Isaiah's Vision of Peace in Biblical and Modern International Relations: Swords into Plowshares (Culture and Religion in International Relations)

The prophet Isaiah was privy to the most intimate secrets of government and diplomacy. An adviser at the royal court in 8th century BCE Jerusalem, he was familiar with international politics, marked by ideologies that vaunted war and conquest. Was his prophecy of a peaceful, disarmed world simply a Messianic parable unattainable in practice? Or was it a pragmatic response to the geo-political realities of the day? And does it have a practical value for today’s international relations? A multidisciplinary team of experts investigates the puzzle of what Isaiah really meant.