ALEPH 2021: Prof. Deena Grant (Hartford Seminary), The Biblical Prophets and Social Justice

ALEPH 2021: On Jews, Judaism, and the Pursuit of Social Justice

Hosted and moderated by Avinoam Patt (Director, Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, University of Connecticut)

Registrants will receive zoom links the day of: $5 for each program or $25 for the series

Biblical prophets, such as Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, witnessed and called out systemic social injustices. However, prophetic rebuke did not necessarily reform Israel’s behavior nor did it alter the course of the nation’s history. In tonight’s talk we will explore the prophetic argument for social justice as well as the prophetic experience of failure, in order to understand the role of prophecy within the larger context Israel’s salvation, exile, and restoration.
Deena Grant is Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at Hartford Seminary. She received her PhD from New York University in Hebrew and Judaic Studies, with a focus on the Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern setting. Her book Divine Anger in the Hebrew Bible (Catholic Biblical Association, 2014) explores varying expressions of God’s anger across major biblical collections. An observant Jewish scholar, Grant values studying and teaching the Hebrew Bible from a historical-critical perspective and also as it is interpreted and lived out by faith communities. Deena Grant is currently working on the concept of hate in the Hebrew Bible.