Barbara Nevling Porter '68 (ed.), One God or Many? Concepts of Divinity in the Ancient World, Casco Bay Assyriological Institute, 2000
In his book Moses and Monotheism, Sigmund Freud argued that the biblical figure of Moses was born an Egyptian. But if Moses were raised in the polytheistic culture of ancient Egypt, how could he have inaugurated the so-called monotheistic revolution for which the Hebrew Bible became so famous? The answer, according to the good doctor Freud, was that "the religion Moses gave to his Jewish people was yet his own, an Egyptian religion though not the Egyptian one." What Freud had in mind was this: In the period before Moses, Egypt had undergone its own theological revolution under the rule of the Pharaoh Akhenaten (or, as Freud called him, Ikhnaton). For a brief period before his changes were reversed by those who had previously been in power, Akhenaten radically transformed Egyptian religion: "He raised the Aton religion to the official religion and thereby the universal God became the Only God; all that was said of other gods became deceit and guile.... It is the first case in the history of mankind, and perhaps the purest, of a monotheistic religion."
Freud did not invent the claim that ancient Egyptian culture developed its own form of monotheism, nor did his book end discussion on this complicated and still controversial subject. Indeed, the past few decades have witnessed a growing interest in the relationship of polytheism and monotheism in the ancient world. As Barbara Nevling Porter's excellent new edited volume One God or Many? Concepts of Divinity in the Ancient World reveals, things are even more complex and fascinating than Freud ever imagined. Porter, a research associate at the Harvard Semitic Museum and the director of the Casco Bay Assyriological Institute, clearly and succintly spells out the book's main theoretical issues in its introduction. As she puts it, "The difference between the monotheistic and polytheistic conception of divinity as one or many rests to a large extent on the participants' definitions of deity."
In other words, the line between polytheism and monotheism is not nearly as clear or as rigid as many of us, including Freud, would assume. For example, the three great "monotheistic traditions," Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all posit the existence of beings such as angels; devils; and jinni, a class of spirits that, according to Muslims, inhabit the earth, assume various forms, and exercise supernatural power. Although they are not considered gods within these religions, Porter points out that, "From the point of view of an outside observer, however, these beings bear a strong resemblance in their powers and functions to the minor gods of many polytheistic systems." Indeed, during the Middle Ages, Muslims and Jews sometimes accused Christians of being polytheists because of their belief in the Trinity.
Scholars of the ancient Near East have become increasingly interested in exploring the relationship between the "one and the many," to repeat a phrase employed by Porter in her own contribution to the volume, an illuminating essay on concepts of divinity in ancient Assyria, the northern Mesopotamian culture best known to nonspecialists for its role in exiling the 10 "lost tribes" of Israel in the eighth century B.C.E. But, until now, studies devoted to the question of polytheism and monotheism in the different cultures of the ancient Near East have not been brought together in a single volume. In One God or Many? Porter has succeeded in assembling an impressive group of scholars in the fields of Assyriology, biblical studies, classical studies, and Egyptology. Each has produced an essay that stands on its own and also participates in a broader cross-cultural discourse. One of the most helpful and illuminating features of the volume is a final section that provides an edited transcript of discussions that took place between the five scholars who contributed essays.
Many readers will be surprised by some of the provocative conclusions reached in this volume. For example, in the lively debate recorded in the final section, Stephen Geller, a biblical scholar at the Jewish Theological Seminary, argues that "true monotheism is a philosophical doctrine and not available before medieval philosophy.... It is very difficult to get monotheism out of Israelite religion, let alone rabbinic religion." Whether or not you agree with the claims made by Geller and the other scholars in this volume, after reading its clearly written and accessible essays, you will never again, as Freud might have put it, look at a god as just a god.
--Nathaniel Deutsch
Associate Professor of Religion
Emily Abel '64, Hearts of Wisdom: American Women Caring for Kin, 1850-1940, Harvard University Press, 2000. Drawing on public health records, white farm women's diaries, and antebellum slave narratives, the author examines caregiving in America.
Winifred Armstrong '51, The Paper Trail: Connecting Economic and Natural Systems, The Sustainability Education Center of The American Forum for Global Education, 1998. This introduction to ecological economics focuses on understanding the earth's "household" and management.
John Brumbaugh '48, Criminal Law and Approaches to the Study of Law, third ed., Foundation Press, 2001. This casebook presents the elements of substantive criminal law and helps students enter the legal world.
Helene (Peet) Foley '64, Female Acts in Greek Tragedy, Princeton University Press, 2001. Using an anthropological approach and literary analysis, the author explores gender relations in ancient Greece.
