Jason Aronson, Inc.
Pages: 222
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-0-7657-0971-4 • Hardback • April 2013 • $55.00 • (£42.00)
978-0-7657-0972-1 • eBook • April 2013 • $52.00 • (£40.00)
Mordecai Schreiber is a rabbi and the author of over 50 books on Judaic and linguistic subjects. He is also the founder of Schreiber Translations and the publisher of Shengold Press.
In the Beginning
Chapter One: The Early Prophets
Chapter Two: The Early Prophets of the Word
Chapter Three: The Later Prophets of the Word
Chapter Four: The last prophets of the Word
Chapter Five: Prophetic Truth
Chapter Six: The Great Questions of Life
Chapter Seven: Jewish Messianism
Chapter Eight: The Prophets of the World’s Religions
Chapter Nine: Prophetic personalities
Chapter Ten: Misguided Prophets
Chapter Eleven: Prophets of Evil
Chapter Twelve: Prophecy for our time
Postscript
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
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 world’s 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.
— Library Journal
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 Christianity and whose vision of universal peace should inspire everyone. A final chapter deals with the contemporary scene and the author's belief that adherence to the ideas of the Prophets could reconcile Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, helping to achieve a world without war.
— Publishers Weekly
Mordecai Schreiber has written a book that merits great and sustained attention. In his exposition of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible he exhibits his great theological sensibility. That, however, is only his beginning! He extends reflection with a largeness of spirit to consider the prophetic dimension of each of the world’s great religions. He offers a full inventory of prophetic personalities, “misguided prophets,” and “prophets of evil” in the modern world. By the time he finishes, Schreiber has provided a breath-taking vision of the prophetic that pertains urgently to our present emergency of creaturely well-being. The reader will be grateful for the generous, knowing force that occupies the pages of this book.
— Walter Brueggemann Ph.D, Columbia Theological Seminary, author of The Prophetic Imagination
Mordecai Schreiber travels all across the globe and all the way back to the beginning of human history in this book in order to demonstrate that the prophets still have the power to speak to those who have open minds and open hearts. This is a book that will open the world of the prophets to many who have never understood their message and their impact on civilization until now. He tells the story of how a handful of spiritual giants who lived in a small corner of the Middle East spoke truth to power in voices so powerful that they reverberate until this day. Schreiber makes us understand the people who taught the world that God cares when a widow is cheated, or when an orphan is mistreated, more than about abstract teachings or ritual observance. They taught us that unlike the Greeks who understood God as the Unmoved Mover, God is the Most Moved Mover in the universe. The prophets comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable, and we need to learn from them how to do both these tasks today. This book will help for it speaks to our minds and to our souls.
— Rabbi Jack Riemer, editor of The World of the High Holy Days and So That Your Values Live On