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What has influenced Abrahamic faiths?

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
What has influenced the development of Abrahamic faiths, and in what way?

I'm reading A History of God. I'm not very far, but it seems the book is going to delve into the varying cultural and religious influences that helped shape and change the three major Abrahamic faiths over the millenniums.

I figured I'd ask you wise folk what you know on this topic! For me, I'll continue reading.
 

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
Old Canaanite religion for one.
Excerpt
It is highly likely that Abraham's God was El, the high God of Cannan. This deity introduces himself to Abraham as El Shaddai (El of the mountain), which was one of El's traditional titles. Elsewhere he is called El Elyon (The Most High God) or El of Bethel. The name of the Cannanite High God is preserved in such Hebrew names such as Isra-El and Ishma-El
 

Exaltist Ethan

Bridging the Gap Between Believers and Skeptics
I'm pretty sure most teachings of Abraham come from Zoroastrianism. One monotheistic God, duality of good and evil and the conception of the devil, and both being Zoroastrian (Parsis) and Jewish are viewed as ethnicities.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Excerpt
It is highly likely that Abraham's God was El, the high God of Cannan. This deity introduces himself to Abraham as El Shaddai (El of the mountain), which was one of El's traditional titles. Elsewhere he is called El Elyon (The Most High God) or El of Bethel. The name of the Cannanite High God is preserved in such Hebrew names such as Isra-El and Ishma-El
The canaante god was maybe el, maybe il, and honestly it could be ool, or uli, or any combination of vowel sounds.

"For the Canaanites and the ancient Levantine region as a whole, ʼĒl or ʼIl was the supreme god, "

Regarding God of the mountain, it's kind of a weak theory. El Shaddai - Wikipedia.
 

Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
What has influenced the development of Abrahamic faiths, and in what way?

I'm reading A History of God. I'm not very far, but it seems the book is going to delve into the varying cultural and religious influences that helped shape and change the three major Abrahamic faiths over the millenniums.

I figured I'd ask you wise folk what you know on this topic! For me, I'll continue reading.

Great book! Zoroastrianism heavily influenced them, as well as Canaanite myth and Greek culture. What everyone else said basically.
 

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
Excerpt
It is highly likely that Abraham's God was El, the high God of Cannan. This deity introduces himself to Abraham as El Shaddai (El of the mountain), which was one of El's traditional titles. Elsewhere he is called El Elyon (The Most High God) or El of Bethel. The name of the Cannanite High God is preserved in such Hebrew names such as Isra-El and Ishma-El

Yes, but Yahweh, was not El in Canaan. They were two seperate deities. El was supreme creator, and Yahweh was El's son, and a God of Metallurgy.
 

Viker

Häxan
The major cultures and traditions experienced by a group while migrating around ancient Mesopotamia and the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.... from Persia to Greece, Canaan, Egypt and everything between.
 

Ella S.

Dispassionate Goth
I received this book as a gift over the holiday season from a religious family member and I was planning to re-gift it. I haven't read it. I just assumed it was preachy garbage written to support some form of Christian pseudo-history. I didn't want to waste my time getting invested in reading it only to find out halfway through that the entire work was historical fan-fiction. So many books that market themselves to ostensibly be about the history of God or Jesus do this.

Does anyone know if this book might actually be worth reading?
 

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
I received this book as a gift over the holiday season from a religious family member and I was planning to re-gift it. I haven't read it. I just assumed it was preachy garbage written to support some form of Christian pseudo-history. I didn't want to waste my time getting invested in reading it only to find out halfway through that the entire work was historical fan-fiction. So many books that market themselves to ostensibly be about the history of God or Jesus do this.

Does anyone know if this book might actually be worth reading?
I'm not very far, but it seems to be a secular exploration of the three major Abrahamic faiths.

Not preachy imo

Edit: the author is Karen Armstrong just to make sure we are talking of the same book
 

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I'm pretty sure most teachings of Abraham come from Zoroastrianism. One monotheistic God, duality of good and evil and the conception of the devil, and both being Zoroastrian (Parsis) and Jewish are viewed as ethnicities.
I have heard this supposition before. I am not convinced. They may have influenced each other but which direction the influence went is what I question.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
What has influenced the development of Abrahamic faiths, and in what way?

I'm reading A History of God. I'm not very far, but it seems the book is going to delve into the varying cultural and religious influences that helped shape and change the three major Abrahamic faiths over the millenniums.

I figured I'd ask you wise folk what you know on this topic! For me, I'll continue reading.
I know that the plural of millennium is millennia.
 

It Aint Necessarily So

Veteran Member
Premium Member
What has influenced the development of Abrahamic faiths, and in what way?

Several centuries of humanism has shaped Christianity. It is a kinder, gentler religion for it. Before the Enlightenment, Christianity was more theocratic and intolerant, but humanism added freedom of and from religion as well as democracy. The Muslim world has also been absorbing some of this influence, but has been exposed to less of it, so, where Christianity used to hang women as witches and torture them in inquisitions but no longer does, the Muslim world is still cutting off hands, stoning people to death, pushing them off towers, and burning them alive in cages. They are also more resistant to democracy and the rights of women. But they'll come over eventually.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Several centuries of humanism has shaped Christianity. It is a kinder, gentler religion for it. Before the Enlightenment, Christianity was more theocratic and intolerant, but humanism added freedom of and from religion as well as democracy. The Muslim world has also been absorbing some of this influence, but has been exposed to less of it, so, where Christianity used to hang women as witches and torture them in inquisitions but no longer does, the Muslim world is still cutting off hands, stoning people to death, pushing them off towers, and burning them alive in cages. They are also more resistant to democracy and the rights of women. But they'll come over eventually.
Christianity was the origin of Humanism, not the other way around. Humanism took from it; it's a secular Christianity.
 
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