OT III: Prophecy

Who was a prophet in ancient Israel? What motivated her or him to speech and action? What role did prophecy play in Israelite society? How was prophecy transformed in light of Israel's experience in the Babylonian Exile? What role do prophetic scriptures play in the Church? How can we identify prophetic voices in contemporary culture? Finding answers to these questions will lead us through some of the main social, literary, and theological dimensions of prophecy in ancient Israel and its evolution in the exilic and post-exilic eras. The books of Amos, Isaiah, and Daniel are the chief means of illustrating this complex phenomenon and its evolution, though other prophetic literature will also be addressed in lectures. In examining literature from various points during the centuries in which it took shape, we will see its evolution from a largely oral and embodied medium to one that increasingly relies on interpretation of its own textual legacy. In addition to Israelite prophecy's independent value as theological expression, this transformation in turn sheds light on the interpretation of prophetic writings in the New Testament for understanding the meaning of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection.