Humeis Este Soma Christou

Wisdom begins with ...

2012-01-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

There are things that God can help and there are things that God cannot help. If you know this, you have wisdom.

There are things you can do and there are things you cannot do. If you know this, you have wisdom.

There are things you have to do and there are things that you shouldn't do. If you know this, you are wise.

There are times that you have to work hard and try hard. But there are also times that you have to stop working and wait. If you know this, you are wise.

There are things that God wants you to do. Then you have to do. There are also things that God does not want you to do. Then you shouldn't do.

Wisdom begins with knowing all of these differences.

Why do I love calligraphy?

2012-01-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to share my old calligraphy on my web site.

There I said:

"The following works are from 1980s after my college. I did not learn calligraphy from anybody. All these are from my own effortsand trials. I love calligraphy because it is a way oftraining my self and expression of my state. Black is a most deeply profound color in the sense that it absorbs everything. Black isthe basis of every living color. Moreover, see the style of each letter;it has sort of rhythm, strong and sharp at some point, and soft and round atother point. In fact, these immature works had been kept in shade, almost forgotten, formore than two decades. Amazing is that thanks to digital camerathese are now made available online. It is a mystery."

See below some of my old works:

Yongbichon: "Dragon-flying spring"

Hangsan hangsim: "Constant production and heart"

mulwi kumil bulhaki yunail, mulwi kumnyun bulhaki younanyun:

If you don't study today, don't say there is tomorrow;

If you don't study this year, don't say there is next year.

Jung Do-Jeon's critique of 14th-century-Buddhism in Korea

2011-12-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

Jung Do-Jeon (1342-1398) is a Korean Confucius scholar, politician and general in Korea in the 14th century, who helped Sunggae Lee to found a new kingdom called Josun (which lasted for five hundred years and was the last kingdom before the modernized Korea), demising the Koryo dynasty whose religious political foundation was Buddhism.

Jung's political or scholarly vision is to establish a new country run by commonsense and ethics. His spirit is very much like a modern political view: the emphasis of human well being, and the role of education for promoting justice. Because of this practical mindedness, he is very critical of Buddhism in those days and the elites who are drunk with other-worldly salvation, while accumulating wealth and power for themselves. Temples and elites are richer and yet people are poorer.

One of his sharpest critiques of Buddhism is to reject "reincarnation," the core doctrine of Buddhism, according to which persons may continue to live after death with a new birth (reincarnation). So people are advised to make hard efforts to have a good re-birth after death. The implication is that they have to attach themselves to the religion of the day to secure a good reincarnation. This is where corruption of the religion starts.

Namely, concerns about the future salvation blinds them to realities of everyday life, and the religious elites use this for filling their own bellies. In this context, Jung challenges the absurdities of such an idea of reincarnation in his book Bulsee Japbyun. When he does, he uses examples of nature. The first example of his observation goes like this: 'We look at the beautiful flowers or leaves in the spring and see them fading and falling off to the ground. They return to the place where they were.'

Here Jung clearly rejects the idea of re-birth, saying like this: "How is it possible that we may expect to see the same fallen flowers or leaves coming back to life in the next spring?" Simply, old life is gone and new life is born! There is no realization that the old is coming back and born again. What comes out from the ground in the next spring is a new life, though old leaves or flowers provide for a new life by dying and decaying into the ground. What he says is a simple claim that reincarnation is impossible, as he observes in nature. Furthermore, in his view, wanting "reincarnation" is an unnecessary selfish desire by which in some sense people want to prolong their lives even after death.

The other example is: "How can we inhale the same breath that we exhale? Each time we exhale a breath but inhale a new one, not the same breath." The other example is about a spring or well that has the ever-springing waters, which are not the same waters evaporated and turned into the clouds.

I think his critique makes a very good sense even today when people are over-concerned about their life after death, while ignoring their responsibilities in the world and diminishing the value of life meant to live fully in this world. I am admired by Jung Do-Jeon's erudite scholarship on one hand and his sharp analysis of the world and politics on the other hand. He is a modernist in a sense; in his view the main propelling engine of society is not God or religion but the responsible "thinking" persons.

This poem written by Jung DoJeon when he first met Sunggae Lee.

	蒼茫歲月一株松 / 아득한 세월에 한 그루 소나무 生長靑山幾萬重 / 푸른 산 몇 만겹 속에 자랐구나. 好在他年相見否 / 잘 있으시오. 훗날 서로 뵐 수 있으리까? 人間俯仰便陳蹤 / 인간 세상이란 잠깐 사이 묵은 자취인 것을.
	— 정도전, 《제함영송수 (題咸營松樹)》

This poem written by Jung DoJeon before he died (or was killed).

	操存省察兩加功 / 조심하고 조심하여 공력을 다해 살면서 不負聖賢黃卷中 / 책 속에 담긴 성현의 말씀 저버리지 않았네. 三十年來勤苦業 / 삼십 년 긴 세월 고난 속에 쌓아 놓은 사업 松亭一醉竟成空 / 송현방 정자 한 잔 술에 그만 허사가 되었네.
	— 정도전, 《자조》

Reading a Parable Radically

2011-12-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

The parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matt 20:1-16

Matt 20:1-16 (NRSV)
‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; 4and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. 5When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” 7They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” 9When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” 13But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’

We are very familiar with this parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matt 20:1-16. But meaning of this parable would be very different if we read it from the perspective of marginality -- a lens of deconstruction. A parable is told in a particular situation to help hearers to see something differently. That is what the parable does: “A parable is a story cast alongside of life for the sake of leading the audience to see something differently” (Marcus Borg, Jesus, 259).

What kind of God is this?
From God’s perspective, all are equal in the divine vineyard. Therefore, all are to be fed equally regardless of their conditions. This perspective of God reverses the society’s norm that social status or conditions decide one’s pay. To cultivate the divine vineyard well, people have to seek God's way and justice (Matt 6:33).

God is just, and the unfortunate are to be fed equally as well
Those who came to work early were hired by the owner of the vineyard, and they could feed their families. But there were some people who were not hired early enough or right away. The landowner went out about five o'clock and and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us” (Matt 20:6-7). The reason is no one hired them. They were not lazy people.

The truth is that they also need the same USUAL daily wage which can meet the needs of their families. The issue is not whether they are to be paid equal with other early birds. The real issue is whether they can feed their families for the day. That is why the owner pays the same daily wage for all because all of them need to provide the adequate means of life for their families.

