God Against the Gods: The History of Monotheism and Polytheism

by Robert Garland, The Great Courses

Religion is foundational to what it means to be human. Our quest for meaning is as ancient as our very existence, stretching back to a time when Neanderthal burials and Paleolithic figurines suggest our ancestors recognized a power that transcended visible reality. From ancient civilizations to the 21st century, belief in a higher power seems to be a universal human instinct. It tells us much about where we came from—and who we are today.

What’s fascinating is that this universal instinct has led some cultures to believe in one God while others worship a pantheon of higher beings. This divide between God and the gods raises unique questions in humanity’s search for existential meaning, such as:

· What is the role of a higher power in human affairs?

· How do we reach out to a deity (or deities), and which deity do we contact?

· Do good and evil exist in human morality, or are they products of religious doctrine?

· What happens when we die? Is there an afterlife?

Travel across time and around the world to explore these questions and more in God against the Gods: The History of Monotheism and Polytheism. Taught by acclaimed Professor Robert Garland of Colgate University, these 12 thought-provoking lectures introduce you to the world of comparative religion, giving you insights into a variety of religious expressions and human cultures.

Among other domains, your course will cover:

· The earliest manifestations of religion in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt;

· The pantheons of ancient Greece and Rome;

· The Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;

· Hinduism; and

· Folk religions in the world today.

Throughout your study, you will learn that although religions can be organized according to monotheism versus polytheism, there are core ideas at work among different religions that can unite us in a common humanity. Ultimately, this course is about human connection and the ties that bind us in a chaotic world.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Audiobook, History

7 pages, Audible Audio

Published May 24, 2024

About the author

Dr. Robert S.J. Garland is the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at Colgate University. He earned his B.A. in Classics from Manchester University, his M.A. in Classics from McMaster University, and his Ph.D. in Ancient History from University College London.

A former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the George Grote Ancient History Prize, Professor Garland has educated students and audiences at a variety of levels. In addition to teaching classics at Colgate University, he has taught English and Drama to secondary school students and lectured at universities throughout Britain as well as the British School of Archaeology in Athens.

Professor Garland is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and books capturing details of all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman life, including The Greek Way of Life: From Conception to Old Age; Introducing New Gods: The Politics of Athenian Religion; and Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. His expertise has been featured in The History Channel's "Last Stand of the 300," and he has repeatedly served as a consultant for educational film companies.

Reviews

[Cameron Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Great Course and very enjoyable and informative on the origins and development of monotheism and polytheism. Monotheism is a relatively recent development, dating to approximately 1350 B.C.E. in ancient Egypt, only about 3,700 years ago. That’s nothing in deep time.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK. Reasonably balanced.

I did object to one thing, mildly. When he talked about the treatment of women in the various religions... I think he misunderstood why Jews (including myself) thank God every day for Him not having made me a woman. I say that because it means I am allowed to perform more commandments than a woman... not that I am better than a woman. I am thanking God for my role in His plan. I once asked an Orthodox group of men (with no women present) right after prayer service what they were thinking when they recited that blessing. The answer came immediately and with conviction. They got to perform more commandments than women did. Since they answered immediately that meant to me that they had given some thought to the question long before I asked it.

Good work, guys. You weren't just mumbling your prayers. You're thinking.

Also, another small error the professor made involved pronouns. He seemed not to realize that although most names for God in Hebrew imply a MALE gender, one name for God does take on a FEMALE gender and it is used quite often and favorably. It is Shekhinah (pronounced sheh-kheen-NAH] with the kh pronounced like the ch in Bach or loch). It is usually translated into English as "The Divine Presence." This name is used when God is closest to us and embraces us. To foster this closeness with God is considered ideal in prayer. Some people would consider this an example of the Diving feminine. I don't, but I also don't see any harm in doing so. If it helps you to think of God as feminine, fine.

FYI, according to Maimonides, God has no gender and that is how I think of God. But Hebrew works like many other languages and requires that some gender designation be assigned to words whether it makes sense or not. Spanish works this way. So does German, although German has a neutral pronoun "das" to go along with "der" and "die".

I thought that would be interesting to some. Sorry for the digression. Please enjoy the rest of your day.

[Nilesh Jasani · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3/5 Stars**

*God vs. the Gods* presents a conceptually unique topic that initially promises a deep dive into religious history, yet it struggles to cover enough ground even for a short course. The professor makes a significant and understandable effort to strip away value judgments, striving to keep every comparison as neutral as possible. However, this academic detachment cannot mask the fundamental lack of adequate material. The central premise—contrasting polytheistic and monotheistic traditions—falters because the categories themselves are too broad; there is often little commonality between religions within the same "bucket," and the contrast between the two groups is frequently less distinct than the title suggests.

As a result of this thin central argument, the lectures frequently veer off into aspects of various specific religions or historical factoids that feel like fillers intended to pad the runtime. Even when the course manages to stay on topic, the comparisons are often interesting primarily because of the numerous exceptions required to justify every generalization. Despite these structural flaws and the reliance on digressions, it remains an engaging listen, largely due to the inherent novelty of the subject matter.

[Elwin Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Really liked it." - 4 out of 5 star rating.

My first Great Course for 2026! Really enjoyed it. This was a good one. Don't let the narrators accent or somewhat slow start scare you away! It really unfolds into a very enjoyable experience.

I've literally taken 3 pages of notes as I went through this, with more to follow-up on as further research topics that I want to dive in to. Absolutely love the listener-pull/engagement it has provided for me.

As tempted as I am to slap down all of my notes here, I shall refrain. I do however look forward to having some fun in-person conversations about this course and hopefully things stay peaceful - lol. As you know, religion is one of those topics that can get heated quickly, especially with the "I've got it right, everyone else is wrong, I am unwilling to think/accept anything outside of my perspective" crowd. Either way - looking forward to it.

The ONLY reason why I am not giving this 5-stars is that it was a bit short. At only ~7 hours, I wish it was at least twice the length, simply because I was enjoying it so much.

[Killthehumans Savetheforest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ive never been disappointed in a Teaching Company lecture before but this was incredibly shallow and written by someone raised Christian (who, without looking, Im going to assume now identifies as an atheist, with an objective oversight on the primitives) and "thinks he's aware of all biases". I dont even want to finish this because its a case study frozen in time, of secular chauvinism, not about religions at all. In fact it knows startlingly little about religion. Like this is the normal amount of knowledge you would have if you were raised a Christian and had zero exposure to other religions growing up, but took a highschool world religions class taught by a white Catholic man.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this one. The content is pretty shallow and haphazard. The lecturer takes a general topic and then just gives you some prominent examples of it in various ancient (and modern) religions. Plus, the lecturer gets a bit preachy—you can tell what he thinks when he tells you something that goes against modern norms, or even if he can respect some practice he doesn't agree with. I don't need a lecturer to tell me that child sacrifice is kinda horrible; what I want is a deeper understanding of why people would do that and not think it is horrible. Pretty disappointing, really.

[Brett Childs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This professor frequently gets hung up on moralizing in his works, as well gives off the impression that he has a superficial - academic, progressive - grasp of religion.

Regardless, it wasn’t unexpected as it is “The History of-“; and so the lectures + guidebook serve their intended purpose in the degree they’re made for

[Gauravi Lobo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Much more philosophical and mythological than historical. But that’s far from a bad thing.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing about lots of different religions and comparing but this course felt very disjointed. I would have liked it to be longer and a little more thematically coherent.