BASIC FORMS OF PROPHETIC SPEECH

by Claus Westermann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 20, 1967

This volume presents a close study of Old Testament prophetic utterances through the instrumentality of form criticism. Its particular emphasis is upon a single speech form: the announcement of judgment. Three other major forms of address are identified: Speeches addressed Israel--and speeches addressed to foreign nations; and speeches announcing salvation, which is paired with those announcing judgments. The first part of the utterances by scholars during the past half-century. This section in itself offers a fine introduction to the subject that comes in for more detailed treatment in the sections following. Dr. Westermann, himself one of the leading Old Testament scholars of our day, defines the present position with respect to prophetic address as positing a three-fold entity: it includes the Word of God, the word or words of the man through whom that Word is uttered, and no less significant than these two, the tradition through which the Word is transmitted. Prophetic utterance could come only in an epoch when the spoken word was primary; theories of ""verbal inspiration"" could arise only when the written word had displaced the spoken word. This is a scholarly, lucid, fresh, and pregnant study, an important addition to the library of scholars and students of the Old Testament.

Pub Date: Feb. 20, 1967

ISBN: 0664252443

Page Count: -

Publisher: Westminster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION