Mattuck, a Reform rabbi and a pioneer of the Liberal Jewish movement in England, discusses the ideas of the Hebrew Prophets in terms of their permanent relevance to human thought and experience. He examines prophetic thought against the background of the Prophets' own times, and points out the vital elements in their thinking which have achieved universal meaning, especially in the context of the relationship between religion and government. Viewing the Prophets as intensely religious personalities dominated by the urgent need to teach men about God, this study shows how they originated the concept of monotheism and then greatly enriched its ethical and spiritual content. - Back cover.