This short course introduces the phenomenon of Prophecy in its Ancient Biblical Setting. It will examine the origin, nature and scope of classical biblical prophecy and its literature (Eight to Fifth Centuries BCE). Texts from the Book of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah will be studied among others. Each book will be presented in its historical context, along with an overview and theological perspectives. The course will conclude with an examination of prophetic social teaching under the title "YHWH’s Care for the Poor."
My name is Ciarán O'Callaghan CSsR. Since 1990 I have been teaching the Biblical Prophets to university students as well as to priests, religious and laity. I am happy to make my class notes available for download and printing. Unfortunately, for copyright reasons, I cannot make the text and images available for copying. Please report any errors or problems in using these resources to me at: delegate@proclaim.ie.
Books
Joseph Blenkinsopp
A History of Prophecy in Israel
Westminster John Knox, 1996
ISBN 0664256392
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More books by Joseph Blenkinsopp
Lawrence Boadt
Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction
Paulist Press, 1984
ISBN 0809126311
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More books by Lawrence Boadt
John W. Miller
Meet the Prophets: A Beginner's Guide to the Books of the Biblical Prophets
Paulist Press,1987
ISBN 0809128993
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D. L. Petersen
The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction
Westminster John Know, 2002
ISBN 0664254535
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Further books for the study of the prophets
Notes
Introduction This unit offers a brief introduction to the Old Testament, its component parts, its historical background along with an overview of the prophetic literature.
Amos This unit introduces the prophet Amos, explores his theological perspectives and offers a detailed reading of Amos’ famous "Oracles against the Nations" (Amos 1:3 – 2:16).
Hosea This unit introduces the only biblical prophet from the northern Kingdom of Israel, explores his theological perspectives and offers a detailed reading of Hos 1-3 with its emphasis on the relationship between YHWH and his bride, Israel.
Proto-Isaiah This unit introduces First Isaiah (or Isaiah of Jerusalem) who ministered in the last half of the Eight Century BCE. Isaiah’s unique theological perspectives are explored along with a detailed reading of some key texts, including the call of Isaiah (Isa 6:1-13).
Jeremiah This unit introduces Jeremiah, his historical context and his theological perspectives leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (586 BCE). The text of the commissioning of Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-19) is read in detail along with other key texts.
Righteousness The Old Testament concept of righteousness (justice, charity) is introduced along with a detailed study of the prophetic proclamation of YHWH’s care for the poor and its social implications. Key prophetic texts are presented against the background of other Ancient Near Eastern writings.
Websites
iTanakh is a comprehensive index of internet resources for the study and teaching of the Hebrew Bible.
The Old Testament Gateway is a comprehensive directory of internet sites on the Old Testament