Isn’t this the justice that we can aim? Isn’t this the true spirituality that we have to emulate? Isn’t this the true form of religion that we are aspiring for? Isn’t this the true God that we can trust? Isn’t this the good society that we can work for? Isn’t this what Paul has meant “a fair balance” between abundance and scarcity in 2 Cor 9?

Ultimately, when it comes to the spirituality, it should begin with a person's feeling and recognizing of others' need or pain. Similarly, we may say that if economic justice is not properly executed there would be no spirituality. Biblical spirituality is none other than the holistic life that brings body and spirit together.

Paidagogos in Gal 3:24 and 1 Cor 4:15

2011-12-19T14:04:00.001-08:00

One of the most difficult issues in Pauline studies concerns the law. While Paul’s view of the law is positive, some or many people still stick to the old view of the law, found in dichotomy between the law and faith. They often resort to paidagogos (variously translated as disciplinarian, custodian, and guardian) in Gal 3:24 and 1 Cor 4:15.

That is to say, they argue that the law is replaced by faith in Christ. But there are problems in this view. The issue is how we understand paidagogos in these texts.

There is a negative use of paidagogos of which view comes from the Hellenistic culture. Paidagogos is like a slave-guardian, who is responsible for children of the wealthy; their primary job is to take these children (students) to school and to take care of them. In general, students in this Hellenistic culture do not like slave-guardians. The whole point of the negative use of paidagogos is that the law's role as a teacher ended with the coming of Christ. See below several English translations of Gal 3:24 and 1 Cor 4:15.

GAL 3:24
-“Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith” (NRSV)
-“So that the Law became our custodian until Christ so that we might be made righteous by faith” (CEB)
-“So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” (NIV)

1 Cor 4:15
-“For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (NRSV)
-NIV also has “guardians”
-CEB has “mentors”

In my view, however, paidagogos is used positively in these texts. 1 Cor 4:15 shows its positive use: paidagogos as guardians or mentors (like teachers). In the Old Testament, the law serves as mother or nurse (Num 11:12). It is a gift of God. People are led by the law. The law is singular here, and it is an expression of God’s love and care. As Paul says in Rom 7:12, the law itself is nothing wrong by itself; the law is holy and good (Rom 7:12).

The problem is people's uncaring, unfaithful mind and heart, demonstrated in the misuse of the law, blind faith, and in zeal for the law. Christ fulfilled the purpose of the law, which is God’s life or love to be manifested in the world. “Christ is the goal of the law” (Rom 10:4).

Christ’s death did not nullify the law because the law is imperfect for human salvation (the opposite is true for Paul); rather, Christ’s death is the result of keeping the law, the law of God (which is life and peace).

Christ’s death is the expression of his radical faith in God, the law of God in particular. Believers also participate in his death or faith. That is what it means for believers to live righteously. For more, see A Theological Introduction to Paul’s Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (Cascade Books, 2011).

New Online, Peer-Reviewed Journal: The Journal of Bible and Human Transformation

2011-12-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

“Since the Bible is about “our” life, however limited, we can read the Bible for human transformation. The issue is, of course, what kind of transformation is ideal and good for us to pursue. That is why we need a Journal like this, Journal of Bible and Human Transformation. It is my hope that the Bible becomes a living document for those who read it “transformatively” – in the manner that everything in the text and the world is tested so that we may know what is good and acceptable to God, our neighbors, and to us. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2).” - from an article by Yung Suk Kim

If you are interested in this journal published by Sopher Press, please like them on FACEBOOK and keep up with them at Bible and Transformation.com

Marginality and Christian Theology

2011-12-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

In his book Marginality: The Key to Multicultural Theology (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Jung Young Lee states that his marginal experience is the basis for his contextual theology. Furthermore, Lee affirms that marginality is a new source of power (self-affirmation) in spite of its negative connotations. Lee goes on to argue that Christian theology, mission of the church, a habit of thinking, personal commitment and all our hearts and minds have to be based in new marginality of self-affirmation. A new marginal person is the one who relentlessly hopes for harmonious justice beyond one's identity, defiantly protesting all abusive systems and evil in the world.

To support his thesis about new marginality, Lee rejects the one-way, classical definition of marginality that emphasizes the negative side of marginality such as alienation, rejection, and struggles, and so forth. This classical definition is the product of "centrality" according to which marginality is a situation of "got stuck" or "in-between."

But Lee defines marginality from a marginal perspective, which upholds a "both/and" and "in-beyond" approach. For example, Lee declares that he is both an American and an Asian. "Both/and" approach is a self-affirmation of both Asian and American.

He also talks about a new marginality person who stands "in-beyond," which means standing beyond "in-between" and "in-both" (Asian and American).

That is to say, such an "in-beyond" person transcends the current time and space to form a new identity, which is formulated both in "in-between" and "in-both" worlds. Lee states that this kind of "in-beyond" thinking leads to living up to "the harmony of difference," as God's creation itself is of plurality and differences.

Lee continues to explore marginality to the extent that marginality should be the center of Christian theology. For instance, God becomes marginal through incarnation of Jesus Christ. Marginality is God's choice of loving humanity. Jesus was also marginal, being rejected and crucified by the people. In other words, Jesus lived "in-beyond," affirming the world that rejected him.

Likewise, Lee suggests that the church, seminaries, and all our Christian works be a community of marginality that lives up to the love and servanthood of Jesus. The author envisions the whole church and Christian institutions to embraces a holistic "in-beyond" approach.

Lee does an excellent job because he reclaims a Christian theology of marginality. Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mt. 20:28). As Jesus was a marginal person, so are Christians. Christians' power comes out of serving others. Another strong point is regarding the identity of minority. Marginal experiences are certainly negative, but are not hopeless altogether.

Lee suggests that we transform our marginal experiences to form a new identity of hope and love beyond the current conditions of the world. Lee also made a big contribution to the understanding of multicultural society. Pluralistic, multicultural society needs multiple centers and margins. Lee seems to encourage all of us to play an active role in making a better society.

He also lets us recognize the mystery of creation that reflects diversity, plurality, and differences in our culture. Everyone has his or her own place of margin, because, according to Lee, margins and centers are not fixed; rather, they are dynamic and moving. A multicultural society is a kind of web that every unit of society has its own connection to one another, modifying its place constantly.

