Perspective

The story is written in third person. The writer was a Jewish theologist who was a refugee from Nazi Germany. He wrote the book with the desire to persuade and inform the reader about the Old Testament prophets and their relationship to God. When Heschel begins, he tries to stay informative more than persuasive, but as the writing continues the reader finds that he begins to give his opinions. He also gives the reader reasons why he is correct and supports his own opinions by giving the reader quotes from other theologists and writers.

He writes the book from the point of view that the prophets were men who were hypersensitive to the evil that goes on in the world because of their intimate relationship to God. Heschel, who believed that to be religious demanded that you get involved in political affairs, was strongly opposed to the war...