The Book of the Former Prophets (Paperback)

n this thoughtful and expansive work Thomas W. Mann analyses the early prophets of the Bible corresponding to Joshua through to Kings. The narrative, with its richly diverse cast of great, good, and sinful characters, is unpicked as Mann draws a number of sensitive conclusions from a vital religious and historical source. Mann persuasively asserts that a thorough understanding of the Judeo-Christian narrative can illuminate our own era by comparing events in the Old Testament with a diverse collection of modern material from video games to the war in Iraq. Mann speculates that the Israelites were able to acknowledge culpability as well as success, while the modern West finds similar acknowledgement more challenging, particularly in relation to Vietnam. Mann is also careful to consistently question the motivations, period of writing, and intended audience of the scriptural authors, factors which have influenced our understanding of the text. 'The Book of the Former Prophets' will be of great value to students of theology and those wishing to understand more fully the narrative upon which so much of contemporary western self-understanding is based. Written in an eloquent and anecdotal style, this analysis reveals above all that the biblical scholar must accept the multifaceted nature of the truth, and be able to be aware of the contradictory versions. Thomas W. Mann has taught religious studies at the college, seminary, and doctoral levels and served as a parish minister in the United Church of Christ. He is also the author of "The Book of the Torah" (1988). "Having retold the first part of the Bible's story of ancient Israel in his acclaimed The Book of the Torah, Thomas Mann now presents the second half with critical and theological acumen. The difficult themes and pictures are not glossed over, but Mann's rich interpretive retelling opens up avenues into a contemporary appropriation of this story, on which, for better or for worse, the Christian community is grounded." Patrick D. Miller, Princeton Theological Seminary. "An amazing achievement. Lucidly, with illuminating parallels from modern times, Mann guides us superbly through vast terrain. He keeps the big picture always in view, yet has an unerring eye for the telling detail. . . . We see complexities and ambiguities in narratives fraught with violence and we confront the challenges they present today's reader. . . . In Mann's book, the ancient work has an excellent modern companion." David M. Gunn, Texas Christian University