Jeremiah: Preacher of Grace, Poet of Truth

by Carol J. Dempsey

What does it mean to be deeply in love with God and, at the same time, with a person, a group, or a nation that is at odds with God? Such is the dilemma of the prophet Jeremiah, and it is an experience not unfamiliar to many in our own day. The lesson of Jeremiah's story is that, no matter how unfaithful humans may be, God remains always faithful, always ready to forgive and to right the wrongs humans have wrought. Using the tools of rhetorical and narrative criticism, Carol Dempsey develops the character Jeremiah as a literary figure, a messenger not only to his own people but to all readers of his book. In keeping with the purposes of the Interfaces series, she helps us sharpen our critical skills by examining the text's presentation of a biblical character not in isolation but interacting, interfacing, with others in his milieu and, implicitly, in ours. Jeremiah is both prophet and poet, as Dempsey shows. She examines the prophet as both gifted and burdened by his mission and the word given to him, a word personal to himself and repugnant to his audience. Ultimately, it is Jeremiah's relationship with God, in its depth and its tension, that shapes his character 'and that of his audience as well. In the end, Jeremiah's struggles move him from pathos to trust, from imprisonment to freedom, from desperation to conviction, leaving him and his readers with a sense of wonder at the mystery of God.

152 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Carol Dempsey, O.P is Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Portland. Dr. Dempsey has expertise in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as well as extensive knowledgeable of the biblical languages. Among her major publications are Isaiah: God's Poet of Light (Chalice Press, 2010), Justice: A Biblical Perspective (Chalice Press, 2008), and Jeremiah: Preacher of Grace, Poet of Truth (The Liturgical Press, 2007). She recently published a series of eighteen lectures on CDs, Understanding Old Testament Prophets (NowYouKnowMedia, 2010).

Dr. Dempsey is the lead editor and a contributor to the interdisciplinary series for Orbis Books, Theology in Dialogue. She also serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Catholic Higher Education and Dominican Studies. She has been a Dominican for thirty-five years and has two little parrotlets, Kelli Mae and Kristi Belle and a zebra finch, Holly.

Education
Ph.D., Catholic University of America
M.A., St. Louis University
B.A., Caldwell College

http://academics.lmu.edu/extension/pr...