The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah In The History Of Christianity

In this work, Professor Sawyer opens a 'third track' of reading, which concerns the actual practice of the church in using the book of Isaiah, and appeals to but runs well beyond both 'historical-critical' and 'canonical' perspectives.

This is a new type of commentary on some of the most familiar language and imagery in the Bible, showing how Isaiah has been used by Christians in all kinds of contexts up to the present. There is much interest in reader-response, the history of interpretation and the sociology of sacred texts--in what the text does as much as what it means. With full documentation and illustrations, Sawyer gives an insight into Isaiah's influence, from the cult of the Virgin Mary and anti-Semitism to Christian feminism and liberation theology.