Lee's book greatly has shaped my worldview and understanding of multicultural theology. I became confident about my role as a biblical theologian in multicultural society. Through my upbringings, education, experiences in Korea and elsewhere (including Latin America and USA), I came to view the world through the lens of critical diversity or imagination.

When I lived in a small rural village at my childhood, I liked to play with things in nature and grasped the harmony of differences. Not a single thing is the same as the other in nature: Different colors of leaves, different trees, different flowers, different stars, different birds, and so forth.

While we are different with each other, we also share a common humanity. We are still the same human being. In nature, dandelion is different from the rose but it is still a beautiful flower. God made all of us good, including nature. Why do we not maintain such a beautiful world?

In a real world, we have yet to see this "perfect" world. That is where we need human transformation. That is why we need a journal like this: Journal of Bible and Human Transformation (JBHT).

I struggle daily with an identity question: Who am I in this country? I am still that I am. Yet I am not the same as before. I am like a watercolor. I am good and bad. I am still painted with lots of options and changes.

P.S
Readers should not be confused about two kinds of marginality: a marginality given due to social, cultural determinants and a voluntary marginality as shown in Jesus or Paul. The latter is affirmed, and it is good since Christian theology is based on incarnation theology in that God becomes flesh.

But regarding the former, caution should be made: Whereas the marginalized person can affirm his or her identity amid degrading situations, it does not mean that he or she can tolerate marginal situations from the perspective of justice. Some suffering or injustices cannot be tolerated or spiritualized without making efforts to improve or change the system that causes injustices.

Job's story and faith

2011-12-02T08:47:00.001-08:00

Job (in the Book of Job) is a righteous person, and God acknowledges his faith. Job lives a good life with blessings of children, wealth, and so forth, until one day he loses everything including his children. His body is soaked with skin disease. Satan bets against God, saying that if the blessings of Job are taken away from him, he will betray God. But God does not agree with Satan and goes on to bet with him.

So the test begins. Virtually, Job loses everything, all his children suddenly being killed one after another. Even his wife asks him to die after cursing the God he trusts. He is in total despair. His friends ask him to repent his sins so that God will restore him. But Job does not agree to that conventional wisdom or theology that bad fortune is the result of sin.

Even though he is not perfect, Job does not deserve such a horrendous suffering and the loss of everything. He wants to confront such a cruel or unjust God. He laments even his birth being born with the flesh. The most difficult part of his suffering is he does not receive a right response from God. Long time of dialogues with his friends and the time of suffering persist. Yet there are no satisfactory answers.

Finally, God makes answer to Job out of the storm-wind. Job wants to hear answer regarding his questions, for example: Why do good people suffer? Is God just? Instead, God basically says, "Shut up" (this is my summary). God reminds Job of his mortality and limitations in that he cannot comprehend God. God's counter-question is just too cruel to Job in a way: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (Job 38:4).

The idea here is that "Job, you are unable to know why you suffer. You are mortal. Stay where you are. I will be with you when you go through a long deep dark tunnel." Perhaps Job realizes his futile attempt to know all about his suffering or pain.

So he never knows the reason why he suffers. Suffering is the dark side of creation. It just happens without causality, as the wind blows from nowhere. Pain and suffering blow from nowhere. If this is a reality, the more important task is how to live with it. That is what the book of Job is about. Job endured through all of this time, searching for a deep truth in vain.

A paradoxical truth is, however, that Job maintains his faith in God even though he does not hear a good answer that expects. What is the basis of his faith then? In my view, his faith has to do with acknowledging human mortality and God's sovereignty. He maintains faith not because he received something good (like blessings or changes in his current life) from God but because God is the owner of his life and God is bigger than his thought.

Even though we don't understand why we suffer, we cannot give up our lives because we are so limited to know everything about us and God. That is where faith begins. Ultimately, we are not owners of our lives. So we cannot give up. Still we have to trust in God because we are his creation and there is no other way than trusting in God. Giving up is not a good option. That is who we are and how we live. That is what faith can do. But still the hard questions remain to be answered: What is the meaning of life in that difficult situation? Why do we suffer? That is a mystery that we never can answer.

Two Faces of Confucianism in Korea

2011-11-29T11:17:00.001-08:00

During the JoSeon Dynasty founded in the 14th century C.E,the Neo-Confucianism flourished with an ideal of the harmonized world throughmoral and ethical principles. In fact, there are bright and dark sides ofConfucianism as understood and practiced in Korea.Today Korean society struggles with the tension between good and bad inConfucianism.

The good side of Confucianism is relational humanism ofwhich aspects lie at the center of our lives and thinking. In Great Learning(Confucian teachings) the notion of community is well summarized with thisfollowing: “su-shin, je-ga, chi-guk, pyong-chon-ha” (修身濟家治國平天下). Sushin means training theself (literally disciplining oneself); je-ga managing home; chi-gukruling the nation; pyong chon-ha governing the whole world. Confuciusbased his ideals about human communities on inseparable and harmoniousrelationships between the self, community and the nation.

In Confucius’ view, the purpose of soo-shin is tobuild home with virtues, to rule the nation and to govern the whole world.Confucius finds the essence of human beings in the nexus of intrinsic livingtogether with others. Individuals, home, the nation and the whole world areclosely related and there must be roles for each.

The centrality of human relationships is well expressed in In(or Ren) – which means love (仁).This word consists of two ideograms: “person” and “two.” In is oftentranslated as ‘human-relatedness,’ ‘co-humanity,’ ‘virtuous humanity,’ … or‘love’.” There are no individuals without communities. In our culture,therefore, a good human being is a person who relates well with other personsin communities. Interrelatedness is part of the Confucian notion of love.

This relational human existence and love is also expressedin the Chinese word for human beings, composed of two characters: 人 (in) + 間 (gan). In means human being, who needs othersto relate (see the ideogram of In, which shows two persons in unity). Tolive as a person means to live with others. Gan means a space ordistance “in-between.” How to relate with others is what it means to be human.This is why we often use “woori” (meaning “we”) instead of “I” or “my.” Forexample, we rarely say “my teacher,” but we say “our teacher.” The examplesinclude “our car, our school, our pastor, our country, etc.” This sort of habitof language reflects the deep sense of our community life.

