For modern students, the prophets are one of the great challenges in reading the Bible. They are set in a time and place alien to us, full of extravagant and strange words and deeds, and so it can be hard to see ourselves among their audience. Yet we seem to miss the voice of the prophets in our lives and in our worship. What do the prophets tell us as we seek to know God? As we meet God through the Prophets we may develop an inward ear better attuned to that voice!

In this course you can expect to explore the prophets of the Old Testament as texts revealing how God acts in the world. Specific areas of study are:

1. The historical background of the Old Testament
2. The different kinds of prophetic texts in the Bible, specifically contrasting Exodus, Jonah, and Amos
3. An overview of the prophetic and apocalyptic books of the Old Testament
4. A look into prophetic sign-acts and the nature of the Word of God
5. Exploring the use of the prophets in the New Testament and Quakerism

This is an introductory level course, and no previous knowledge is assumed. This course would work well as an initial course on the Bible or Old Testament. The texts will include the Bible, Robert's comments on the readings, and a few provided articles. Expect 3 to 4 hours of reading and online interaction per week. Your participation will mainly be through the Quaker Studies Moodle website, on forums where you type in your own responses and can respond to other students' posts.