Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the attitudes of the pre-exilic, canonical prophets toward their contemporary cultus. The approach in the early chapters is historical, describing the origin and development of Israelite prophecy and the Israelite cultus and the role played by each during the eighth and seventh centuries B.C. In the remaining chapters of the dissertation, each of the pre-exilic, canonical prophets is studied against the background of his specific remarks concerning the cultus and his vocational, geographical, political and religious position. This approach is primarily problematic, evaluating the approaches of various scholars, including those of the Scandinavian traditio-historical school.
Any attempt to generalize about the "prophetic mind" must be tempered by a realization that the men called prophets did not form a homogeneous group, but belonged to quite different segments of the Israelite social and economic strata. Further, they do not fit into any simple vocational pattern. The commonly used appellative, "prophet," is not helpful because there were many prophetic roles, professional and non-professional. The tenor of their messages excludes the possibility of their belonging to any traditional, professional, prophetic order. Based on the evidence presented in this dissertation, the following conclusions are stated regarding the individual prophets: Amos was not a professional prophet; he was "a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees." There is not sufficient evidence to suggest Hosea's vocation, although he may have been a priest. Isaiah's vocation is uncertain, but there is strong evidence that he was a scribe in the royal palace. Micah's vocation is likewise uncertain; the best evidence indicates that he was a peasant artisan or farmer. Jeremiah was a priest until his prophetic call and his priestly vocation may have continued during his prophetic career. [TRUNCATED]
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/15457 |
| Date | January 1957 |
| Creators | Anderson, Robert Theodore |
| Publisher | Boston University |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | Based on investigation of the BU Libraries' staff, this work is free of known copyright restrictions. |
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