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Books > Health, Home & Family > Mind, body & spirit > Mind, body, spirit: thought & practice
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The Prophets - Who They Were, What They Are (Paperback)
Loot Price: R593
Discovery Miles 5 930
You Save: R83
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The Prophets - Who They Were, What They Are (Paperback)
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List price R676
Loot Price R593
Discovery Miles 5 930
You Save R83 (12%)
Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days
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A radical reinterpretation of the biblical prophets by one of
America's most provocative critics reveals the eternal beauty of
their language and the enduring resonance of their message.
Long before Norman Podhoretz became one of the intellectual leaders
of American neoconservatism, he was a student of Hebrew literature
and a passionate reader of the prophets of the Old Testament.
Returning to them after fifty years, he has produced something
remarkable: an entirely new perspective on some of the world's
best-known works.
Or, rather, three new perspectives. The first is a fascinating
account of the golden age of biblical prophecy, from the eighth to
the fifth century B.C.E., and its roots in earlier ages of the
ancient Israelite saga. Thus, like large parts of the Bible itself,
"The Prophets" is a history of the Near East from the point of view
of a single nation, covering not only what is known about the
prophets themselves -- including Elijah, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
and Ezekiel -- but also the stories of King David, King Saul, and
how the ancient Israelites were affected by the great Near Eastern
empires that surrounded them. Layered into this work of history is
a piece of extraordinary literary criticism. Podhoretz's very close
reading of the verse and imagery used by the biblical prophets
restores them to the top reaches of the poetic pantheon, for these
books contain, unequivocally, some of the greatest poetry ever
written.
The historical chronicle and the literary criticism will transport
readers to a time that is both exotic and familiar and, like any
fine work of history or literature, will evoke a distinct and
original world. But the third perspective of "The Prophets" is that
of moral philosophy, and it serves to bring the prophets' message
into the twenty-first century. For to Norman Podhoretz, the real
relevance of the prophets today is more than the excitement of
their history or the beauty of their poetry: it is their message.
Podhoretz sees, in the words of the biblical prophets, a war being
waged, a war against the sin of revering anything made by the hands
of man -- in short, idolatry. In their relentless battle against
idolatry, Podhoretz finds the prophets' most meaningful and
enduring message: a stern warning against the all-consuming worship
of self that is at least as relevant in the twenty-first century as
it was three thousand years ago.
"The Prophets" will earn the respect of biblical scholars and the
fascinated attention of general readers; its observations will be
equally valued by believers and nonbelievers, by anyone with
spiritual yearnings. Learned, provocative, and beautifully written,
"The Prophets" is a deeply felt, deeply satisfying work that is at
once history, literary criticism, and moral philosophy -- a tour de
force.
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