Dr. Harbin addresses two main ideas in relation to the larger issue of the origin and development of religion. First he explores the virtually universal observation of a "primitive high God" present in various cultures throughout the world. Based on these studies, he concludes that within every culture there was an original, early monotheism. This is demonstrated within the context of all the major world religions. In the process of these explorations, the author repudiates the prevalent view that religion evolved from a primitive polytheism to the "higher revealed" religions and instead demonstrates a process of development from that early monotheism into increasingly complex polytheisms. Second, the author examines the role of historical events in the founding of major religions. He specifically addresses the exodus and the resurrection of Judaism and Christianity, respectively, as the historical foundations of those beliefs, and then contrasts that with the lack of such historical events in "all" other world religions. University Press of America, 1994 |