However, the bad or difficult side of Confucianism has to dowith its hierarchical, patriarchal worldview. As such, Confucianism has had anegative effect on women in particular. Samgang-oryn (three cardinalprinciples and five ethical norms) is a prime example of this.

Three cardinal principles (samgang) include 1) loyalty toruler, 2) filial piety to parents, and 3) wife’s fidelity to husband; fiveethical norms (oryun) deal with human relationships: 1) love between parentsand children, 2) faith between rulers and people, 3) distinction betweenhusband and wife, 4) order between elders and juniors, and 5) trust betweenfriends. Especially, women did not have equal rights with men as seen in Samjongjido(women’s three things to obey): 1) obeying her father before marriage, 2)obeying her husband after marriage, and 3) obeying her sons after the death ofher husband.

Dow and Deconstruction

2011-11-14T21:00:00.001-08:00

Most recently, I was fascinated by a thought pattern of Daoism, especially the one found in the first chapter of Tao Te Ching (the book of the way and virtue). Dow (the way) in Daosim is closer to the way in Judaism or in Christianity than to that in Hellenistic philosophy, according to which the way (or truth) is understood as permanent or unchangeable. There is a notion of the absolute truth, absolute being, or Idea (by Plato) in Hellenistic philosophy. Logos is the way -- the mind and principle of all things, and the essence of universe.

But the way (Dow) in Laozi's book Tao Te Ching is flexible, not fixed or permanent. Dow is like water, which is flexible, adjustable to new places, an essential source for life, humble in nature, and flowing to the lowly places. Water is everywhere and the same water; but its use or shape is different. That is what the way means.

But many people misunderstand the first chapter of Tao Te Ching. For example, the typical translation that I find is: "The way that can be told is not the Eternal Way." This is exactly what I call the Western ontological translation. There is also a tendency of dualism between the temporary truth and the permanent truth. In my view, Taoism does not work with Western dualism: between mind and body, or between this world and heavenly place, between temporal and eternal.

My translation of first line is as follows: "The way (Dow) can be (lived as) a way (like water), and it is not constant (fixed or unchangeable)."

The original text of chapter 1 of Tao Te Ching:

道可道,非常道；

名可名,非常名。

無名天地之始；

有名萬物之母。

故常無欲以觀其妙；

常有欲以觀其徼。

此兩者同出而異名，

同謂之玄,玄之又玄，

衆妙之門。

If we understand the way (Dow) this way, there is no big difference with the way of God in the Hebrew Bible, because the way of God is understood not as an ontology but as God's character or work in the world. Namely, the way of God is the way of life, and yet it surpasses all human understandings. Like the image of water in Daoism (water is the same and yet its use is diverse), God is like water, source of all living and non-living beings. The point here is that water is the same but its functions are diverse. Similarly, the way in Daoism is like the way of water that flows to the lowly place to provide source of life.

Interestingly, the way in Daoism has an implication about deconstruction because it is not a fixed, permanent manifestation but a constant changeable, flexible truth or manifestation whose goal is to provide abundance of life to all.

This fact echoes Derrida's deconstruction that defies all fixation or closure of the text. The concern here is that elites or the power group defines the way or dominates the discussion of the way. Because of this concern, Derrida's critique of logo-centrism rings true. He says we have to have a "relationless relation" with others.

This sounds nonsensical, but his point is any relation should be flexible, respectful, mysterious, and even volatile; No one party can decide for the other party. That is what he means by "relationless relation." Derrida's critique is the voice of diversity and engagement with others. No one voice or perspective can dominate others or other ways.

As water flows to the lowly places, the way of life must embrace the diversity of ways that can help all in the world. The way is not one, single way, like the way of imperialism, but it involves diverse ways of living the truth in a diverse world.

That is what I think Dow means in chapter 1 of Tao Te Ching. The way is the way of life rooted in diversity and the unsearchable truth. If God or truth is understood, defined, judged by our thought box, that is no more true God or truth because God must be beyond our thinking. Similarly, if we define the way in terms of the single truth, disallowing the search for a deepening, unsearchable truth, it is human arrogance or blindness to the truth.

When faith fades and fear engulfs us

2011-11-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

1 Kings 19:1-10

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough (I have had enough); now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’

All too often we feel like giving up when there is no hope or meaning in this world. We live in the world where so many people are badly affected by disasters, natural or human. We live in the world where our circumstances block our growth and survival.

There are even people who are fast doing evil. For many reasons and in complex situations, we often say just like Elijah: "I have had enough, Lord; take my life. I am no better than my ancestors." This is the moment when we like to give up on ourselves, only finding many reason for giving up. Jezebel seeks the life of Elijah because of his bold prophecy and mighty action that caused the destruction of the Baal prophets.

Now she tries to revenge him because her power and prestige were ridiculed and damaged. So Elijah ran for his life. Where is his faith and courage that he made great works for God? Is this the picture of a great spiritual leader?

But his fear is real. Indeed, he is a mere man, not an angel or god. His joy, energy, and passion for God on the mount of Carmel melted out just like the snow under the sun. He is drained out and completely burned out. Nothing is left on him other than the desire to give up. Instead, Jezebel's threat filled him.

This is the time that he needs to sustain his life not by looking to himself or to other people or environment. He needs to refresh his body and soul by looking to God. When a person is situated in this dire moment when nothing he or she can do other than the desire to give up, this is the moment of lament, crying for God's justice and power.

We still can pray when nothing can be achieved. Because prayer can change or transform a person's mind and heart to get focused on God, beyond one's own ability and judgment. That is a moment of relief! That is a moment of refreshing one's soul, coming from not an easy environment but from the unfamiliar, mysterious source of God.

Actually, this is the very dangerous time too, because one can take his or her own life when there is no easy way out. This is where there must be a miracle, not a supernatural one but Godly help. This is when the preacher or teacher or friend might come into his or her aid.

In Elijah's story the angel appears and provides the need of Elijah. In a very dire moment like this, there must be an aid from outside of him. He cannot deal with everything by himself. He should realize this. Although he did a marvelous job on the mount of Carmel, what he did was not his but God's.

Often leaders forget about this. When things go rough, they easily forget about their identity or place that has to do with God's mission. Elijah should have reflected on where he was or what he was doing in the wilderness.

