The question you raised in your group post was interesting to consider. What if a given prophetic book was removed from the canon? I was thinking about the problem of Amos. Initially, I thought that his efforts were in vain as Israel did fall to Assyria in 720 BCE. Isn't the role of the prophet to maintain God's order? Shouldn't Israel have survived as a monarchy? According to Collins, the effectiveness of the prophets message required an audience that shared the basic legitimacy of prophecy and that shared at least some of their basic convictions.(Collins p. 198) I am reminded of Samuel's journey to Bethlehem when met by the city elders who were trembling. "Do you come peaceably" they asked (1 Samuel 16:4). Apparently some prophets and seers were known well and evoked an ephemeral response of fear and uncertainty. Amos was not so known. Perhaps Amos words, though a powerful soliloquy, weren't sufficient to cause Israel to repent as he wasn't known. Collins indicates Israel's fall was not God's punishment but to show God's power. So what's the role of the prophet and how important is he or she to the community of faith? Throughout the book of Prophets, I read examples of communities of faith who respond to the cal of the prophet and repent - change their ways. In todays community of faith, there is a need for prophets but the challenge to speak out is uncomfortable and unpopular is many church communities who hold a belief that their success is due to their maintenance of religious practices and order. Perhaps the teaching in Collins, that Israel fell in order that God would be manifest is a story that is timeless and needs to be told again and again.