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Two powers in heaven: The significance of the rabbinic reports about binitarianism ditheism and dualism for the history of early Christianity and Judaism
- GenresReligion
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Alan F. Segal
16 books14 followersAlan Franklin Segal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_F....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_F....
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 29, 2024
I picked up this book because it was referenced by the late Dr. Michael Heiser discussing the notion that the idea of “two powers in heaven” or binitarianism was not an idea invented whole cloth by Christians, but was in the consciousness of Hellenistic and apocalyptic Judaism of the first century. So, what I expected from the book was a focus on this point. This point came out in the book, but it was a building block to the author’s actual point of inquiry: who were the two power heretics denounced by the Rabbinic Jewish community and how far back were these debates occurring?
That’s all fine and good. In making his case, the author introduced me to the thoughts of Hellenistic and apocalyptic Jews, Marcion, gnostics, and the complex angelologies that some Jews and gnostics had in the first few centuries CE (these angel speculations make sense of the New Testament’s repeated warnings of angel speculation). This knowledge was the most fruitful takeaway for me from this book.
Having said that, this was an academic work and not especially approachable for someone without at least a cursory knowledge of text criticism’s methodology (which in my current understanding, I think can be useful but also can build theories on mountains of sometimes questionable assumptions) and knowledge of Rabbinic Judaism. I knew a little if the former and almost nothing of the latter when I started the book. Because this was an academic work, there weren’t explanations of either, so I had to supplement my reading with online research to understand the book’s points and sources concerning Rabbinic Judaism
That’s all fine and good. In making his case, the author introduced me to the thoughts of Hellenistic and apocalyptic Jews, Marcion, gnostics, and the complex angelologies that some Jews and gnostics had in the first few centuries CE (these angel speculations make sense of the New Testament’s repeated warnings of angel speculation). This knowledge was the most fruitful takeaway for me from this book.
Having said that, this was an academic work and not especially approachable for someone without at least a cursory knowledge of text criticism’s methodology (which in my current understanding, I think can be useful but also can build theories on mountains of sometimes questionable assumptions) and knowledge of Rabbinic Judaism. I knew a little if the former and almost nothing of the latter when I started the book. Because this was an academic work, there weren’t explanations of either, so I had to supplement my reading with online research to understand the book’s points and sources concerning Rabbinic Judaism
December 20, 2023
Looks like it will be informative. I must confess to moving my lips a lot while reading this. And it will likely take a while.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews