Christianity emerged out of Judaism and borrow many of its concept of God. You can find this post regarding a book that investigates monotheism in Judaism and Christianity. But how did the Christian concept of God relate to pagan thought?
One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire is a book that looks at a concept that may be surprising to many: pagan monotheism. Isn’t that a contradiction in terms? Pagan religion means polytheism. Or does it?
The claim is not necessarily that pagan religions had the idea of God as Judaism and Christianity. Rather it is about monotheistic tendencies. This can be seen more closely in Greek philosophy but there are hints of it in religions as well.
Some may argue that this was henotheism rather than monotheism. Henotheism is the belief in many gods but the worship of one of them. But we need to remember that henotheism is a modern invention.
Some pagans may have thought of the individual gods as manifestations of the Great God, rather than as associates or partners.
If you are interested in the pagan context of early Christianity, One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire is a helpful resource for that.
