The Problem of Evil: Monotheism and Dualism

Themes

• religion and worldviews
  • monism
    • polytheism
    • monotheism
  • dualism
• Hebrews, Trad.&Encount. pp. 50-51; Zoroastrians, pp. 145-49
• Why is there evil in the world?

Hebrew monotheism

• self-identity:
• Environment: Palestine, Semitic migrants
• Development: ethnogenesis
  • Canaanites (3150-1800 B.C.E.) and Semites (c. 2100 B.C.E.)
  • habiru
  • Patriarchs 19th-16th century B.C.E.
    • Abraham
    • Moses and YHWH
    • "Promised Land"
  • Judges and tribal rule 12th-11th cen. B.C.E.
  • United Kingdom 12th cen-926 B.C.E.: David * and Solomon
  • Divided Kingdom 926-722 B.C.E.: prophets
  • Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Alexander, Romans, Diaspora (Masada*)
• Culture and Worldview
  • Reader 6 (#32 and #33)
  • Creation: Genesis
  • Covenant: Deuteronomy
  • shema and monotheism
  • Scripture and tradition
    • Torah *
    • Qumran Essene community*
    • Dead Sea Scrolls
  • Jerusalem: Temple of Herod model (from UNF core abroad program, Paul Halsall); synagogue *
• Dealing with Evil:
  • Assyrians
  • Vision of Nahum, the fall of Ninevah
  • the wailing wall (from UNF core abroad program, Paul Halsall)
  • Holocaust: Yad Vashem
  • one omnipotent God?

Persian dualism

• Environment: Iranian plateau, 6th-5th cen. B.C.E.
• Zoroastrianism:
  • Prophet Zoroaster c. 600 B.C.E.
  • Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu [Ahriman]
  • Gathas and magi *
• influence

Conclusions

Explore!

• Avesta: Zoroastrian Archives
• Israel Museum (try archaeology wing and Jewish ethnography wing)