The Bible does not explicitly state what Abraham’s religion was before God called him. However, based on textual clues and historical context, scholars have pieced together a likely picture of Abraham’s early religious background and beliefs.
It is thought that Abraham grew up in a polytheistic culture that worshipped many gods. His father Terah and other family members were idol worshippers according to Joshua 24:2. Archaeological evidence indicates that people living in Mesopotamia at that time worshipped gods like Enlil, Ishtar, Sin, Shamash, Adad and Marduk. Each city had its own patron deity and temple.
Abraham was likely exposed to the worship of these regional gods as a young man living in the Sumerian city of Ur. But at some point, Abraham rejected the polytheistic religion of his upbringing. The Bible says that God chose Abraham while he was living in Ur and told him to leave for the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:1).
So before God established his covenant with Abraham, he was already set apart to some degree from the common polytheistic practices of his family and community. Hebrews 11:8 indicates that “by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” This suggests Abraham had developed some nascent form of monotheistic faith already when God called him.
However, there are a few ways Abraham’s early faith may have differed from the later biblical monotheism:
- He may have worshipped one supreme God but did not deny the existence of other gods.
- He may have simply been questioning polytheism without a firm belief in monotheism yet.
- He may have believed in one true Creator God but still practiced some ancestral rites and customs.
So in summary, Abraham probably grew up practicing the common polytheistic religion of ancient Mesopotamia. At some point he rejected idol worship and turned to belief in one supreme God who called him to Canaan. This early monotheistic faith was incomplete and needed development. It was only after God established his covenant with Abraham in Canaan that he came to full biblical monotheism.
Key details about Abraham’s background
Let’s explore some of the key details about Abraham’s upbringing and culture that give clues about his early religious environment and beliefs:
He was from the Sumerian city of Ur
The Bible first introduces Abraham (originally called Abram) as being from the city of Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:28, 15:7). Ur was an important ancient city in the Sumerian civilization of southern Mesopotamia. It was known for its royal tombs and grand temples, including the great ziggurat dedicated to the moon god Nanna.
Archaeological evidence confirms that Ur was a major center of polytheistic worship. People living in Abraham’s time would have practiced the religion of the Sumerians involving worship of many gods like Inanna, Enki, Enlil, Ninhursag, Utu and others.
His father and family were idol worshippers
The book of Joshua states that “Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods'” (Joshua 24:2). So Abraham was born into a family of idol worshippers who revered many gods.
In Genesis 31:19, we find reference to Rachel stealing the household idols (‘teraphim’ in Hebrew) from her father Laban, who was an Aramean relative of Abraham. So idol worship was clearly part of Abraham’s extended family’s religious practice.
He was called out of polytheistic culture
God specifically tells Abraham “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Abraham had to completely leave behind the polytheistic Sumerian culture and religion he grew up in to follow the one true God.
This break was very radical for that time period. But Abraham’s developing faith gave him the courage to leave everything familiar behind and embark on a journey into the unknown with God.
Clues about Abraham’s early religious beliefs
Though the Bible does not directly tell us about Abraham’s personal faith before God called him, there are some clues that paint a general picture:
He questioned his family’s polytheism
God’s command to “go from your father’s house” indicates Abraham was making a break from his family’s worship of many gods. At some point he began questioning and rejecting the polytheistic practices of his father, city and culture.
He was inclined toward monotheism
Abraham’s willingness to follow one God’s voice into unfamiliar territory shows he had already developed some belief in a supreme Creator different from the regional gods of Mesopotamia. He was gravitating toward monotheism.
His faith was still incomplete
Though Abraham believed in one true God, his faith was still elementary and included some syncretistic elements. God needed to further refine Abraham’s faith and understanding through covenant, promises, commands and revelations over time.
He trusted God despite having incomplete knowledge
Abraham stepped out in faith even though he did not have full spiritual knowledge. His developing belief in one God compelled him to obey the call to Canaan. This paved the way for God to nurture his faith into maturity.
What Abraham’s early religious environment may have looked like
Considering Abraham’s polytheistic cultural context and budding monotheistic inclinations, here is what his religious environment and practices could have reasonably included:
- Exposure to Sumerian stories and myths about gods like An, Enlil, Enki, etc.
