India

As with Ancient Greece and its panapoly of Gods, people don't think of monotheism when they think of India. Instead they think of Ganesh, the elephant-headed God and all the other colourful characters of Hinduism pantheon. But contrary to popular understanding there is just one Creator God in Hinduism, and the multiplicity of forms is really just an emphasis on the many attributes of God.

Islam – the most explicitly monotheistic of the world's religions -  does the same with its rendition of the 99 beautiful names, while at the same time emphasising the unity of God with it's central declaration of 'no god but God'. As we shall see, this issue or tension or paradox between God's many (we might even say infinite) attributes and creations in the world(s) and his (or her) ultimate unity, goes to the heart of some of the themes explored in my book, and by extension its relevance to us in the modern world. 

There is a lovely sign at one of my local churches 'in diversity lies the creativity of God' which expresses this high paradox poetically.  If we are to get to the bottom of things alongside diversity vs unity we will also need to look at many others but that is not for here as there is not the space or time to go into them all.

But these intellectual things should not divert us too much.