Carol (Thompson) Hemingway '52, Oswald, an American Osprey, Kilimanjaro Co., 2001. The author describes osprey family life.
Leslie (Gillette) Jackson '42, Poet in Spain, Shank Painter Co., 2000. A painter with a longtime interest in the past and language of Spain, Jackson created poems and drawings that convey the Spanish landscape.
Victor Jose '44, The Free Paper in America: Struggle for Survival, Graphic Press, 2000. The author, who once owned a free weekly paper in Richmond, Va., and has defended the rights of owners of similar publications around the United States, covers the increase of paid-newspaper monopolies, joint operating agreements between otherwise competing paid dailies, the growth of newspaper chains, competition for the advertiser's dollar, and other growing threats to free papers.
Annette Duchêne and Jacques Joussot-Dubien '49, Les effets biologiques des rayonnements non ionisants, Flammarion Médecine-Sciences, 2001. The main properties of nonionizing radiation and ultrasonic vibrations are described in relation to their biological effects and sanitary potential.
Steven Wöndu and Ann Lesch '66, Battle for Peace in Sudan: An Analysis of the Abuja Conferences, 1992-1993, University Press of America, 2000. This book is written for those interested in an in-depth understanding of the Sudanese conflict and the possible options for resolution.
Jeffrey Escoffier and Matthew Lore '88 (eds.), l'allegro, il penseroso ed il moderato: A Celebration, Marlowe & Company, 2001. Through photographs and essays, this book commemorates Mark Morris' evening-length dance, which premiered in Brussels, Belgium, in 1988.
Bradley Mittman '88, Nail the Boards! The Ultimate Internal Medicine Review for Board Exams, Frontrunners Board Review, 2001. This outlined review of internal medicine will aid health care professionals preparing for medical boards.
Penny Patch '66 et al., Deep in Our Hearts: Nine White Women in the Freedom Movement, The University of Georgia Press, 2000. These first-person accounts illuminate the lives of nine young women coming of age in the '60s.
Peter N. Stearns, Peter Seixas '69, and Sam Wineburg (eds.), Knowing, Teaching, and Learning History: National and International Perspectives, New York University Press, 2000. This book identifies the current issues and problems in history education.
Gonzalo Rojas, Velocities of the Possible, John Oliver Simon '64 (trans.), Red Dragonfly Press, 2000. Simon received a 2001 National Endowment of the Arts literature fellowship for translating 12 poems.
Carolyn Panzer Sobel '60, The Cognitive Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Mayfield Publishing Co., 2001. This text examines the historical and contemporary issues and findings of the core cognitive science disciplines, including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, and artificial intelligence.
Irina Ratushinskaya, Wind of the Journey, Lydia Razran Stone '64 (trans.), Cornerstone Press Chicago, 2000. Arrested for her writing and sentenced to a Soviet prison camp, Ratushinskaya continued to write poems.
Elizabeth Strom '80, Building the New Berlin: The Politics of Urban Development in Germany's Capital City, Lexingon Books, 2001. This work illustrates the relationship between architecture and politics in a dialogue about whom Berlin should serve.
Helen (Ogden) Willis '46, Night Window, Janet Stanley Mustin '45 (cover art), Scopcræft Press, 2000. These poems shed light on childhood and nature.
Stanton Wortham '85, Narratives in Action: A Strategy for Research and Analysis, Teachers College Press, 2001. This work offers a concrete approach to analyzing narrative discourse.
CDs/DVDs
Carol Elkins '55, Starting From CAT, 2001. The "new anthem" in the March issue of the Bulletin (p. 38) inspired Elkins to write one of her own for a documentary film of her work teaching children in West Harlem to read. Her rendition in honor of learning, to the tune of "Simple Gifts," may be heard on this DVD, where she accompanies herself on concertina.
Jerome Goodman '55, Stockbridge Overtones and Selected Works, MMC Recorings, 2000. The Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, the New York Chamber Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra perform.
Naomi Sokoloff '75 and Monica Devens, Speak Hebrew, Smiles Productions, 2000. This interactive CD-ROM for modern spoken Hebrew teaches everyday conversation.
Debbie Bennett '79, The Connection, Steve Yeager (director), 2001. Bennett is one of the stars of this independent film with a current dialogue about drugs, which was featured during a world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival in May.
Gail Lerner '92 and Colin Campbell, Seraglio, 2000. This 13-minute comedy, about an unhappy housewife who becomes an unlikely seductress, was nominated for an Oscar as Best Live-Action Short Film. It was winner of the Best Live-Action Short Film at the 2000 Deauville Festival.
Suli Holum '97 has a new play, The Lollipop Project, which opened recently at the Walnut Street Theater Studio 15 in Philadelphia.
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