Divine Fatherhood: Re-examining the Paradigm

Abstract

This study examines various approaches to the understanding of the father-God concept, recognizing that much that has been said up to this point has been heavily influenced by sources other than either the Hebrew Scriptures or their Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) context. It briefly traces the development of the concept from the time of Origen through to modem times, noticing that biblical texts have been minimized through Greco-Roman paradigms or anthropocentric concerns. This is followed by a brief survey of Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian and Ugaritic concepts of their father-gods which are then compared and contrasted with references to the Hebrew Scriptures. The resulting picture may be more different than commonly accepted.

Key Words: Fatherhood of God, father-gods, Father-God, Sumerian gods, personal gods, Babylonian gods, Egyptian gods