[[File:Tissot Solomon Dedicates the Temple at Jerusalem.jpg|thumbnail|left|Depiction of an Israelite worshiping Yahweh, who becomes the foundation and name of God in the ancient Jewish faith.]]
==Background to the List==
The concept of God and his historical development is an extraordinarily complex topic and it is not easily addressed in ten books. Some works These books seek attempt to provide explain a complex but also more easily explained set of ideas story on how the concept of God, or single devine divine being, developed in different cultures, places, and across time. The history of the idea of God is long and has its roots from prehistoric to early historic periods in the ancient Near East. Later cultures developed concepts that derive from ancient Iran, Greece, Egypt, and perhaps other regions. In a period over several hundred years, in the late first millennium BC and during the first centuries AD, several faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism emerged that took the idea of God to levels that influence us today. While no easy task, here are the ten best books that try to make sense of this complex history. ==Top Ten Book List==Armstrong, Karen. 1999. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345384563/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0345384563&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c5f79436e48ccd70fe128e130224ab49 A History of God]</i>. London: Vintage.: The book is somewhat more narrow that later books, looking mainly at Judaism, Christianity and Islam, along with Buddhism and Hinduism, as examples of different religions that emerged. The evolution of the idea of God is investigated in the ancient Near East, where the book looks at how the idea of God developed up to the modern day.
Smith, Mark S. 2002. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080283972X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=080283972X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=e18df244ebafba6c3c09b25951123f7d The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel]</i>. 2nd ed. The Biblical Resource Series. Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.: This book provides a detailed analysis on the early history of Judaism as it developed in ancient Judah and Israel. The book discusses the surrounding cultures and states that developed along these two states, explaining how cultural influence and regional politics begin to shape the idea of God as it emerged.[[File:Tissot Solomon Dedicates the Temple at JerusalemA_History_of_God.jpg|thumbnail|Depiction 250px|left|<i>A History of an Israelite worshiping YahwehGod</i> by Karen Armstrong]]Bowker, John Westerdale. 2002. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521194164/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521194164&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=452915a4512a8241fda1a27c417e5a53 God: A Brief History]</i>. 1st American ed. London ; New York: DK Pub.: The book looks at the origins of the Israelites, who becomes their development of the foundation and name ideas of God , and then later influences that come on the Near East, in particular Greek influences that integrate new philosophies in the Near East. However, the book looks more at later views of god from other cultures and does not so much focus on the ancient Jewish faithoriginal ideas and how they evolved.]]
Winston, Robert M. L. 2006. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553817434/ref=as_li_tl?ie=Top Ten Book ListUTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553817434&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=4c47a8a74694ef71e10bee2e20813274 The Story of God]</i>. London: Bantam Books. This book looks at the development of the concept of God from prehistory to the historical development in ancient Judaism and Christianity. It looks then how the concept developed in Islam and how modern ideas of God are shaped by the modern world. The book looks at how science has affect modern understanding of God.
ArmstrongMitchell, KarenStephen, and Peter van Nuffelen, eds. 19992010. <i>[https://www.amazon.co.ukcom/gp/History-God-Karen-Armstrongproduct/dp0521194164/0099273675 A History of ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521194164&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f8f436f6b39349db5dfa1df35f82440c One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire]</i>. LondonCambridge ; New York: VintageCambridge University Press.: The book is somewhat more narrow that later Unlike some of the other books, looking mainly at Judaism, Christianity this one focuses on how polytheistic faiths in the Roman Empire may have influenced early Christian and monotheistic developments. Cults around individuals gods or a "higher god" developed during the Roman Empire and Islamthese are seen as influential, along with Buddhism and Hinduismin some circles, as examples in developing concepts of different religions monotheism that emerged. The evolution of the idea of God is investigated began to mature in the ancient Near East, where the book looks at how the idea period of God developed up to the modern dayearly Roman Empire.
SmithLudwig, Mark STheodore M. 20022006. <i>[https://www.amazon.co.ukcom/gp/Early-History-God-Biblical-Resourceproduct/dp013153906X/080283972X ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=013153906X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=53f2f05e5a59e8242bb8e70b2b0aeb7e The Early History Sacred Paths of Godthe West]</i>. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.: Yahweh This book looks at the development of Western theology in ancient periods. The development of Western religion has multiple roots, from its polytheistic origins to influences from the east, including Persia and the Other Deities Zoroastrian religion.[[File:One_God.jpg|thumbnail|250px|<i>One God: Pagan Monotheism in Ancient Israel]the Roman Empire</i>]]Porter, Barbara N. 2nd , ed. The Biblical Resource Series2000. <i>[https://www.amazon. Grand Rapids, Michcom/gp/product/096742500X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=096742500X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=12309b624e9ea34fb80b864572efd890 One God or Many?: William BConcepts of Divinity in the Ancient World]</i>. Eerdmans PubTransactions of the Casco Bay Assyriological Institute 1. CoChebeague, ME: Casco Bay Assyriological Institute.: This book provides a detailed analysis on looks at the early history of Judaism as it developed polytheistic faiths in the ancient Judah Near East and Israel. The book discusses the surrounding cultures concept of gods and states god that developed along these two states, explaining how cultural influence and regional politics begin to shape in the region. The way in which an idea of God as it emergeda singular god develops is discussed in the volume.
