English

Alternative forms

• call in the wilderness
• cry in the wilderness
• voice calling in the wilderness
• voice crying in the wilderness

Noun

voice in the wilderness ‎(plural voices in the wilderness)

1. (idiomatic) A person, publication, or other source of assertions that expresses an opinion, doctrine, or point of view which is ignored or rejected by almost all others; the actual utterance of an unpopular opinion, doctrine, or point of view.
   • 1974, Leonard Horwitz, Clinical Prediction in Psychotherapy, ISBN 9780876681497, page 1 (Google books view):

     Eysenck (1952) was just beginning to seriously question the validity of dynamically oriented therapy, but he was a lone voice in the wilderness at that time. Not until the sixties did opposing points of view . . . begin to gain prominence.

   • 1994 May 9, John Elson, "Books: Following the Leaders," Time (retrieved 28 April 2015):

     A leader without committed followers is an unheard voice in the wilderness.

   • 2015 January 5, Hans Sherrer, "Justice Denied Begins Its 17th Year," Justice Denied (retrieved 29 April 2015):

     When Justice Denied’s first issue was published in February 1999 it was a ‘voice in the wilderness’ alerting the world to the widespread problem of the unreliability of the legal system.

   • 2015 April 16, David Rutter, "Earth Day lets us remember who owns the environment," Chicago Tribune (retrieved 29 April 2015):

     The nation was a mess environmentally, and only a few voices in the wilderness were paying heed. In 1970, environmentalists often were derided and dismissed.

2. (idiomatic, rare) An influential religious personage, especially one who makes prophetic utterances.
   • 1876, Charlotte M. Yonge, The Three Brides, ch. 3:

     "I don't know," said Anne. "He gathers together a little flock of all denominations, who only care to hear the word."

     "Such a voice in the wilderness as often does good service," said Julius.

   • 1920, Jerome K. Jerome, "A Charming Woman" in Sketches in Lavender, Blue and Green:

     "I, even I, may be the voice in the wilderness leading the lost sheep back to the fold."

   • 1994, David E. Mungello. The Forgotten Christians of Hangzhou, ISBN 9780824815400, page 153 (Google books view):

     Zhang again acted as a Confucian prophetic voice in the wilderness who called the people to truth.