Hearing the Voice of God: In Search of Prophecy

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 peo-ple 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 reli-gions. 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 contem-porary 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. (May)