as (much) interested in cod as God

[HolyUnicorn]

Hello,

“Bustling fishing villages and other settlements did sprout to the north of Plymouth, on the storm-lashed shores of Massachusetts Bay, where many people were as much interested in cod as God.”

From “The American Pageant” by Thomas A. Bailey

Is “much” redundant here? I often see “as adjective as”.

 

[pachanga7]

Yes, semantically it is the same without it, but the speaking rhythm is improved with it.

 

[The Newt]

I find "much" a bit awkward there (and I probably would have written "as in God"). How interested in cod was God?