Poetry, Catastrophe, and Hope in the Vision of Isaiah

The book of Isaiah is a long and strange book of the Hebrew Bible, composed over several centuries and traversing the catastrophe that befell the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the 8th and 6th centuries BCE. Francis Landy's book tells the story of the poetic response to catastrophe and the hope for a new and perfect world on the other side. It consists of close readings of individual passages in Isaiah, arranged thematically and sequentially, with the constitutive enigma at the centre. The book promises an age of clarity and social and political transformation, but it is always deferred beyond the horizon. In the final chapters, the author turns to the central Chapter Thirty-Three, a mise-en-abyme of the book and a prayer for deliverance, and the issues of exile and the possibility of return. It is a critique of the past and a hope for a new humanity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 21 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The Book of Isaiah, one of the longest and most enigmatic books in the Hebrew Bible, spans several centuries and chronicles the tragic events that befell the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the 8th and 6th centuries BCE. In his book, Francis Landy explores the poetic response to this catastrophe and the hope for a new and perfect world on the other side. The study traces two parallel developments: the displacement of the Davidic promise onto the Persian Empire, Israel, and the prophet himself; and the transition from exclusively male images of the deity to the matching of male and female prototypes, where YHWH takes the place of the warrior goddess.

Poetry, Catastrophe, and Hope in the Book of Isaiah comprises close readings of individual passages in Isaiah, beginning with Chapter One and addressing the challenges of beginnings, and ending with Deutero-Isaiah, composed subsequent to the Babylonian exile. The volume is organized thematically and sequentially, with the first chapter focusing on gender, the second on death, and the third on the Oracles about the Nations. At the center of the book lies what Landy calls the constitutive enigma, Isaiah's commission in his vision to speak in a way that people will not understand. This enigmatic quality renders the entire book potentially incomprehensible, as the more we try to unravel its meaning, the greater the difficulty.

For Landy, this creates a model of reading and writing, where the challenge lies in navigating blind alleys and attempting to make sense of a disastrous world. Isaiah's commission permeates the book, promising an age of clarity and social and political transformation that is always deferred beyond the horizon. Hence, the book lacks a definitive ending or a singular resolution. In the final chapters, the author turns to a series of visions, offering glimpses of a future world that is both hopeful and uncertain.

In conclusion, The Book of Isaiah is a profound exploration of poetry, catastrophe, and hope, offering a unique perspective on the events that shaped the ancient world. Through close readings of individual passages and a thematic and sequential organization, Landy invites readers to engage with the text and consider its enduring relevance to our contemporary lives.

Dimension: 234 x 153 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198856696