He seeks his life only, abandoning God's work and people. God wants him to go back on his journey. God's message is: "Hang in there; I will provide for you. You can give up on yourself. But don't give up on me." Elijah needs God's power once again. That is only though his realization that he cannot sustain by himself. That is faith and courage. When faith fades and fear engulfs, we have to know this: "Nothing can separate us from the love of God" (Rom 8:28).

Problems of translation (in case of Paul's letters)

2011-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Though there is no perfect translation of the Bible, we have to work hard to make a more acceptable one, not by injecting our ideology or interest but by honoring the original syntax and experience of the people in and behind the text.

I often use Rom 3:22 and Gal 2:16 as a test case for judging the quality of translation. Below are CEB (the most recent translation), NRSV, NIV (new), and NIV (old). Generally speaking, CEB and NRSV are preferable to NIVs. Even CEB and NRSV have some problems.

CEB has a nice job in Rom 3:22 by translating pistis christou as "the faithfulness of Christ" and also dikaiosyne theou as "God's righteousness" (both of which are the subjective genitive cases). But unfortunately, in Gal 2:16 the same phrase pistis christou is translated as "faith in Christ" (the objective genitive). This means there is no consistency. Perhaps this is because of the influence by the doctrine of "justification by faith."

NRSV is similar to the CEB. The good thing in NRSV is that dikaiosyne theou is translated as "the righteousness of God," which allows room for interpretation (either as the subjective genitive or the objective genitive case). In other words, the reader has to decide which genitive case he or she will read. NIV (old) is not good.

Erga nomou is translated as "by observing the law," which is not found in the text; this translation is based on a clear theological interest. Literally, the phrase erga nomou means "the works of the law" whatever it means. Again, it is the reader's job that what the works of the law means in Paul's letter. NIV (new) has it now "the works of the law" like the NRSV. That is a small improvement. But both NIV (new) and NIV (old) have a strong tendency for securing the theological doctrine of "justification by faith." For example, in Rom 3:22, both versions emphasize an individual righteousness by faith in Jesus. But this reading does not reflect Paul's concerns and theology.

Syntactically speaking, CEB translates Rom 3:22 very well and is close to my interpretation about this verse. As I wrote in my book, A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters (Cascade Books, 2011), Rom 3:22 presents a snapshot of Paul's theology lodged in three parties to effect the salvation of God: God, Christ, and people.

There are three aspects of God's righteousness, Christ's faith, and believers (followers of Jesus), who have the faith of Christ. Furthermore, "believing in Jesus" in Gal 2:16 does not mean that Jesus is the object of faith in the sense that the believer put a faith in Jesus. In fact, the preposition used there is eis, not en. Eis means "toward" or "into," a kind of movement, action, or participation.

Therefore, what is emphasized here is that we have believed into him (like participating in him). That is, we co-work and co-suffer with him. That is what the faith means. Jesus showed that faith, and we follow his faith for God's righteousness. This is what I mean the threefold theology of Paul. For more about this, see my book, A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul.

CEB (Common English Bible)
Rom 3:22: "God's righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who have faith in him"
Gal 2:16: "However, we know that a person isn't made righteous by the works of the Law but rather by faith in Jesus Christ. We ourselves believed in Christ Jesus so that we could be made righteous by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law -- because no one will be made righteous by the works of the Law"

NRSV
Rom 3:22: "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe"
Gal 2:16: "yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law"

NIV (new)

Rom 3:22: "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe"
Gal 2:16: "know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified"

NIV (old)
Rom 3:22: "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe"
Gal 2:16: "know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not be observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified"

Shamanism, Exclusivism, and Christianity in Korea

2011-10-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

"Shamanism and exclusivism" represent a typical form of conservative, fundamentalist Christianity in Korea. Yonggi Cho, founding pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church and now retired, along with fundamental pastors, stands out in this direction. He delivered a rare speech at the Buddhist Graduate School of Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea. As I hear him, his story begins and ends with a form of shamanism. After his speech, he said that each religion matters and functions on its own with a message of salvation. But later, he reversed his statement because of the pressures coming from his church.

I translated Cho's speech and interview (Q & A) because it gives us an opportunity to examine shamanism and exclusivism in Korea. His speech centered on his conversion experience and the history of his church planting. After the speech, he had a time of Q & A. Someone asked: "Do you believe that Jesus or Christianity is the only way to salvation, and that other religions are not true?" His answer was shocking to his fellow conservative Christians since he said Buddhism has its own message of salvation. Furthermore, he said, "We (Christians and Buddhists) need to coexist." Soon I heard that he corrected his position because of the pressures from his church.

Tips for Group Discussion

1) Cho's distinct theology of the threefold blessing was well marked in his lecture. As you might understand, his theology is just like saying like this: "hope, hope! blessing and blessing! now and tomorrow!" Otherwise, there is no mention of the gospel of justice or the cost of discipleship. It is a typical example of charismatic/shamanistically driven faith. But his message appealed to many poor. He told a story about one woman who says: "Here is a hell already I live now. Show me a little bit of heaven now..."

2) He also made bold statements about other religions in his lecture, especially during the interview after the lecture. He said, religion is equal and Buddhism has its own concept of salvation and therefore it should be properly recognized.

Discussion questions
Where is his theology rooted? What are some socio-political implications of his theology? Is he a shaman? How is his theology different from Shamanism? How does a shaman play in the contemporary religion or culture? Is Jesus a shaman for him?

Where does the church belong?

2011-10-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Where does the church belong? The answer seems obvious, and most people will answer that the church belongs to Christ.But the answer will be different if we take Paul's undisputed letters (seven authentic letters) where the church is always God's. It is Deutero-Pauline letters (for example, Ephesians 4:1-17) that the church is Christ's.

As for Paul, the church belongs to God (God's), not to Christ. Christ serves God. Paul's theology is thoroughly theocentric (God-centered). Only in Deutero-Pauline or Pastorals, the church belongs to Christ, who is the head of the church. Christ is served (for example, read Colossians 1:18 or Eph 4:1-12).

Which view will you take? Or, how will you interpret these two different views of the church? Furthermore, in Paul's letters, "the body of Christ" (soma christou) does not refer to the church. The body of Christ is, first of all, Christ's own body -- his life and death. Derivatively, it is a metaphor for a way of living for those who follow Christ ("You are Christ's body -- Christ-like body," 1 Cor 12:27). If we understand the body of Christ as Christ's body crucified, the image of this body of Christ provokes all kinds of bodies broken due to injustices. The challenge is, What can I do in the face of injustices and broken cries for justice?

