The Third Sword

Prophets are wild cards in the game of politics James Bernard Murphy writes in this startling new book. They risk their lives by calling out the abuses of political and religious leaders forcing us to confront evils we would prefer to ignore. By setting moral limits on political leaders prophets chasten our political pretensions and remind us there are values that transcend politics. They wield a third sworddistinct from the familiar swords of state and church powertheir sword is the word of God. The Third Sword offers a new take on political history illustrating a theory of prophetic politics through tales of political crises interspersed with direct dialogue between the prophets and their persecutors. With chapters on Socrates Jesus Joan of Arc Thomas More and Martin Luther King Murphy brings these prophets to life with storytelling that blends biography history and political theory.