The Prophetic Body

In reframing prophecy as fundamentally embodied, Portier-Young lingers over aspects of texts we had previously overlooked, giving fresh understanding of the prophet's relationship to deity, people, and place. With careful exegesis amplified by wide-ranging yet apt insights from fields as disparate as poetry, neuroscience, affect theory, and monster culture, this study is both integrative and innovative. Its subtle argument, clearly and vividly expressed, will prove impossible to ignore. * Ellen F. Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, Duke Divinity School * Portier-Young's compelling volume weaves together a deft reading of biblical texts and deep engagement with contemporary theory on embodiment, colonialism, and gender to challenge interpretations that reduce prophecy to words. By reclaiming the role of the body -- not only for the biblical prophets but also for their readers -- she offers us a path beyond the mind-body dualism that feeds ancient and modern systems of oppression. This is essential reading for understanding biblical prophecy and the limits of current paradigms of interpretation. I anxiously await the remaining volumes of the trilogy! * Julia M. O'Brien, Paul H. and Grace L. Stern Professor of Hebrew Bible, Lancaster Theological Seminary * In The Prophetic Body by Anathea Portier-Young, readers will encounter a thoughtful and insightful exploration of the sheer physicality that went into biblical representations of the prophets' bodily practices and experiences. Drawing on a wide range of studies in neurocognition, social science and cultural theory, this engaging and well written book demonstrates how biblical prophecy was a fully embodied phenomenon that deeply affected and effected the divine words associated with prophets. An important, fresh contribution, most highly recommended for both old and new students of biblical prophecy. * Mark S. Smith, Princeton Theological Seminary * In this stunning exploration of somatic dimensions of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible, Anathea Portier-Young weaves an elegant tapestry of insights drawn from narratology, affect theory, disability studies, gender criticism, and neurobiology. On every page, biblical scholars and homileticians will find fresh wisdom for their theorizing of the synergy of sacred speech, cognition, embodiment, and lived experience in articulations of the holy. * Carolyn J. Sharp, Professor of Homiletics, Yale Divinity School * This groundbreaking work reframes biblical prophecy as we know it. Rejecting the mind-body dualism that has led to a persistent focus on prophets' words as if separable from their embodied experience, Anathea Portier-Young demonstrates how the prophetic body and word were inextricably interconnected. With remarkable multidisciplinary breadth, Portier-Young examines prophetic experience, action, and affect, and presents a revolutionary new model for understanding prophetic literature. The Prophetic Body offers an expansive redefinition of the very nature of biblical prophecy. * Esther J. Hamori, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Union Theological Seminary *