1. Jesus_s_Divinity_and_Strict_Jewish_Monotheism.m4a
This scholarly topic explores the intricate relationship between Second Temple Jewish monotheism and the development of New Testament Christology, specifically focusing on how early Christians attributed divinity to Jesus within a Jewish context. The author critically examines two prevailing views: one that posits a "strict" Jewish monotheism making Jesus's divinity a radical break, and another that suggests a "flexible" monotheism with various "intermediary figures" that could prefigure Christ's divine status. The author argues for a "strict" monotheism in Second Temple Judaism, emphasizing that Jews clearly distinguished God from all other reality based on His unique identity as sole Creator and Ruler of all things, rather than a definition of divine nature. This unique identity, evidenced by daily recitation of the Shema and Decalogue, demanded exclusive worship of YHWH. Critically, the author asserts that while angels and exalted patriarchs were unequivocally seen as created beings and servants, certain personified aspects of God, like Wisdom and Word, were understood as intrinsic to God's unique identity, not as separate "semi-divine" entities. This nuanced understanding of God's identity, which allowed for distinctions within the divine without compromising monotheism, provides a framework for how early Christians could include Jesus in God's unique identity in a way that was radically novel yet still within a fundamentally Jewish conceptual context.
How could the earliest followers of Jesus, who were devout, monotheistic Jews, come to worship him as divine without seeing it as a complete contradiction of their faith? This question lies at the heart of early Christianity. For centuries, the common answers have suggested that these first believers either made a radical break with their Jewish roots or that they simply viewed Jesus as a kind of demigod—an intermediary figure who was more than human but less than the one true God.
These explanations, however, are likely wrong. The real answer is found not in a departure from Judaism, but in a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what "monotheism" actually meant in the Second Temple period. The puzzle is unlocked not by breaking the rules of Jewish monotheism, but by understanding the specific criteria Jews of that era used to define the one God's absolute uniqueness.
When modern readers think about monotheism, we often approach it through the lens of Greek philosophy, which focuses on God's "divine nature" or essence—an abstract concept of what God is. This framework defines divinity through metaphysical attributes like being unchangeable, incorruptible, and eternal.
However, Second Temple Judaism was more concerned with God's unique identity—that is, who God is. Just as a character in a story—King Lear, for example—is defined by a name, a history of specific actions, and a consistent character, so too was the God of Israel. In the grand narrative of Israel, YHWH was identifiable. He had a personal name (YHWH), a defining history (the God who brought Israel out of Egypt), and a revealed character (the one who is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love").
This focus on a unique, identifiable God—rather than an abstract divine essence—is the crucial first step to understanding how Jesus could be included within that very identity without shattering it.