Biblical Monothesim: Exclusive or Inclusive? – Benjamin Sommer
May 7 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
This lecture will examine the discussion of pluralism in the field of comparative theology in light of a core question in the history of Israelite religion. It will create a dialogue between the work of historians of religion such as Yehezkel Kaufmann and theologians such as John Hick, with some reference to the Egyptologist Jan Assmann, moving from a close reading of passages in Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Isaiah to much broader theological issues.
Benjamin Sommer is Professor of Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary. His books, Revelation and Authority: Sinai in Jewish Scripture and Tradition (2015), The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel (2009), and A Prophet Reads Scripture: Allusion in Isaiah 40-66 (1998), received multiple prizes in the United States and Israel. The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz described Sommer as “an iconoclast but a traditionalist-he shatters idols and prejudices in order to nurture Jewish tradition and its applicability today.” He is the subject of one of the documentaries in the On the Threshold series of films on contemporary Christian, Jewish, and Muslim theologians. The film is available on You Tube (https://youtu.be/HkucTib3fMk).
Thursday, May 7, 2026 • 314 Royce Hall • 4 PM
Biblical Monothesim: Exclusive or Inclusive?
Benjamin Sommer (Jewish Theological Seminary)
Moderator: William Schniedewind (UCLA)
The Bible and the Ancient World Seminar Series