God Against The Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism Paperback – February 1, 2005

This author has worked hard to give a voice to the pagan holocaust. Christians of the 21st century rarely if ever pause to ask “how did my European and African ancestors come to worship the Christian god known as God?”This book is rich with footnotes and resources. It is detailed in the long struggle of native European religion and eventual doom that those who did not wish to convert would face. We know of the monsters who murdered the Jews in Nazi led Germany.We have failed to remember the millions who were murdered the name of the god Christ. Christianity moved from a Helenized Jewish cult pre Constantine to a totalitarian war machine under the Nicene Council And devolution of the Roman Empire.Later after the nations of Europe had forgotten their gods and goddesses- Christian mentality would turn on itself and the vile wars and persecution’s of Orthodox versus Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic versus Lutheran and Anglican Protestants and then the missionary movements and witch hunts in colonial conquest which still burn through the world today.This book tells us the of the seeds of intolerance and reminds us of a purer time when humanity had one less thing to fight about. Lest we remember and not repeat out past.This is a book that every Christian, nonbeliever, agnostic and modern Pagan should read. If you haven’t looked at the history, do not fool yourself to think that you know.

Very good book! Intriguing and captivating. Author did his research!

Kirsch's "God Against the Gods" is aptly subtitled -- intriguingly and entertainingly he traces the Western history of monotheism's struggles to replace polytheism, starting with Akhenaton all the way to Theodosius. He attempts to correct the distortions of Paganism perpetuated by the Judeo-Christian historians and he laments the lost riches of Greco-Roman culture destroyed by the Christian purges. He wonders what today's world might be like had not Julian foolishly gotten himself killed but had restored Paganism, and thus might have consigned Christianity to no more than a footnote in history. All in all, Kirsch's latest book is well worth reading.However I have a couple of concerns with Kirsch's perspective. I suggest that the difference between monotheism and polytheism wasn't that the monotheists believed in only one god. If we apply to Christianity the same definition of `gods' that the Greco-Romans used for all their greater and lesser gods, we'd have to include as `gods': God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Mother Mary, all the Apostles, all the saints, and all the angels and devils. (Just as Pagans looked to their patron god, Christians look to their patron saint or guardian angel, i.e. a `god'.) And the Jews not only have Yahweh but their many prophets, plus angels and devils. So the difference between mono- and polytheisms is not belief in just one `god' but rather in a strict hierarchy of `gods'. The Pagan gods were anarchist whereas the Judeo-Christian `gods' are all subordinate to one God. Which is just what the Roman emperors wanted in order to legitimize their power to control their vast empire, provided of course that the emperor could somehow utilize the authority of that God. By adopting and adapting `orthodox' Christianity to the Roman hierarchal system of government and culling the many other `heretical' sects, they hoped to save the Roman Empire. It didn't work, but it did secured the establishment of Christianity.Second and more important, it's time to trade-in the belief in `gods' for a more enlightened understanding of the origin and root of human's belief in `gods' by utilizing the knowledge that science has gained for us in just the past few centuries. After all, when monotheism originated millennia ago, not only did they think the gods controlled everything above, on and below the Earth, but that the Earth was flat and was the center of the Universe, plus many other misconceptions we now disparage. So we can understand why back then they believed in gods, but why now does belief in God and `gods' still persist? Perhaps there's something in our human nature that science hasn't yet discovered and/or fully explained.Indeed the first sentence in Kirsch's Prologue reads, "Something deep in human nature prompts us to imagine the existence of a power greater than ourselves, whether we call it `Yahweh' or `Christ' or `Allah', `Mother Nature' or `the Higher Power' or `the Universe'." I believe it's time to move-on from belief in `gods' and search for the source of such beliefs, not in `gods' `out there' but `in here' deep within our own human nature. That's what I've attempted to do over the past several years since my retirement. And I've described my search and conclusions in my new book, "Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest for Science-Minded Skeptics". (Theism is belief in `gods', atheism is non-belief in `gods' and prototheism is the search for the origin and root of belief in `gods' -- a science of religion.) If you're intrigued by this question, you might take a look at Amazon's detail pages on my book. The book succinctly covers some of the same issues as Kirsch but then continues on to explore the origin and root of belief in `gods', and at how those insights might be applied in our world today.

This is a very concise, yet thorough, history of the war between the One True God and the many varied Gods of paganism from the beginning of religion. Anyone who wants to expand their mind can do so by reading this book. It is not biased that I could see and explains many events that had not been explained satisfactorily to me in the past by clergymen. It reflects the changes that can be made by one or several men that will affect an entire world and how one change can destroy or build several generations of beliefs. Very satisfying to anyone who wishes to know the true occurences of religious history.

Jonathan Kirsch does an excellent job of showing the reader just how much tolerance the early polytheistic belief systems had before the onset of monotheism. Even during the time of One True Wayism, the ancient pagans accepted the monotheistic beliefs. It wasn't until the early Christians disrespected the pagan beliefs (smashing alters and statues, ect.) that things began to sour. The pagan tolerance wore thin, and the Christians suffered for it. Through the next few centuries Kirsch takes us through the tug'o'war of polytheism with monotheism...where in the end, monotheism wins out and we see the biggest purge of non-"orthodox" Christians and pagans yet.This is a wonderfully written book on the history of when and how polytheism was overtaken and outlawed by the rigorist monotheists and their One True God and how it connects with the way the world is today (holy wars, religious intolerance, terrorists).

This book had a lot of good content and made some really interesting points. Author clearly did their research, and I actually agreed with most of their views. However, I was a little bothered by the overall tone. This book reads more like a biased argumentative essay, rather than an objective presentation of historical facts.If you’re looking for heavy polytheism > monotheism content, you will enjoy this book.If you’re looking for a more objective history where you can draw your own conclusions, this may not be for you.

Yes!

History books mention Constantine but not much about Julian. The devious ways of mono theisms with their control of the administration has pretty much erased the real history of the world.The values of the Western world are primarily pagan in their origin, yet pagans are looked down upon due to the influence of Christianity in academic works.This book introduces the conflicts that continue to today in which mono theisms try to manipulate the thinking and values of the society.

Un libro difícil de conseguir en español, El tema es muy interesante y la lectura no es tan complicada. Vale la pena porque hace muchas reflexiones sobre las religiones monoteístas

If you are interested in this area then this is a very good book which provides a very well thought out and explained approach to the subject.

Backed by meticulous research, this book provides a glimpse on the rise of monotheism and how it emerged as the key religious belief in Europe. Book is well-written and shares a balanced perspective and is littered with personal stories and anecdotes. It also illuminates the probable motivations of behind historical decisions made. The language is rich yet easy to understand. Overall, it makes up for a compelling read for anyone interested in this topic.