Lecture Two - Paganism vs Monotheism

This is interesting stuff and we are still not into the actual text of the Bible which she promises will happen next lecture. 

This lecture dealt with the different world views presented by a pagan society and a monotheistic society, and whether the monotheism of the Bible was a an evolutionary change from the pagan practices of Israel's neighbours or a completely radical, revolutionary approach.

In pagan religions, gods are born and can even die.  They are in conflict with each other and are limited by forces around them.   Gods are often, in fact, forces of nature.  The mythology of pagan societies deals with the lives of the gods and the fluidity between gods and humans where humans can become gods or mate with gods etc.  Magic and divination are possible if humans can tap into the original source that formed the gods.  Evil is explained by demons or even destructive gods who exist to cause trouble just as there are gods who exist to do good.  It is an amoral world - not moral, not immoral, just neutral when it comes to good and evil.

Some people claim that the Biblical monotheism is a radical, revolutionary change because there was nothing before the existence of the Biblical God.  He was not born out of some primordial existence.  He has always existed, in fact, is timeless.  He has no female companion nor male ones.  He is free of all limits because he created everything.  Magic therefore is impossible. And this god is good.  Evil exists only when human will and desire conflict with the will of god.  Therefore, in a monotheistic world, evil and morality are viewed quite differently than in a pagan world.

The lecturer pointed out that it is not easy to say if the monotheism of the Bible developed independently of paganism as there are still examples of pagan behaviour/stories in the Bible that might indicate a continuation of previous practices.  Household idols still exist.  (Just finished reading about Rachel stealing them from her father's house.)   God does talk with other beings who appear to be a somewhat equal footing with God, at least more equal than the relationship with humans.  And if there are no evil agents (only the clash of wills between God and human), then who/what is the serpent that tempts Eve?

While it is not necessarily a complete answer to my first question from last week, I can understand why this monotheistic world view and thus the creation story of the Bible would be more appealing and therefore more believable than other stories.  If you are going to believe in a god, I can see why people would feel more secure in a world created by a benevolent god with the power to look out for us compared to a chaotic world where gods clash and there is no divine order or control.