Pathos In The Prophets

The Prophets
Winter semester, ITI
Br. Alejandro Najera, LC

In this essay I will write about two main themes touched along the course “The Prophets”: First, I will explain the concept of the divine Pathos and, second, I will briefly expose the book and the meaning of the prophet Jeremiah. I am conscious I would need more than thousand pages to discuss properly about such rich and beautifultopics. At the same time I am sure, and that is perhaps the greatest lesson about this course, it is not so important to know and understand and read the prophets. What is important all about them is the fact that they invite us to “live-experience” God, because they did so. And the best way to read them is actually to live them, and therefore, live in God.

Before getting in to the subject, Iconsider essential to give a quick reference about Abraham J. Heschel (1907-1972) , the author of the book studied in this course. Useful may be, in order to say something about him, to bring forth the next quotation:

Heschel believed God takes a passionate interest in those God created. He spoke about divine pathos, which means that God suffers with God’s creatures when they are in pain anddemands a commitment to social justice to alleviate their plight.

Heschel was professor at the Jewish theological seminary in New York and became an active and well known participant in the Civil Rights movement and the protest against the Vietnam War. His study of the prophets inspired his conviction that religiosity demands involvement in political affairs. He himself did so. He also served asthe Jewish representative to the Second Vatican Council during its deliberations on Catholic-Jewish relations.

I found these facts of his life very meaningful. Because, what were the prophets but active people of their own time and with their own people? It seems to be the opposite conception of religion for the german thinker Max Weber. At least, he affirms, it is impossible for catholics tobecome good politicians. He sustains that holiness is an impediment to govern. True catholic ethics cannot stand with the politics of the last end and responsibility, for which it is needed to be detached from people, from the governed. It is necessary not to feel compassion to them, but to rule them. Politics, according to Weber and most of the nowadays thinking, is all about power, physicalstrength. But God is a God for men, hic et nunc. Not just an impersonal principle or just the name for a religious belief with no practical-historical influence. The same sermon quoted just above continues:

Furthermore, I have already mentioned that Heschel was a prolific scholar. At the same time, however, he was a courageous social activist. He ardently believed that prayer and study could not beseparated from communal involvement. Heschel cut an imposing figure with his white beard and crown of wavy hair, his small but imposing bearing, and his passionate and assertive way of speaking. When he cried out for justice, one could almost hear the echoes of God in his voice.

Divine Pathos

To understand and to make a correct approach to the prophets and their writings, it is necessary totake the right perspective, that is to say, the right line of thinking. If we want to read Shakespeare having in mind just a historical purpose, or Engels expecting some romantic poetry, we are not approaching them correctly. To come into prophecy presupposes to understand prophecy. It is a different category of literature, if we can even call it literature. Heschel invites us to get into thecategories of prophecy before opening their message. Therefore, we should leave aside philosophy, science, history, or at least try not to reduce their writings into any particular tendency, but that very specific of prophecy. And to do this, it is important to begin off with two basic questions: what do they write and why do they write it.

What do they write? It is, essentially, a message....