Amos and Hosea: The Justice and Mercy of God

The books of Amos and Hosea witness to the breakdown of the northern kingdom of Israel as a manifestation of the justice and judgment of God. These books reveal dimensions of divine justice that encompass and interweave with divine mercy. Amos and Hosea differ in mode and emphasis, yet each brings out multifaceted relationships between God's just judgment and merciful compassion as well as a divine commitment to the possibility of human renewal and transformation. Reading Amos and Hosea together provides a fuller portrayal of the divine response to a community indifferent to God and to one another.
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