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. Isaiah provides an ideal case study, because of its profound influence on the language and imagery of Christianity. Jerome said that Isaiah should be called an evangelist rather than a prophet because he writes about Christ and the Church so that we think he is composing a history of what has already happened rather than prophesying about what is to come. Professor Sawyer shows how Isaiah has been used from the cult of the Virgin Mary and anti-semitism to Christian feminism and liberation theology. Fully documented and illustrated, this attempt at a critical study of a neglected area of biblical studies should provide a model for further research. Sawyer evidences his skill with exegetical, historical, theological and artisitic dimensions of the text. The reader of his book is invited into the interpretive practice of the church.
