"You Shall Be As Gods"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes and reviews the book "You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition" by Erich Fromm. The paper discusses how Fromm describes the Bible as evolving the concept of God from a tribal concept to an unknowable, nameless God. The paper also relates Fromm's personal spiritual journey; he was originally attracted to Buddhism, because it did not require belief in God, but eventually returned to the Jewish tradition. The paper concludes with the author's personal assessment of the book and Fromm's spirituality, which is based on Fromm's need for hope and his perception of the hope Judaism offers.

From the Paper:

"Another interesting point Fromm makes in this book is on sin and repentance. He notes that in the Old Testament story of the fall of Adam, his committing a sin is not mentioned. Fromm offers captivating evidence supporting his idea that the Old Testament never states that humans are born evil. He reads the Old Testament as saying that humans have equal ability to choose good or evil. Fromm says that the Old Testament states that humans can choose between good and evil just as they can choose between life and death, and there is no pressure or force on humans to choose one over the other. God just shows us the alternatives and asks us to choose life over death and good over evil. In Fromm's opinion, sin is not something by which humans should become depressed."

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