I feel like I am a lawyer for Paul.

I wrote two books for this reason.

Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Fortress Press, 2008)

A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (Cascade Books, 2011)

Mystery of life together

2011-10-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Through a little cottage
the bland, uncaring wind blows,
a candle fire wanes,
a baby sits on a sick-bed
breathing a deadly silence of peace
a brisk voice shouts:
“do you love me?”

“Do this for all”
“again, do you love me?”
“do this love for all people”
“do all, sick or healthy,
poor or rich, strong or weak, all”

Sisters and brothers,
Fathers and mothers,
“Nothing can separate us
from the love of God,”
“do you believe this, my son, my daughter?
do this love for all, my companion!”

Suddenly,
the melting, sweet wind blows to unfreeze all,
it blows through the seasons,
in the spring —a time to wake up, a time to tell the people
of hope that God breathes into all.
only then we live together,
only then we are resurrection,
only then we find you in our heart,
in our walking,
in our dreaming,
in the desolate winter – a time to wait
for a hope yet to be realized;
a time that we realize we are nothing to be something,
in the summer—a time to sweat for our gardens
a time that we are baptized with waters all over again
a time that toil and sweat never pass away without returns,
in the fall—a time to thank God for our life here together in difference
a time that we see different colors in our gardens, hills, mountains, and forests.

My daughter!
Do you feel this power of ever-new, ever-fresh dews?
My son!
Do you feel this joy of the loving wind –
in the past, present and future seamlessly
flowing into our heart of spring,
whispering that we are one and different.

In seasons like this we feel
seasonal beauty embedded in our souls and bodies,
a sense of solidarity and diversity,
in the same glaring sun rising in Panama and in Korea,
in the same azure ocean of the Pacific in Fiji and in America,
it is the mystery of life together
the mystery of love and peace so vulnerable,
the mystery of ever-challenging differences,
the mystery of this life,
the mystery of you and me in the world.

Around the circle of bonfire
we feel it, we live it -
only then we say it enough;
enough is all, for all creation;
only then, doves and eagles fly in their sky,
together, we fly into the same sky;
only then, we feel the power of mystery of God everyday,
today and tomorrow, yesterday and today,
like an ever-flowing river we too blow.

multiple interpretation and illusion picture

2011-09-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Picture source: Old Couple, Young Couple Illusion

See what you see from this picture.
What is this picture about? (any meaning to you?)
What kind of insight do you gain from this experience?
If you read the text, what will happen to you?
Are there some similarities and differences between this picture and any written text?
What comes to your mind when you think of multiplicity of the text and plurality of interpretation?

Reading the Bible through the eyes of "kenosis"

2011-09-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

I have a passion for human transformation, rooted in self-knowledge and self-criticism. Traveling many Latin American countries during my business career, I learned a great deal about cultural diversity and the need of human solidarity. With a new vocation of theological education, I now ask: What does it mean to live in this world in relation to each other (i.e., meaning of the Other -- which resonates Emmanuel Levinas' "the face of the other," Paul Ricoeur's inter-subjective narrative identity, or Jacques Derrida's "relationless relation"), and How can we do theology in our thoughts, deeds and action, while moving pointedly away from individualism? How can we read biblical stories with each other in a critical context? What are some viable definitions of cross-cultural hermeneutics, if any, by which we can improve the sense of living together in difference?

My approach to the Bible and human transformation is based on kenosis. Let me illustrate it. Once upon a time there were a father and his son; they were beggars. One day just across a river a big fire broke out and saw a big house being burnt down by the fire. The father said to his son proudly, "My son, we are so fortunate because we do not have a house to be burnt down." This comic but pithy conversation speaks of some lessons about our life. There is a saying in the Buddhist book banyshimkyung: "sak-jeuk-see-gong and gong-jeuk-see-sak," which can be translated as "all visible things are empty, and all that are empty are all visible." It is hard to explain here what it means. I can say like this: life is nothing (empty) but your nothingness (emptiness) makes you something.

Similarly, Christian understanding of kenosis (Phil 2:6-11, emptying of oneself) reflects nothingness attitude in our lives. It is also found in the Q gospel: There was once a rich man whose lands yielded a good harvest. He thought to himself, "What should I do? I don't have enough room to store my crops. I know, I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones so that I can keep all my grain in them. Then I will say to myself, 'I have enough to last me for years. I can take it easy, eat, drink and have a good time.' But God said to him, "You fool! This very night you may die. Then who will own this hoard of yours? So it is with those who pile up possessions but remain poor in the treasures of the spirit. Jesus says, "If you try to gain your life, you will lose it; but if you lose it, you will gain it." St. Paul also says, "I die everyday on the cross." If you gather more and more and do not give out, you will become slaves of riches. But if you give up more and more, your freedom of heart will be greater and greater. Furthermore, your self will live a meaningful life, a perfection of life with a sense of living with others in the community. In this way our life extends forever; it is not different from the idea of “eternal life” in the Gospel of John. True spirituality begins when we feel the same fate with others and act out by giving what we have. God wants a fair balance between the rich and the poor. God wants the light and life for all because God is the God of all. That is how I read the Bible.

On Truth

2011-09-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

As for me, truth is deeply experiential, confessional, and contextual. It should be engaged in a community that he or she lives, embodied in a world beyond his or her immediate community, and testified at all costs because of the love of God for all people. Bellah also comments on the mistaken view of truth: “The mistake arises when we take language which is deeply contextual, that is confessional, and in the case of Paul probably also liturgical, and turn it into objective assertions of a quasi-scientific form that give us information about the eternal fate of non-Christians.” Robert Bellah, “At home and not at home: Religious pluralism and religious truth” Christian Century, April 1995.

On Imagination

2011-09-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

As I wrote elsewhere, the role of critical imagination is important in biblical interpretation:

“We will need a critical imagination that engages both history and theology seriously in Paul’s texts and contexts. The use of critical imagination can be explained by the following illustration. Suppose that a person wants to fly like a bird, which is a good and necessary imagination, and so jumps off from the mountaintop in an attempt to fly. That person will be killed because of his or her naïve imagination. But if a person devises a fyling machine, then he or she can fly; this exemplifies that a critical mindset and creative imagination should work together.” Yung Suk Kim, A Theological Introduction to Paul’s Letters (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011), 5.

