The Fruits of Madness: Perspectives on the Prophetic Movements in Three Traditions brings together selected oral presentations given at the Seminar in Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and in Literature held at the University of Vienna, Austria, in July 2014 as part of the Annual International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. The contributions include work on life on the fringes between two types of lifestyles; the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament prophetic movement phenomenon from the point of view of ancient concerns about the effectiveness of communication between the human and godly realms; resistance led by prophets in ancient Israelite society; the distinction between priests and prophets in ancient Israelite and early Jewish societies; the Prophet Hosea (and his vicissitudes) in the light of the lyrics of the famous Canadian poet and musician, Leonard Cohen; the apocalyptic movements of the exilic and post-exilic eras within Judaism; the biblical Daniel as located at the point of confluence and an agent of prophecy, wisdom, and apocalyptic; and the reliability of God's/YHWH's word as mediated to three persons reputed to have received that word. The reader will intuit the theme of liminality in several of the contributors: it dogs the study of prophecy like a great hound its prey. With these writings, the reader is challenged to view the ancient Israelite and early Jewish concern with prophet and prophecy in a fresh and enjoyable, though thought-provoking way, making this volume a worthwhile read.
About the Author: John T. Greene is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. During his twenty-six year career there, he lectured in the history of religions, scriptural and historical studies, and Hebrew language. From 1983 until his retirement at the end of 2006, Professor Greene directed the university's Archaeology, History of Religions and Hebrew Language Summer Program in Israel and the archaeological site of Et-Tell/Bethsaida, where he still serves as one of the excavation's co-directors. He is the author of The Role of the Messenger and Message in the Ancient Near East and Balaam and His Interpreters, co-editor of two anthologies with Mishael Caspi, Unbinding the Binding of Isaac and And God Said: 'You're Fired!': Elijah and Elisha, and of Probing the Frontiers of Biblical Studies (with J. Harold Ellens). Professor Greene is an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature and is co-convener of the Seminar in Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), and co-editor of the Seminar's summer International Meetings proceedings.