There is no foolproof way to distinguish true from false prophets – that is one of the challenges prophecy poses to politics. But studying these true prophets does enable us to identify many false prophets, past and present. Today, human rights activists attempt to play a role in our politics comparable to the prophets of old. They also call out the abuses of our religious and political leaders. No one should want to be ruled by a prophet; but we should want our rulers to heed true prophets. Let others build and administer new institutions and policies; let others forge agreements and create consensus. We shall always need prophets with the courage to obstruct the exercise of power, to disrupt our institutions, and to challenge the consensus. According to ancient Greek myth, swans were sacred to Apollo, the god of prophecy. Just before they die, swans were thought to sing. Socrates himself, once he was condemned to death, said that it was time for his swan song, for his moment of prophecy. Indeed, all of our prophets spoke most prophetically only after they accepted their own deaths.

Prophetic politics is personal and charismatic, not institutional or routinized, making the prophetic sword distinct from the swords wielded by church and state. What most distinguishes a prophet is the courage to call out abuses of political and religious power. The volcanic moral passions that upend our politics – think of prohibition, civil rights, abortion – usually stem from prophetic condemnation. Many people attempt to assume the authority of prophets by imitating their harsh rhetoric, but true prophets today are more likely to be found in jail for civil disobedience than issuing jeremiads on television. A prophet claims to speak on behalf of God, and such a claim is a conversation stopper. Prophetic politics is necessary only when normal politics has become irredeemable.