Reframing the Problem of Evil
Michael Gellert
Psychological Perspectives July 3, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/00332925.2023.2274785 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the God depicted across the three Abrahamic religions undergoes an evolution that parallels the evolution of human consciousness, each reflecting the other. Presents the Kabbalistic concept of Ein Sof—the mystical Godhead or absolute nothingness beyond anthropomorphic projections and all other gods, including the biblical one—as the culmination of this inner journey. |
Abstract
The following consists of the final chapter of my book, The Divine Mind: Exploring the Psychological History of God’s Inner Journey, published by Prometheus Books in 2018. The book tells the story of God’s evolution as depicted in the three Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Needless to say, this parallels the evolution of human consciousness, as each reflects the other. This chapter picks up where an earlier one left off, namely, on the nature of Ein Sof (literally, “infinity” or “without end”). This is the name that the Kabbalists have assigned to the mystical Godhead or absolute nothingness that is beyond anthropomorphic projections and all other gods, including the biblical one. The book won a Nautilus Book Award in the category of “Religion/Spirituality of Western Thought.”