The Prophets...

They are weird individuals...some ran around naked, some were manic depressives and all had extreme personalities.

Abraham Herschel's The Prophets is a masterpiece of Biblical scholarship and thought. Herschel spent decades studying the prophets and their message. Not only has he studied the books, but he has spent years studying prophesy in other cultures, both ancient and modern and his insights are profound.

Herschel's main concern is to understand the personhood of prophesy and what does it mean to be a prophet. He carefully analyzes the main prophetic literature and then explores various themes related to prophesy.

This work is long and difficult. Originally published as two volumes, this book is over 600 pages. Herschel writes from an academic background and expects the reader to keep up with him. In other words, this is not a simple Bible study of the Biblical prophets, but an in-depth masterful study of biblical theology.

I highly recommend this book to those who want some deep biblical work or those who want to understand the prophets a bit more.

Grade: A

This is a book that required slow reading for me, not because it is difficult to comprehend (Heschel’s work is likely to be accessible to those who are interested), but because I wanted to soak in every word! I took my time and savored it.

The first AJH book I read was “The Sabbath” as a requirement for a Judaic studies class I took in undergrad. That book is important for understanding some aspects of Jewish theology, but after I was done I did not feel compelled to read anything else by him. “The Prophets” and “God’s Search for Man” are books of a completely different nature and have captured my attention in a way few others have.

The first part of “The Prophets” gives rich context to several prophets and clearly reveals Yahweh’s pathos for people (not just the Jews!). In the second part, AJH is a bit like a barrister, breaking down the arguments of those who would discount the prophets as mere poets, compelled by psychosis, or out for personal gain. Throughout the whole, AJH reveals the lavish love God has for his Creation. This will be a book I will refer back to.

This one's good, not great. I liked the first half considerably more than the second.

I read this book in its single volume set which included book 1 and 2. I enjoyed the entirety of it but would say that the first book is superior in my humble opinion. Abraham does such a great job discussing Gods pathos and what the prophets role was while at the same time dissecting each specific prophet and their story. That alone makes this book a great resource and one I will return to in the future. If you enjoy long reads and are interested in a Jewish perspective of the prophets this is your guy.

Less a work of historical criticism than a philosophical tract (though certainly thoroughly researched and highly critical), Heschel holds up the prophets of the Tanakh as exemplars of not just divine revelation, but also of :"divine pathos" and "prophetic sympathy," men attuned to God's concern for humankind and brave enough to speak His word to those who've forgotten it. The key here is reciprocity between the divine and the human, a concept to which I fully subscribe.

A deep read on Jeremiah & Baruch, Elijah & Elisha for a book I am writing. Highly recommend Abraham Heschel.

There’s a reason this book is a spiritual classic and part of the spiritual classic library. Abraham Heschel’s Treatment of the prophet in the pathos of the prophetic genre Ranks among the best in this book. I would say that this book is a must read for a foundation of understanding the Hebrew Prophets from a modern theological Perspective.

Purchased to read, but relegating to reference.  Not a neg, it just isn’t that readable.

I read this book after reading "The Prophetic Imagination" by Brueggemann who often mentions "The Prophets" as a major influence. After reading "The Prophetic Imagination," I concluded "The Prophets" was probably the most important work of scholarship of the Hebrew scriptures in the last 50 years. After reading, "The Prophets," I have concluded it is the most important work of scholarship of the Hebrew scriptures in the last 100 years.

Wonderfully researched and clearly written, Heschel builds up his thesis in layers, arguing for his approach and drawing out the ramifications of his approach. His central point is that rather than viewing the prophets as predictors of the future, that the prophets are messengers of the pathos of God. This approach can revolutionize prophetic interpretation leading to a relational God who, though retaining His transcendence, is present and immanent in His creation. The pathos of God reveals God as a person, who suffers and feels and is moved and effected by humanity. "The Prophets" should be required reading for every rabbi and pastor.

Although published in 1962, Abraham Heschel's 'The Prophets' is a masterpiece of biblical scholarship and remains a highly readable and fresh exploration of the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible and their place within (mainly) Jewish theology and religious practice.

The book provides an in-depth look at Prophets such as Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Michael and Jeremiah before presenting an examination of the philosophy and theology of pathos, ecstacy in modern religious scholarship, the relationship between prophecy and psychosis and how the Prophets of Israel compare to Prophets from around the world.

Essentially, Heschel has provided and excavation and examination of the consciousness of the prophets: not just the content of their prophecies, but the type of faith-based experience they personified. Furthermore, the book gives great insights God and God's relationship with humanity is conceived of with Jewish theology.

This is for anyone interested in theology and religious scholarship.

3.5. I learned a lot, I have a new appreciation for the prophets. It was also quite repetitive and could have been shorter.

Thorough exAMINATION OF THE PROPHETI MOOD IN iSRAAEL.