to the historic differences between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
First off, let’s get some things out of the way. One I’ve never really identified as Christian, Pagan, Jewish, or any other religious tenet. I do consider myself spirtual. I’m certain both pagans and christians would accept me, based off my beliefs, with at least christians (if not pagans as well), attempting to adjust my religious views here and there to bring them more inline. That said, my first positive introduction to religion, despite my solid christian upbring was in first or second grade, when a trip to the library introduced me to the Native Americans. I searched out information on various tribes. I knew my mother was part Cherokee and my father part Apache, but I fell for the Hopi and the Cree. I devoured books on the tribe of peaceful people, and reveled in a religion where, “...nature was seen as an integrated whole, so that animals spoke and told tales, while legends of the winds and of the four directions were common.”
Communing with nature&emdash;the wind, trees, animals— easily intermixed with christian beliefs of a loving son and an angry father. I’ll admit to feeling sympathetic to the lost values of Paganism. But, my quest, as it be, is really no more than an academic approach to understanding the history of intolerance. When, I look back over the course of history—my own, my families, decades and centuries—I see a culture built upon intolerance cloaked in Christian values; and I’ve wondered is it the Christianity or is it the power. I’m not even certain if they can be distinguishable.
Kirsch’s book is a great history of how belief turned from polytheism to monotheism religions.
Rating
Keywords
religion, philosophy, theism, spirituality, polytheistic, monotheistic, god, gods, paganism, christianity, judiasm, persecution, tolerance
Purchase Notice
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Other Details
Genre: Religion, Philosophy, Theism, Spirituality, History
Categories: non-fiction •
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