The Prophet as Public Theologian

  • As we have noted, one of the prophet’s primary roles is to speak truth to power, and oftentimes, to do that publicly, offering an example and encouragement to others. This was the case with most of the Biblical prophets, as with many modern figures we consider prophets, including the subjects of the Prophetic Voices films.

    In the late 1950’s, Reinhold Niebuhr was interviewed for national television by famed news reporter Mike Wallace. Wallace introduced Niebuhr this way:

    “This is Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the most important and challenging religious thinkers in the world. Through his writing, Dr. Niebuhr has helped mold the world’s thinking about religion, morality and politics.”

    It was a fitting introduction to an American audience already familiar with the country’s leading public theologian.

    Reinhold Niebuhr, Dorothy Day, Howard Thurman and Abraham Heschel were celebrated and trusted figures in their day. They regularly appeared in the media to offer opinions and perspectives on the great moral and ethical questions of their time. Reinhold Niebuhr appeared on the cover of Time Magazine with the subtitle: “Man’s Story is Not a Success Story.” Thurman was celebrated in Life Magazine stories and on radio, and Heschel and Day were regularly quoted in the national news.

  • 1 What qualities did each of these figures possess that attracted media attention? Looking back at each film, how did the media tend to portray or depict each of these figures?

    2. How did each of these figures use the public attention afforded them? How did that attention become a vehicle for - and occasionally distract them from - their prophetic function?

    3. If “public theology” is about theological and moral engagement with society beyond the church or synagogue, in what ways were each of these figures public theologians?

    4. What particular issues did each of these figures bring to the public spotlight? What difference did this make, both for the person and the issue/s?

    5. Can you think of contemporary persons you would consider prophetic figures who are also public theologians? Is this a rarer phenomenon now than in the past?

    6. What was present in mid-20th century American culture – especially the media - that sought out figures who could offer a moral perspective? Did religious and moral voices hold a different position in the culture then?

    7. Is the media today more or less open to someone offering the “moral perspective” to our current social and political issues? Why or why not?