The Curse of Cain: Monotheism, Identity, and Violence

Introduction: Schwartz's Thesis on Monotheism and Violence

Regina M. Schwartz presents a radical, stimulating view on the meaning of monotheism. Its influence, according to the author, extends far beyond theological import. Monotheism informs cultural consciousness and greatly influences group identities. As such, religious beliefs can promote certain types of psychological, sociological, and political realities. In The Curse of Cain, Schwartz specifically focuses on the nature of Biblical monotheism as it has been expressed in the Jewish tradition. Drawing the foundation of her theory from the allegory of Cain and Abel, the author describes how Jewish monotheism has contributed to a violent, antagonistic worldview. Not intended to be an attack against Judaism itself, this thesis is set forth to explain how myths and religion can shape the consciousness of entire groups of people.

Schwartz uses the story of Cain and Abel to symbolize brothers killing brothers — what she calls "original violence." There are four basic facets of Schwartz's theory. First, the Bible promotes a sense of "us" against "them." Favoring one God, who himself favors one group of people, creates a sense of identity based on exclusion and hatred rather than inclusion and love. Second, because the Bible is so influential and has such deep impact on political and social realities across the globe, the book's impact is potentially dangerous. Third, Schwartz links monotheism directly to exclusionist politics and the collective identity built upon it. Fourth, Schwartz shows how a belief in scarcity coincides with Biblical monotheism: the story of Cain and Abel illustrates that God's divine blessings are limited — that there is not enough divine blessing for everyone. Therefore, each person or group of people must fight to the death to win the favor of God's love. Because myths and allegories have so much power over group consciousness and collective identity, it is easy to see how the story of Cain and Abel could promote the kind of violent exclusionism visible in the world today.

Henotheism, Exclusionism, and Collective Identity

An interesting theoretical dimension of Schwartz's work is the fact that Biblical monotheism is actually henotheism, or "monolatry" — the worship of one God among many (17). The acknowledgment in the Bible of the existence of pagan or "false" gods proves that the people of the book have selected or chosen their God. This act of exclusionism in selective worship ties in with the type of exclusionist politics that Schwartz addresses throughout the text. Moreover, on page 3, the author shows how exclusionism goes both ways: "the God who excludes some and prefers others, who casts some out, is a monotheistic God — monotheistic not only because he demands allegiance to himself alone but because he confers his favor on one alone." This extended definition of monotheism as a divine preference, as well as a human one, is central to Schwartz's thesis. Exclusionism on the part of the divine has extreme power over collective identity formation, modeling itself after Biblical teachings.

Exclusionism does not necessarily lead to violence, but it easily can. For instance, the recognition of an individual ego as separate from other people does not automatically beget hatred for the "other." The diversity in the human and natural worlds often points to harmonious coexistence. However, any thorough examination of the political and social realities that course through human history will show that exclusionist beliefs often do entail violence. Biblical teachings point to extreme exclusionism. In fact, Schwartz shows that the fundamental way Israelite identity was formed historically was through a doctrine of exclusion and, consequently, a superiority complex that invites violence toward the "other." "What makes one cast out and another not, is of course another way of asking who is an Israelite and who is not, what is Israel and what is not" (139). Many Biblical allegories refer to violent definitions of nationhood for the Israelites. Schwartz lists several, including a passage from Job describing the "nameless people, outcasts of society" (Job 30:3–8).

Acts of violent exclusionism in the Bible abound and are often clothed in sexual imagery as well, since sexuality is the natural extension of union with the "other." Adultery is a metaphor for the violation of a divine covenant — one that demands exclusive allegiance: in one case to a lover or spouse, and in the other to a deity. Because Judaism is fundamentally henotheistic, it makes perfect sense that a jealous God would demand an allegiance akin to sexual fidelity. This powerful interplay of self and other through sexual imagery fosters violence because of the essential anger underlying jealousy. Although Schwartz does not delve deeply into sexual politics, it is also possible to extend her theory to sexism: the favoring of the male over the female produces the type of exclusionism that implies male superiority. The superiority of one God over another, as written in the Bible, extends onto other realms of human life. Exclusion infers the superiority of one God, one race, one nation, or one gender.

Biblical Imagery, Violence, and Divine Covenant

"Collective identity is forged in negation and then underwritten by inviolable transcendence" (21). Negating other gods is at the root of the demands for monotheistic exclusivity. If God himself creates imaginary or real boundaries between people, it may be necessary to defend such a position with violent acts. Moreover, violence toward the other — toward the excluded group — is rooted in Biblical symbolism. Schwartz delineates the plethora of Biblical ceremonies tinged with blood and violence, many of which involve animal sacrifice and the metaphorical cutting of human flesh or stone. Schwartz notes that even the Ten Commandments were "cut" into stone tablets (21). Sanguine imagery and the act of cutting are inherently violent. Therefore, violence is not simply based on a policy of exclusion; rather, it is fundamentally underwritten into Biblical teachings through an abundance of allegories and metaphors.

Schwartz continues to assert, "When Biblical myths carve up humanity into peoples, they make assertions of collective identity in negative terms" (19). The cost of not ascribing to the concept of exclusive worship is violence: "the degradation, suffering, and bloodshed of the Other are depicted graphically" in the Bible (19). It therefore becomes impossible for an individual or a group to live with diversity in a harmonious setting. If God mandates exclusivity in the form of a divinely authored covenant, then the people who are party to that covenant become willing to perpetrate violence on any group or individual that threatens their cohesive identity. Because divine mandates are ultimate — that is, they cannot be altered by human minds — they become underwritten by immutable law. The Biblical God not only condones violence toward the Other but in many cases demands it as a graphic display of fidelity.

The power conferred upon an ultimate deity is dangerous because it extends to the secular world. This danger can be witnessed not only through the myths contained in the Hebrew Bible but also historically. "Biblical archaeologists tell us that the written treaty between God and man is indebted to ancient social treaties between men" (26). The social treaties that predate the Bible helped the Israelites easily adapt the policy of violent exclusionism written into the scripture. Once the Bible was accepted as a divine rulebook, it naturally followed that the people of the book would continue to practice this divinely ordained violence toward other groups. Collective identity is forged through a policy of exclusionism and a sense of superiority. One specific God is favored over all others, just as one group of people is favored over all others.

Conclusion: The Curse of Particularism

Possessiveness and jealousy are psychologically linked to violence, so it can be stated that the Bible is an extension of human psychological and sociological realities. In other words, the Bible does not inform human relations so much as human relations formed the Bible. However, Schwartz's examination of the impact of Biblical teachings on history proves that the stories and myths contained in the Hebrew Bible have emphasized and promoted the innate human tendency toward violence. By creating a sense of "us" versus "them" in human relations, Biblical teachings encourage the formation of the hostile, inferior foreigner. This foreigner is thereby viewed as a competitor for scarce resources of divine love.

If divine love is scarce and limited, people must fight over access to it. In The Curse of Cain, Regina Schwartz shows that Biblical allegory supports a theory of divine scarcity which leads to violent defensiveness. Moreover, rather than encouraging universalism and diversity, monotheism "is entangled with particularism" (33). One God, one people, one set of truths is valued to the exclusion of all others. This particularism entails superiority, which also leads to violence between groups of people. The Bible teaches that amid diversity, one thing must be chosen over others. Whether this exclusionism expresses itself in monogamous marriage ties or henotheistic worship, Biblical monotheism permits and even encourages violence.

Works Cited

Schwartz, Regina M. 1997. The Curse of Cain. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.