{"product_id":"monotheism-and-wisdom-in-the-hebrew-bible-an-uneasy-pair-hardback-9781009491877","title":"Monotheism and Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible; An Uneasy Pair? (Hardback) 9781009491877","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eMonotheism and Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eAn Uneasy Pair?\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis Element explores the link between monotheism and wisdom, highlighting compromises like dualism, act-consequence, and flawed creation.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eJames L. Crenshaw (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781009491877, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 13 February 2025\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e70 pages\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm, 0.268 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eMonotheism, belief in only one God, and wisdom, learning to cope by reason alone and teaching others to do so, faced resistance in the polytheistic world of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and lesser states including Israel. Paradoxically, in early biblical wisdom (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes) the deity was thought to be both human-like, with disturbing attributes, and increasingly transcendent-silent, disembodied, and inactive. Like Egyptian Ma'at, God the creator established the universe by decree, a law rewarding goodness and punishing evil, the flaw in creation, never satisfactorily resolved. Satan, a semi-divine rival, bore responsibility for bad things, while Wisdom, a personified female, communicated God's will to the discerning. Combining biblical revelation and Hellenism, Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon chose piety over Job's realism and the vanity literature of Ecclesiastes. Over millennia, the concept of God evolved, continuing a process begun in Paleolithic times.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eIntroduction: one god or many gods?\u003cbr\u003e 1. Dualism and a divine female persona\u003cbr\u003e 2. God in the image of human beings\u003cbr\u003e 3. Act\/consequence or divine intervention?\u003cbr\u003e 4. Communicating across the eternal divide\u003cbr\u003e 5. Evil, the flaw in creation\u003cbr\u003e 6. Divine decree and cosmic order\u003cbr\u003e 7. An evolving concept of deity\u003cbr\u003e Conclusion: the impact of monotheism on sages.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Religion: general [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Religion: general\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Religion:%20general%20%5BHRA%5D%22\"\u003eHRA\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52414091624728,"sku":"9781009491877","price":49.47,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781009491877i.jpg?v=1784337786","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/monotheism-and-wisdom-in-the-hebrew-bible-an-uneasy-pair-hardback-9781009491877","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}