The Evolution of Jewish Monotheism

This week's review provides a historical analysis of "Judaism’s definitive theological proclamation" that God is one.

Posted on December 15, 2025 in Reviews of the Month

The Evolution of Jewish Monotheism: ‘God Is One,’ from Antiquity to Modernity

Grossberg, David Michael. Cambridge, 2025
338p bibl index, 9781009569194 $120.00, 9781009569187 $120.00

The Evolution of Jewish Monotheism: 'God Is One,' from Antiquity to Modernity book cover

The idea that God is one is generally understood to be Judaism’s definitive theological proclamation. Given the centrality of this concept within Judaism, it is striking that the idea of God’s oneness has not heretofore been subjected to a comprehensive historical analysis. Grossberg (Cornell Univ.) meets this need, detailing the diverse meanings that have emerged over time about the idea of divine oneness, both in religions in general and in the religion of Israel in particular. Looking at relevant texts and thinkers, he examines the Ancient Near Eastern context, the biblical period, and Hellenistic and medieval times. He concludes with diverse contemporary treatments of the idea. Demonstrating the concept’s range of meanings, Grossberg shows how the idea that God is one evolved to address the distinct theological needs of Jews in each period. His illuminating study is essential for readers who want to follow the remarkable evolution of this idea and for those whose interests lie in one or the other of the individual periods Grossberg expounds. For all readers, a central lesson is that, however we approach the term, we will hardly grasp the extent of the potential connotations of so superficially simple an idea as “God is one.”

Summing Up: Essential. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; general readers.
Reviewer: A. J. Avery-Peck, College of the Holy Cross
Subject: Humanities – Religion
Choice Issue: Jan 2026

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