Video Archives - Lunchtime Talk with Ory Amitay (2012)

Thursday, February 16, 2012: Lunchtime Talk with Ory Amitay

Participant: Ory Amitay, Professor of History at the University of Haifa

In his Lunchtime Talk, Professor Ory Amitay discusses his efforts to write a history of monotheism, as well as his broader goal of utilizing network theory and data analysis to create a collaborative project for studying monotheistic religions.

The first part of his wider project is to write a formative narrative for monotheism. Defining that term is itself a challenge as there are many contemporary objections to its use among scholars of religion. Most commonly, critics of the term “monotheism” point to its anachronistic nature, which was conceived by an Englishman in the 17^th century as a way to describe religious beliefs that originated millennia beforehand. Amitay chooses to stick with the term partially as a matter of accessibility.

Professor Ory Amitay

In order to classify a belief system as monotheistic, Amitay utilizes a checklist of characteristics. Surprisingly, perhaps, belief in only one god is neither necessary nor in itself sufficient to classify a religion as monotheistic. Just as important is the Mosaic distinction—the belief that there is right and wrong in religion, judgments that inevitably demand as part of the acceptance of the true revelation a disavowal of all others.

Professor Amitay conducts a historical investigation of that particular absolutist aspect of monotheistic belief. He states from the beginning that he feels a kind of ethical involvement in this project, which is not ordinarily germane to historical research. Coming from Israel where he identifies as a political leftist, he is especially concerned with the qualities of religious exclusion and religious violence in the Middle East today. He notes that Tacitus’ infamous ancient screed against the Jews rails against what he perceives as Jews’ willingness to forsake other peoples for their faith, including how converts to Judaism will neglect even their own parents. Amitay draws parallels to contemporary Orthodox Judaism, wherein some who join the strictest sects will in fact distance themselves from their less religiously observant parents. This, we are meant to understand, is the Mosaic distinction in action. What Amitay seeks to explore is whether this social effect is a fundamental aspect of monotheism in such a way that it cannot be finessed or circumvented.

Amity ultimately looks to the Book of Michael, whose passages suggest an acceptance of other religions insofar as believers in God can live in peace with believers in other gods. This is followed by a question and answer session, during which Amitay thinks about the ways religious discrepancies can be mitigated without nullifying the content of disagreeing religions.

Analysis by Dan Perlman

You can view Professor Amitay's talk in full below:

Lunchtime Talk: Ory Amitay from Hannah Arendt Center on Vimeo.