The Prophetic Function

Source
Readings on the sociology of religion
Thomas F. O’Dea & Janet K. O’Dea
Editor Alex Inkeles
Chapter 4: The Prophetic Function

Summary
The prophets were not supported by Kings orpeasants, but were consulted for many things even though they were not paid for predictions of doom or evil omens.
These prophets were responsible of the opposition against knights and patricians ofthe intellectuals in the times of the kings because their prophecies were of peace.
The prophet’s didn’t prophecy favorably to the priests until Ezekiel even though they never prophet against thepriests all the time; there were some prophets that had close relations with priests and Ezekiel was indeed a priest.
There were some areas in which priests and prophets are against each other because ofthe prophecies; and the priests are in disagree to prophets even though they work together sometimes.
The whole attitude of prophets is described as a culture of hostility but not because of theirlack of culture; because they were surrounded by cultural sophistication and cultured stratum. They were all literate and well informed.
They were often teachers of the prudent living. However theycan be comparable more to the Orphics and folk prophets of Hellas than the genteel sages represented by Thales
Reaction
From my very own personal point of view, I didn’t like the article because Ithought it was more about the role of the prophets than the history of some prophets. This chapter of the book talked always about some prophet that made something and the repercussions of that acts inrelation with the religion.
Even though the chapter was a little bit boring, the theme of the chapter is very interesting because of the similarities of the history of some prophets. I think that theidea of being persecuted by the church for giving a prophecy of fate to it, is the same as if someone dares the word of god; and in these times of the prophets, the church was the most important...