Similarly, Amos Wilder cautiously emphasizes the role of imagination:

“Imagination is a necessary componment of all profound knowing and celebration; all remembering, realizing, and anticipating; all faith, hope, and love. When imagination fails doctrines becomes ossified, witness and proclamation wooden, doxoligies and litanies empty, consolations hollow, and ethics legalistic … Then that which once gave life begins to lull and finally to suffocate us.” Amos N. Wilder, Theopoetic: Theology and the Religious Imagination (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1976), 2.

History of faith

2011-08-01T08:03:00.001-07:00

What is faith? Or what kind of faith do we talk about when wedeal with matters of faith in Christianity? The answer will be neither easy norsimple. But we have to consider complexities involved with the concept of faithbecause no word or concept is made out of context. When I wrote my book, A Theological Introduction to Paul’sLetters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (Cascade Books, 2011), oneof my concerns has to do with the familiar notion offaith. The following is an excerpt from my book, page 64:

Excursus: “History ofFaith”

“The Hebrew word forfaith is emunah (for example, Hab 2:4: “The one who isrighteous shall live by faith”), whose basic meaning has to do with faithfulness,fidelity, or steadfastness. All of these involve a person’s cost and time, asAbraham paid such a price in living his lifelong journey of steadfastness toGod. In the New Testament, the Greek word for faith is pistis,whose basic meaning also has to do with faithfulness, fidelity, or commitment.… One of the problems in English translation is that there is no equivalentEnglish verb for the Greek verb pisteuo, whose noun is pistis (faith).The closest thing in English might be a form like “faithize.” … …

For more, read A Theological Introduction to Paul’sLetters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (Cascade Books, 2011), p.64. Visit the book information page too.

Reconstructing Paul's theology

2011-06-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Why is it crucial to understand Paul's theology in terms of a God-centered ecclesiology?

For Paul, the church is God's, never Christ's. In order to reconstruct Paul's theology, we must put him in both Jewish tradition and the Greco-Roman world. Paul's theology is thoroughly theocentric, and Jesus as the Jewish Messiah serves God. For more information or discussion, please visit my web page.

Sharing an endorsement of my new book; I am humbled and honored

2011-06-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

"Yung Suk Kim possesses one of the most original, refreshing, and urgent voices among the rising generation of New Testament theologians. Kim has a rare ability to synthesize various critical approaches in constructing Paul's theology: historical criticism, sociological analysis, and post-colonial interpretation interact productively. Kim's Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters invites readers to rethink crucial aspects of Paul's theology--'righteousness,' 'faith,' 'embodiment'--as avenues of subjective participation in the politics of love."

-Laurence L. Welborn
Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity
Fordham University

Three questions to ponder to become a "good" preacher

2011-05-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

This morning I sat down in the pew and listened to a sermon. At times I learn from a counter-example of things that I appreciate most. Moments later, driving to a nearby coffee shop, the sermon that I heard caused me to rethink about the rationale or quality of preaching; I liked some part but didn't like other part. Drinking coffee, I came up with certain clarifications about the sermon, along with a set of critiques and new ideas. To become a good preacher, I think, the following three questions should be asked and answered: 1) Are you a good theologian?; 2) How do you read the text?; 3) Do you know how to communicate with the audience? Let me explain one by one.

Are you a "good" theologian?

It is a big misunderstanding if we think that all preachers have a blank mind, getting all preaching insights from the Bible. In fact, the Bible does not speak, but the reader makes sense out of it. Furthermore, there is no clear, single voice or theology in it. Most of time people read what they want to read from the text. On one hand, this kind of "contextual" reading helps those who need particular helps in their lives. But on the other hand, it can be naive, or even dangerous to others if applied without discerning the implications or ramifications of a particular reading. Often preachers love to say, "The Bible says." But if the Bible says, there must be many things. Unless a preacher explains in which way the Bible speaks and why, the Bible saying is hollow. All I am saying is this: "Even before you preach, you have to be a good theologian. In other words, your theological lens or perspective is a basic starting point." Otherwise, people always preach the text naively regardless of which text they read. Why does this happen? It is because they preach the texts with a same naive theology all the time. It is a miracle how some preachers preach often contradicting, difficult texts harmoniously without tensions with other texts. Whichever texts they read, the conclusion is always the same, something like this: "Jesus is the way; Jesus saved you because he died for your sins." Therefore, the most important first step for a better preaching is not to begin reading the text but to begin reading your perspective or theological lens.

How do you read the text (the Bible)?
Each text can be read on its own without being harmonized with other texts or being reduced to one particular meaning. Even though all texts, written or living texts (life), are inter-textual, it does not mean that all texts can be mingled without careful discernment. An example helps. If the difficulties of innocent human suffering or problem of theodicy is a focus of preaching with a text chosen from the book of Job, by and large, preaching should stay with that particular concerns that people need to tackle. If a preacher adds a Jesus-talk in the middle of a sermon saying, "Jesus suffered for you and your tears will be wiped out eventually," he or she suddenly confuses listeners (at least for me) because the main issue of theodicy or innocent suffering in Job is lost. In other words, there must be tensions intact throughout, thorny issues regarding God's character or innocent human suffering without giving an easy answer. Obviously, Jesus did not remove suffering of people today. Jesus' suffering on a cross did not eliminate suffering of people today. But still preachers do the same preaching again and over again. I guess people in the pew listen to the same sermon again and over again. Then, what? Does this help? Is this sermon a panacea for all kinds of disease? Or is it opium that gives people oblivion about their lives?

Do you know basic skills of preaching?
Whichever sermon we hear, we expect something of a life lesson or a moral challenge, or some sort of spiritual comfort or encouragement. This means the entire sermon needs to get focused on a particular need or issue. But the real sermon is a far cry from this. Some preachers are almost writing a book when preaching. I mean he or she uses big theological vocabularies without clarity or elaboration, much less with real life connection. Some are explaining about theological doctrines without life lessons in real life contexts that the audience needs to tackle. Others are doing a very good job in the beginning; there is a nice introduction with possible topics and thesis promised. However, soon my expectation collapses when the preacher suddenly incorporates a particular view of atonement when talking about innocent suffering of humanity (as mentioned before). I still don't know how Job's suffering is related to Jesus'. There can be a connection between them. But there must be a clear explanation about that. Otherwise, that is a moment of anticlimax.

