Monotheism Reframed as Burden, Theophany, and Promise

The God of mainline monotheisms—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—promised to Abram that ‘in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ (Genesis 12:3). This blessing includes a gift of righteous life in relation to God. It thus indicates God’s moral burden, including divine suffering, to make people righteous with their voluntary cooperation. This burden, a serious felt responsibility, illuminates monotheisms in relation to God’s activity among humans. It includes God creating moral conflicts between good and evil that call for human response. This article explains how God confirms this burden to people with divine moral-character expression. This expression is in the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in their experience. Such character expression as evidence can ground human commitment to God. The article explains how it can also counter skepticism about God. In addition, it identifies why religion need not depend on speculative arguments from philosophy or theology. The burden and the privilege from God can bring new life to cooperative people, regardless of their background. Monotheism in the present perspective has unmatched power of human moral renewal, courtesy of divine power. Theology has not given adequate attention to this perspective. We shall correct this deficiency with constructive theology that captures God’s felt responsibility.