Hearing the Voice of God In Search of Prophecy [Hardcover]

Schreiber (The Man Who Knew God: Decoding Jeremiah) here places the Jewish prophetic tradition in its historical and global contexts. Beginning with the early prophets, those active, according to the Bible, around the time of King David, Schreiber works his way forward through the history of the Jewish prophets, covering such giants, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The author considers the prophetic view of history in light of modern historiography, touching on such theories as the great leader, class struggle, and the rise and fall of civilizations. He poignantly describes the prophetic tradition as part of the cyclical nature of Jewish history, noting that the Jewish people and their prophetic legacy are still here today despite all those who rose and still rise to destroy them. In the middle and later chapters of the book, he examines the influence of the Jewish prophetic tradition on the worlds great religions and also on modern social and political movements. VERDICT This is a worthy introduction to an important element of the Jewish spiritual tradition. Recommended for academic libraries focusing on Jewish studies, religious studies, or comparative religion.After the five books of the Torah, the second section of Jewish history is presented in twenty-one books, known as the Prophets. These leaders did not predict the future. Rather, they talked to the people as the spokesmen of God. Author Schreiber, a rabbi and writer of many books, sees them as providing the basis for monotheism and morality. He claims that, during the five centuries beginning with Samuel, the Prophets exercised profound influence that is reflected in today's monotheistic religions. Among the Prophets examined by Schreiber are the sixteen 'literary prophets,' beginning with Amos and ending with Malachi, whose contributions, he claims, are relevant for coping with contemporary problems. The greatest literary prophet, says Schreiber, was Isaiah, who has special relevance for Christiló(