- Family rituals honoring ancestral gods through offerings, rites, idols
- Questioning the validity of worshipping multiple gods
- Belief in one supreme God separate from common deities
- Limited worship focused on Creator God
- Retaining some ancestral practices out of custom and tradition
- Knowledge of God limited by surrounding culture and mindset
So in summary, Abraham probably affirmed monotheism in principle but still practiced some cultural polytheism out of habit and limited revelation. His faith in Yahweh developed over a lifetime journey from polytheistic roots to complete biblical monotheism. God used Abraham’s mustard seed of imperfect faith as the genesis of a covenant plan to reveal Himself through time.
Stages of development in Abraham’s faith
Abraham’s faith developed over many decades through several stages:
1. Early exposure to polytheism
As a young man in Ur, Abraham was immersed in a culture that worshipped many Sumerian gods. His family participated in this polytheistic worship.
2. Questioning polytheism
At some point Abraham began to question the superstitious worship of idols and false gods. He turned toward a simple, elementary belief in one supreme Creator.
3. Leaving polytheistic culture behind
When called by Yahweh, Abraham courageously left behind his family’s polytheistic practices to follow God alone into unknown territory.
4. Covenant establishment
God established his covenant with Abraham in Canaan, marking a new phase in developing monotheistic faith. God revealed himself more deeply through promises.
5. Ongoing revelation and testing
Abraham’s faith was tested and strengthened through a lifelong journey of walking with God. New revelations refined his understanding of the one true God.
6. Model of mature monotheism
By the end of his life, Abraham had become “the father of all who believe” (Romans 4:11) and a model of mature biblical monotheism.
This progression shows how God meets people where they are at and gradually leads them into greater truth and obedience as they respond in faith.
Differences between Abraham’s early faith and later biblical monotheism
While Abraham departed from Mesopotamian polytheism early on, his faith was still elementary and different from later biblical monotheism in some key ways:
- He may have affirmed one supreme God while allowing existence of lesser gods.
- His view of God’s nature was limited by cultural mindset.
- Practices involving ancestral spirits and rites may have remained.
- Knowledge of God came more through general revelation than direct revelation.
- Biblical moral code had not been established yet.
However, as Abraham responded in faith to progressive revelation from Yahweh, his faith matured into complete biblical monotheism. By the end of his life, he worshipped no other gods and trusted in God’s promises.
How God developed Abraham’s faith
God used several means to develop Abraham’s faith from its imperfect beginnings into exemplary biblical monotheism:
- Covenant – God made a covenant with Abraham that established a clear monotheistic foundation for his faith.
- Promises – Repeated promises like offspring and land nurtured Abraham’s trust in the one true God.
- Commands – Commands like leaving Ur and sacrificing Isaac tested and strengthened Abraham’s faith.
- Revelations – God revealed himself progressively through words, visions, and visitations.
- Tests – Tests like waiting many years for Isaac solidified Abraham’s faith over time.
- Worship – Abraham’s worship practices were refined from pagan roots into true monotheistic worship.
Therefore, while Abraham took steps of faith based on limited initial revelation, God led him into deeper knowledge, trust and obedience step-by-step over his whole lifetime.
Why Abraham serves as a model of faith
Abraham emerged from a polytheistic culture to become the father of all who believe. His journey of faith makes him a model for several reasons:
- He courageously obeyed God’s call from a young age.
- He left behind family, security, and comfort in Ur to follow God.
- He trusted God’s promises even when they seemed unlikely.
- He waited patiently over decades for God’s timing.
- He clung unswervingly to belief in one true God.
- He chose obedience to God over safety or social custom.
Abraham stands out for his willingness to wholly abandon himself to God’s will despite imperfect understanding. His example issues a key invitation – whatever your current belief, take the next step of faith required and God will lead you into greater light.
Conclusion
In summary, Abraham provides a pattern for how God develops faith over a lifetime journey. By calling Abraham out of polytheistic roots and patiently nurturing his belief, God founded the bedrock of biblical monotheism. Abraham’s faltering but willing faith was used to ignite a covenant plan for redeeming humanity. His life illustrates how God meets us where we are and leads us into maturity through progressive revelation and testing.
