Full Idea
The works of Isaiah (740-700 BCE) mark the point at which the Israelite religion began to spiritualize itself, to move from a specific location in space and time on to the universalist plane.
Gist of Idea
Isaiah moved Israelite religion away from the local, onto a more universal plane
Source
Paul Johnson (The History of the Jews [1987], Pt I)
Book Reference
Johnson,Paul: 'A History of the Jews' [Phoenix 1993], p.74
A Reaction
This is necessary if any religion is going to make converts outside the local culture. The crucial step would be to disembody God, so that He cannot be represented by a statue. The difficulty is for him to be universal, but retain a 'chosen people'.