Moses and Monotheism by Sigmund Freud

This was much more readable and interesting than I expected. Freud writes in an almost conversational style. True to his analytic roots, his approach is self-conscious but almost pleasingly so. The preface is in two parts reflecting the cataclysms of the time, the rising cloud of Nazism and the fall of Austria, Freud's home.

Moses, he posits, was an Egyptian noble and imposed a monotheistic religion espoused by a short-lived pharaoh. And during a period of anarchy in Egypt, he led the Hebrews into the wilderness. He was overthrown in a rebellion and a Midianite sheepherder took over. These legends were fused.

While I'm unconvinced by his thesis, it nonetheless is clear that to an outside onlooker Moses imposed a religion on a people, survived several attempts on his life and position, and responded ruthlessly. Moses is also shown as impulsive and rash yet described as the meekest of men.

Of course my own explanation is that the answer is in the action of a powerful God using a fallible human and making of him a great man. Thus imposition becomes advocacy, ruthlessness becomes zeal for God, and meekness is God's work in an impulsive and impatient man.

My opinion of Freud is much greater with more exposure. In this book he is analogizing neurosis to historical religious development. this is difficult and full of hazards, many of which he boldly addresses. It is an attempt of a genius.

He also discusses antisemitism, its causes and persistence, and does so in a touching way, given his own suffering. The psycho-historical search for the historical Moses identifies the important factors of a "one God" with no images allowed.

12/2007