In the first two chapters of the book of Amos, the prophet denounces a number of neighbouring nations for committing atrocities in war and then declares Israel to be equally blameworthy in view of the social injustices prevailing in his time. The essential contribution of Amos to Old Testament theology is to be found in his radical criticism of Israel.

In modern times Amos has come to be considered one of the most important prophets, mainly for his uncompromising message about social justice. This book provides a detailed exploration of this theme and other important elements of the theology underlying the book of Amos. It also includes chapters on the text itself, providing a critical assessment of how the book came to be, the original message of Amos and his circle, which parts of the book may have been added by later scribes, and the finished form of the book. The author also considers the book's reception in ancient and modern times by interpreters as varied as rabbis, the Church Fathers, the Reformers and liberation theologians. Throughout, the focus is on how to read the book of Amos holistically to understand the organic development of the prophet's message through the many stages of the book's development and interpretation.

ThisOxford dissertationoffers a detailed analysis of the text of the Old Testament book of the prophet Amos and attempts to reconstruct the process of its composition. It looks into the probable historical circumstances in which the prophetic oracles were collected and edited and seeks to show how the prophetic message lived on and spoke to the various communities which preserved and transmitted it.

Written by one of the world's most widely respected biblical scholars, this volume sets out detailed recommendations for the future of the discipline.

A companion series to the acclaimed Word Biblical Commentary Finding the great themes of the books of the Bible is essential to the study of God's Word and to the preaching and teaching of its truths. These themes and ideas are often like precious gems: they lie beneath the surface and can only be discovered with some difficulty. While commentaries are useful for helping readers understand the content of a verse or chapter, they are not usually designed to help the reader to trace important subjects systematically within a given book a Scripture. The Word Biblical Themes series helps readers discover the important themes of a book of the Bible. This series distills the theological essence of a given book of Scripture and serves it up in ways that enrich the preaching, teaching, worship, and discipleship of God's people. Volumes in this series: Written by top biblical scholars Feature authors who wrote on the same book of the Bible for the Word Biblical Commentary series Distill deep and focused study on a biblical book into the most important themes and practical applications of them Give reader’s an ability to see the "big picture" of a book of the Bible by understanding what topics and concerns were most important to the biblical writers Help address pressing issues in the church today by showing readers see how the biblical writers approached similar issues in their day Ideal for sermon preparation and for other teaching in the church Word Biblical Themes are an ideal resource for any reader who has used and benefited from the Word Biblical Commentary series, and will help pastors, bible teachers, and students as they seek to understand and apply God’s word to their ministry and learning.

The volume brings together eight new essays on Amos, which focus on a range of issues within the book. They represent a number of different approaches to the text from the text-critical to teh psychoanalytical, and from composition to reception. Arising out of a symposium to honour John Barton for his 60th birthday, the essays all respond, either directly or indirectly, to his Amos's Oracles Against the Nations, and to his lifelong concern with both ethics and method in biblical study.