BowkerStreeter, John Westerdale. 2002Jarvis. 2016 <i>[https://www.amazon.com/God-Brief-History-John-Bowkergp/product/dp1498236782/0789480506 ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1498236782&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c1772155304d5a7a191645c1b1fb72f8 God: A Brief and the Historyof the Universe]</i>. 1st American ed2016. London ; New YorkEugene, OR: DK PubPickwick Publications.: The book This volume looks at the origins of the Israelites, their development of the and ideas of revolving around God, and then later influences that come on as well as the Near East, in particular Greek influences scientific developments that integrate new philosophies occurred in more modern times to understand the concepts of the Near Eastcosmos. However, It argues for the book looks more at later views of god from other cultures and does not so much focus on Christian God using scientific discoveries made mostly in the original ideas and how they evolvedlast century.
WinstonDimont, Robert M. LMax I, and Ethel Dimont. 20062004. <i>[https://www.amazon.co.ukcom/gp/Story-Professor-Lord-Robert-Winstonproduct/dp0451529405/0553817434 The Story of ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0451529405&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=7f9374daf8b0d29ce409ff1e9d4c6ce7 Jews, God, and History]</i>. LondonNew York: Bantam BooksNew American Library. : This book looks at the development history of the concept of God Jews from prehistory ancient to the historical development in ancient Judaism and Christianitymore modern periods. It looks then how the concept developed in Islam The history and how modern ideas struggle of the Jews has also shaped their views on God are shaped by and this has had an influence on the modern world. The book looks at how science has affect modern understanding theologies of Godnot only the Jews but also other monotheistic faiths.
Mitchell, StephenWright, Eric and Peter van Nuffelen, edsMiles Braun. 2010. <i>[https://www.amazonbol.co.ukcom/nl/p/Onegod-specific-conceptions-Godfrom-Paganarchitect-Monotheismto-Empirezoroastrianism/dp1001004011374488/0521194164 One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman EmpireSpecific Conceptions From Architect to Zoroastrianism]</i>. Cambridge ; New YorkCharleston: Cambridge University PressBiblioBazaar.: Unlike some The book investigates major conceptions that develop in relation to God, dealing with the concepts of the creator, devil, lord, father, supreme being, Trinity, salvation, resurrection, and other books, this one focuses on how polytheistic concepts that have developed in different faiths in the Roman Empire may have influenced early Christian and monotheistic developments. Cults around individuals gods or a "higher god" developed during the Roman Empire and The book looks at these are seen as influential, in some circles, in developing concepts of monotheism that began and their relationships to mature in the period of the early Roman Empireeach other.
Ludwig, Theodore M. 2006. <i>[https[Category://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Paths-West-Theodore-Ludwig/dp/013153906X The Sacred Paths of the WestBooklists]]</i>. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J[[Category: Pearson Prentice Hall.Religious History]] [[Category: This book looks at the development of Western theology in ancient periods. The development of Western religion has multiple roots, from its polytheistic origins to influences from the east, including Persia and the Zoroastrian religion.History Booklists]][[Category:Expert Booklists]]
Porter, Barbara N., ed. 2000. <idiv class="portal" style="width:85%;">==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==*[https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-God-Many-Transactions-Assyriological/dp/096742500X One God or Many[How did Monotheism Develop?: Concepts ]]*[[How did the concept of Divinity in paradise develop?]]*[[How did the Ancient WorldSharia Law develop?]]</i>. Transactions of the Casco Bay Assyriological Institute 1. Chebeague, ME: Casco Bay Assyriological Institute.: This book looks at the polytheistic faiths in the ancient Near East and *[[Why was the concept worship of gods and god that developed in Mithra so popular?]]*[[How Did God Influence the region. The way in which an idea of a singular god develops is discussed Wounded in the volume.American Civil War?]]</div>
Streeter, Jarvis. 2016 <i>[https{{Mediawiki://www.amazon.com/God-Religious History-Universe-Jarvis-Streeter/dp/1498236804 God and the History of the Universe</i>. 2016. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications.: This volume looks at the development and ideas revolving around God as well as the scientific developments that occurred in more modern times to understand the concepts of the cosmos. It argues for the Christian God using scientific discoveries made mostly in the last century.}}
