Dr. Baden argues that Jeremiah did not speak truth to power as other prophets of his day did. Do you agree or disagree with Dr. Baden? What examples from the text support your argument?
Jeremiah’s message was deeply unpopular during his day. Why do you think that is? What might have made his message more palatable? Should he have made his message more palatable?
In the Book of Jeremiah, we see a largely reviled message preserved for posterity. Why do you think this message was deemed worthy of remembering and preserved as a sacred text?
Jeremiah is often seen as an indigenous collaborator (an Israelite) of an external imperial power (Babylon). Why do you think he argued that Judah should accept the Babylonian conquest? What do you think might have happened if there had been more widespread resistance?
Applying the Text:
We usually see prophets speaking uncomfortable or inconvenient truths to power. Imagine now it was your job to do that in your modern context. What would be most challenging about doing so? What truth would you speak, and to which power? How do you think that power would respond to your truth?
Do you think prophets or their messages need to be likeable? Should they always contain messages of consolation, like Isaiah? Why or why not?
In many ways, Jeremiah is not at all what we might expect of a Biblical prophet. How is he different from other prophets found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible? Is he similar in any way? Why do you think that is?