The Life and Witness of Jeremiah

The Life and Witness of Jeremiah introduces the general reader to the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah. As such it provides an overall sketch of his life and times and serves as a portal into his thought world.
Jeremiah is among the most eloquent and passionate prophets in the Hebrew Bible. For readers who enjoy evocative poetry and harrowing accounts of near-death experiences, Jeremiah merits careful reading. One of the primary purposes in writing this book is to assist the reader in negotiating its anthology format and disorderly arrangement.
To this end, the author provides in six chapters a thematic and topical approach to important aspects of Jeremiah’s career and message that speak powerfully to our own day. In other words, this book focuses on applied theology. How does what Jeremiah said then relate to readers now? The book of Jeremiah is remarkably relevant, especially in its interface between faith and politics. The author also approaches this exposition of Jeremiah from a biblical theology perspective by connecting his preaching with the canon of sacred Scripture. A major concern is to place Jeremiah’s prophecy within the broader context of redemptive history.

Larry R. Helyer is professor emeritus of biblical studies at Taylor University. He is the author of numerous books on the Bible.