Did Monotheism Start With Abraham?

[SerenaHC]

Someone please help me. We’re confused in my bible study class. Some say that Abraham was always a monotheist. I thought he was a polytheist until God turned Abram into Abraham and then he became a monotheist. Need help with this, and lots of sources for research, please.

 

[NotWorthy]

Abram may have come from a polytheistic society (Ur), but I don’t know of any thing that indicates that he was polytheistic and then became enlightened.

I would have thought that Adam and Eve, as well as Noah, and probably Enoch, were all monotheistic. I don’t see anything to the contrary in Scripture.

 

[utunumsint]

Some claim the following distinction:

• Practical Monotheism : This means he lived in a Polytheistic society and did not really question or think much about the existence of other Gods, but for him, and his family, they worshiped only one God. However, certainly for Abraham, there was no God like Yahweh. The other Gods were weaker , lesser beings.
• Theoretical Monotheism : There is no other God but God, period. All the other gods are just idols, made of wood and stone. This is more a revelation during the time of the prophets.

I hope this helps.

God bless,
Ut

 

[NotWorthy]

That is a good point, Ut.

In ancient society each country had their own god or gods. That god’s authority or power only resided in their country. Ra, the sun god of Egypt could not cause a drought in Israel. When two countries made war on each other, the winner was thought to have had the more powerful god, for the gods traveled with their armies. Not seen, mind you, but the armies strength was a testament to the god’s strength.

Notice that Naaman brings the soil of Israel back with him to Assyria so he can still worship the God of Israel back home. (at least I think it was Naaman who filled cart loads with Israel’s soil).

This is why God’s power was so different. Notice that God would say He was the God of Israel and yet He was able to determine things outside of Israel. This is one of the things that makes the prophets words so powerful. They were telling other countries that God’s power was everywhere.

However, Abraham never seemed to cater to this theory, as far as I know.

 

[utunumsint]

I agree. If Abraham was a pratical monotheist, it certainly does not come out in the Bible. He never gives a moments thought to other people’s gods. He never sacrifices to them. Abraham is told to get bride for Isaac amongst his relatives, and he does, but on the condition that they were not to live with them, but bring them back to where Abraham was (probably because Laban was a polytheist). Jacob does the same thing and gets Laban’s daughters, Rachel, and Leia. Rachel steals her father’s idols, but the text makes it clear that this was not with Jacob’s knowledge, and that the idols were unclean because she sat on them during her period (or at least that is the excuss she gives). Jacob’s son Joseph is never shown to be worshipping any of the gods of Pharaoh or the Egyptians, but is always faithful to the God of his Fathers. The Isrealites living under Pharaoh are never shown to be worshipping the gods of the Egyptians.

All of this to say that if they were practical monotheists, and not theoretical monotheists, they certainly had no care or concern with offending neighbouring gods, or sacrificing to them. This is something the other people would do, especially when entering into a new land. They would make sure the local gods were appeased. After Isreal was destroyed, and the people of the other five kings conquered by Assyria were settled there, they had problems and plagues (if I remember correctly) so they blamed it on the fact that Yahweh had no priests and was angry with them. So they sent for an Isrealite priest to appease him. This is something the Isrealites, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, etc… never do.

The rejection of the other gods as idols becomes explicit in the covenant with Moses and even more explicit with the prophets. Even if it was not openly declared by Abraham, it was certainly implicit in all of his actions.

God bless,
Ut

 

[utunumsint]

As for your question, I agree with what NotWorthy said in post 2.

God bless,
Ut

 

[SerenaHC]

See Joshua 24:2. Abram’s father was a polytheist, so why assume he was not raised that way?

Regarding Adam and Eve, they were in those first 11 chapters of Genesis where the literary genre is somewhat symbolic. I’m looking for documentation of what the RCC teaches about this. I can’t seem to find it.

 

[utunumsint]

See Joshua 24:2. Abram’s father was a polytheist, so why assume he was not raised that way?

Regarding Adam and Eve, they were in those first 11 chapters of Genesis where the literary genre is somewhat symbolic. I’m looking for documentation of what the RCC teaches about this. I can’t seem to find it.

Thanks for clarifying,

Abraham is the first character in the Bible that historians consider to be a (somewhat) verifiable historical figure. So if you define the emergence monotheistic based on historically verifiable figures, then yes, Abraham is the first.

However, the church does not teach that Adam and Eve did not exist. It does state the the accounts in Genesis use symbolic language, but it represents real events. Polythiesm, according to the Catholic Catechism, is a consequence of original sin.

57
This state of division into many nations is at once cosmic, social, and religious. It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity,10 united only in its perverse ambition to forge its own unity as at Babel.11 But, because of sin, both polytheism and the idolatry of the nation and of its rulers constantly threaten this provisional economy with the perversion of paganism.

God bless,
Ut

 

[Nita]

Thanks for clarifying,

Abraham is the first character in the Bible that historians consider to be a (somewhat) verifiable historical figure. So if you define the emergence monotheistic based on historically verifiable figures, then yes, Abraham is the first.

What about Melchizedek?
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.

Nita

 

[Seraphim25]

I don’t think that Monotheism started with Abraham, I would have to say Adam/Eve and thier sons and daughters. After Can killed Abel Can was banished from the land and settle elsewhere.
That separation caused more problems in regards to Cans descendants would follow after they parted from Adams.
Consider Enoch and all of his sons following up to Noah. if Noah found favor and righteousness then I would conclude that Noah acknowledged God as THEE God and would also say that he dismissed any other God.
Abrahm was called by God to allow a people that God could call his own. Though all People are Gods, God I believe wanted to have a people/nation that can be preists and be a holy nation before all others to be a light and witness that thier is truly ONE God.
Then when Moses came in the seen after 400 hundred years of oppression as what was said to Abraham, God made it undeniably clear that there is only ONE God at which they should worship and not acknowledge any other God.
Throughout history God has revealed more and more of himself and his will. He reveals himself in stages thats what I get out of the old testament expecially. When Jesus came in the world he revealed who God was and is, and still will reveal himself without hesitation and to allow us to experience a most holy and peacful and yet can’t describe Gods glory in Human language because it falls short. But we do know that God is love and love was shown through Jesus Christ at the crucifixion.! God bless