3D Christian Spirituality: The Jewish Prophets and the Axial Age

O.K.- this post is a little bit stuffy, but it's important! Please bear with the quotes.

Isaiah was the first and arguably the most significant of the latter prophets.

"There can be no doubt that the wealth and power of the crown in Judah under Uzziah was exceeded only by Solomon’s reign at its peak. And the Chronicler, who sees only the glories of Solomon’s rule, informs us that Uzziah’s greatness was the reward of faithfulness to Yahweh (v. 5) Be that as it may, at least two Yahweh prophets, Isaiah and Micah, look out upon the life of Judah in the decades following Uzziah’s reign with bitter reproach and with condemnations that must fall, in part, upon Uzziah. We are forced to conclude that, as in Solomon’s day, Yahwists believed that the power, prestige, wealth and apparent security of the crown and the nation were bought at a price too dear — widening economic disparity between rich and poor, the ruthless exploitation of society’s weaker members, a deepening acquisitiveness and an inevitably accompanying disregard of the justice and righteousness of Yahweh, the meaning of covenant, and the true practice of the Yahweh cult."

On a personal note, Isaiah had a wife and two sons: Shear-jashub and little Mahershalalhashbaz (which became a popular Jewish boy name that decade- but then inexplicably never again made the top 1000). Regrettably, no family pictures have survived., except for this:

Apparently, the Isaiah family kept unusual pets.

He was quite eloquent; very gifted in language; giving us some of the most beautiful and elevated passages in world literature.

"We venture the claim not only that Isaiah is central to prophecy but that no prophet stands more nearly in the center of biblical theology nor anticipates in such comprehensive fashion many of the affirmations of the New Testament community. Isaiah’s influence upon subsequent Old Testament theology and ultimately upon Christianity is incalculable."

But is the covenant about political strength or even great literature?

Jeremiah follows and carries this exploration further.

" Jeremiah raised the conception of the bond between God and His people far above the conception of a physical relation, and transferred piety from mere objective ceremonies into the human heart (comp. ib. iv. 4, xvii. 9, xxix. 13, and, if Jeremianic, also xxxi. 31 et seq.). {Hey, was he being spiritual but not religious?}

Through this conception of man's relation to the divinity, the idea of the divine universality, if not created by him, was yet very clearly demonstrated.{Not my god is better than your god- but OUR God}

But in spite of this tendency toward a universalistic conception of God, which later became a firm article of belief, the barriers of the national religion had not yet fallen in Jeremiah's mind. This is shown most clearly by the fact that even he conceives of a final restoration of the tribe of Israel." {Oh well, can't get everything right!}"

This universalism - God as God of all people- would continue to grow in the Jewish prophetic tradition.

This time period is seen as the peak of Jewish culture- and also four other major world cultures: Greece, China, India and Persia. This period between 900-300 BCE is now referred to as The Axial Age- a time period on which human history pivots- a major transition in worldview, religion and culture.

Map of the Axial Age- in case you'd like to visit!

It is particularly characterized by the capacity to look beyond the experiences that shapes a person, to be able to see the perspectives of others- and to identify those needs and experiences that are shared in common.

You know: