Joel and Amos

Joel's arresting imagery--blasting trumpet, darkened sun and marching hosts--has shaped the church's eschatological vision of a day of wrath. Amos's ringing indictments--callous oppression, heartless worship and self-seeking gain--have periodically awakened the conscience of God's people. Twenty-five-hundred years after they were first born, those prophetic words never fail to awaken and arrest. Viewed against the background of their culture and society, artistry and context, these visions and…