This book was originally presented as a thesis through Prof. D. E. Phillips to the faculty of the University of Denver in partial fulfilment of the Ph.D. degree.

An extract from Parts II and III appeared in President G. Stanley Hall's "American Journal of Religious Psychology and Education" (Jan.-June, 1907) and has received appreciative comment from a number of scholars. An excellent review of the magazine article appeared in the Expository Times of Aberdeen, Scotland (September, 1907), in which the reviewer refers to the Psychology of Prophecy as introducing a new era into the interpretation of the Old Testament. The author himself refrains from expressing quite so high an appreciation of his own work, but believes with Dr. G. Stanley Hall, who read the entire work before publishing the shorter article, that "it throws valuable light on a subject that needs much light.'

The author is indebted for the greater part of the Bibliography to the late Dr. William Rainey Harper, president of The University of Chicago. Many of the books suggested by Dr. Harper the author was unable to find either in the libraries visited or through book agents, but feeling nevertheless that these are important for a bibliography, his friend, Mr. Max N. Fleischer, of Collingdale, Penna., was kind enough to spend several weeks in the library of the University of Pennsylvania consulting the catalogues of the British Museum, of the National French Library, of the Astor Library of New York, of the Imperial Library of Calcutta and many other catalogues, in order to verify the titles, authors and publishers listed in the Bibliography.

The author takes this opportunity of expressing his sincere appreciation for the valuable services rendered him by his friend Mr. Fleischer both in the matter of the Bibliography and the patient and thorough reading of the proof.

vii

PREFACE

So far as I know a Psychology of Prophecy has not yet been written. The present attempt at presenting Prophecy from a psychological standpoint can be little more than an outline of how such a study might be pursued, an analysis only, as it were, of the problem and an indication in what direction the answer may be looked for.

Every serious student of Prophecy will accept the fact, I believe, that the Prophets announce the Word of God. The question arises, however: How is this Word of God communicated? In what way does the Prophet become conscious of his Prophecy? Is it primarily an objective or a subjective process? If objective, how does it take place? If subjective, how does the mind proceed?

Comparatively simple would be the answer, if Prophecy were an objective process, that is if the Prophet repeated verbatim or nearly so the words he hears God speak, let us say, like a child repeating the words he hears from his parent or teacher, or like a parrot the words dropped within his hearing. It seems to me that even the strictest literalist will shudder at presenting the problem in so naked an aspect. "Not quite so simple," he will exclaim. And yet it is quite so simple, if God is anthropomorphic and speaks like man.

If so, it

Is Prophecy, then, a subjective process, that is a process taking place primarily in the soul of man? must be explicable on psychological principles.

It will be shown in this book that Prophecy is entirely a subjective process, one taking place in evolution, and so closely related to and connected with Jewish History

that without a knowledge of the latter and a thorough understanding of Jewish religious evolution one cannot hope to hold any intelligent view of the mind-processes of the Prophet. In order, however, not to divert too much attention from the main issue, which is the psychology of prophetic activity, a knowledge of Jewish History and Religious Evolution is taken for granted and only such subjects as will help to elucidate the psychology are touched upon.

Light will be thrown upon The Psychology of Prophecy by an examination of the word, Prophet, Nabi, and an investigation of the popular conceptions of the office of Nabi, believing with Spencer that there is a soul of truth in all things erroneous.

The miracles, supposed or real, ascribed to prophetic activity will then be examined and brought into relation with the prophet's power, and finally the Prophet will be considered in relation to other men of religious and spiritual professions, and it will be seen that the prophet is the national type of the Hebrew genius.

In Part II, from the results of part one, the prophet's orientation will be found, and this, it will appear, agrees with what a history of prophetism reveals, and finally the distinctive characteristics of a prophetic psychology will be found, and these distinctive prophetic elements will be investigated and psychologically explained in Part III.

From the investigations of Parts I and II, and from the psychological explanations of Part III it will appear that prophetic phenomena are subjective and human, and, in one phase or another, appear in exceptional individuals in all parts of the world.