*Disclaimers: My observation here is personal. Don't take offense if you disagree with me.

A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters

2011-04-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011)

The book informational page

Sample syllabus

A new wave of Pauline theology characterized by the threefold participation of God, Christ, and the believer
An extensive, insightful, original research on key themes of Paul’s texts and contexts
Engaging Paul for today: Convergence of theology and ethics

Author information

Yung Suk Kim is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University, in Richmond, Virginia. Kim is the author of Christ’s Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor(Fortress, 2008), and editor of the Journal of Bible and Human Transformation (Sopher Press).

Synopsis of the book

In this study Kim explores a new way of reading Paul's letters and understanding his theology with a focus on three aspects of Paul's gospel: "the righteousness of God," "faith of Christ," and "the body of Christ." Kim argues that Paul’s thought can be best understood by reading these genitives as the subjective or attributive genitives, rather than as the objective genitives. The subjective or attributive genitive reading places an emphasis on the subject’s participation: God’s participatory righteousness, Christ’s faithful obedience to God, and the believer’s living of Christ’s body. Kim investigates the root of Paul’s theology in a wide array of texts and contexts: in the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, Greco-Roman world, and Paul’s canonical letters. In doing so, Kim synthesizes Paul's theology and ethics seamlessly, balancing the roles of God, Christ, and the believers in Paul's gospel.

Endorsement:

“Yung Suk Kim possesses one of the most original, refreshing, and urgent voices among the rising generation of New Testament theologians. Kim has a rare ability to synthesize various critical approaches in constructing Paul’s theology: historical criticism, sociological analysis, and post-colonial interpretation interact productively. Kim’s Theological Introduction to Paul’s Letters invites readers to rethink crucial aspects of Paul’s theology – “righteousness,” “faith,” “embodiment” – as avenues of subjective participation in the politics of love.”
– Laurence L. Welborn, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Fordham University

For whom?

This book will be used as a textbook for seminary students taking introductory courses on Paul and his letters. This book also will be helpful to pastors and laity who are serious about Paul’s theology in the critical ministry contexts. In addition, this book will be a renewed stimulus to biblical scholars, who may be challenged by this kind of integrative, contextual biblical theology that deals with holistic aspects of life in Paul's time. Today, the convergence of theology and ethics is very important, and this book provides a venue for critical dialogue about Pauline theology in new way.

Introduction
1 Overview of Pauline Interpretation
2 Toward a Threefold Theology of Paul
3 Threefold Theology of Paul: God’s Righteousness, Christ’s Faith, and the Believer’s “Body of Christ”
4 God’s Righteousness (Dikaiosyne Theou)
5 Christ’s Faith (Pistis Christou)
6 The Believer’s Body of Christ (Soma Christou)
7 “Imitators” (Mimetai) in 1 Cor 4:16 and 11:1: A New Reading of Threefold Embodiment
8 Reading Paul Today: Convergence of Theology and Ethics

Music and theology (written in 2000)

2011-04-12T10:16:00.001-07:00

Music and theology basically deal with human experiences, which involve our whole sphere of life interacting with the world, people, and God. Music is composed, based on a composer’s self-reflections on the world and meaning of life. Theology is not very different. Sad or merry, lucky or unfortunate, mundane or religious, private or public, light or serious events can be expressed, interpreted or reinterpreted by the theologian. In fact, many classic music pieces have been written through the religious spirit. Maybe it would be impossible for us to think of Beethoven and Mozart without religion or theology. Their faith with life stories was expressed through music that delivers messages, feelings, and mysterious sound. Likewise, theology is a response to a life, based on reflections on our lives: happy or sad events, mysterious experiences, inexplicable life moments, etc. A theologian uses religious language, symbols, metaphors, and all forms of story to do theology.

Music and theology is a public act, because they touch on other people. Any music piece or theological work must be played out in public to make effect on the audience. There is responsibility entailing of course. Any theological work should be shared with others so that there might be further theological conversations. Theology must be practiced and rewritten accordingly because there is new discussion and engagement among people. These days I feel a great responsibility that I have to take my theology to the public and listen to other people. My audience is never a silent multitude.

Four seasons: Memory ingrained in my flesh and blood (written in 2000)

2011-04-12T10:13:00.001-07:00

My early childhood memories begin and end with nature. There were no toys or television sets available in our small village; so we had to go out to play with other kids in the rice fields or on the little plateau of the small mountains in front of our village. I have so many beautiful memories about these early days. I would like to describe how we played in nature according to the seasonal change. In spring we have a very mild weather, which naturally calls our minds into the rice fields, the hilly small mountains and orchards and vineyards. Usually we play soccer on the low plateau or sometimes on the rice fields. Often times we play other kind of games that has to do with the ground. Another time in spring we go out to the mountain or orchards to find a bird’s nest or sometimes to put a trap in between the fence trees to catch a wild rabbit. At another time we shoot birds with a handmade wooden rubber shooter (sling shot). This very primitive tool cannot kill birds but at most hurt them maybe. Still at times we just play on the grass by wrestling with one another. As is often the case, one of our tasks as a rural boy is to feed rabbits or oxen at home, which means we have to collect various plant foods from the nature. Those good plants for rabbit and oxen can be obtained in the edges of the unpaved rural pathways, of riverbanks, small fords, rice fields, orchards, and so forth. But sometimes we take our oxen to the good places to feed them.

In summer we go to a river to swim or to fish. We have a shallow river a mile off from our village. We all kids love water. Nobody taught us how to swim, but we learned. We go fishing at times to the rivers and ponds. On some rainy nights we stay awake to catch lots of fish. In autumn we help our parents in harvesting rice, apple, grape, pear, watermelon, and many other produces. In the middle of dark night, sometimes we crawl under the fence of the small watermelon field to pick and eat watermelon. When winter comes, we go to the small mountains to hunt rabbits by chasing them through their footsteps clearly marked on the snow. We also do sledding at a small hilly mountain, using a small plate put on our hips. At other times, we go to the frozen rivers or the ponds to enjoy skating or to break ice (risky play) in the middle of the ponds.

Nature, my school (written in 2000)

2011-04-12T10:11:00.001-07:00

Long ago I was sitting on a bench at Nichols Park in South Chicago. On a sunny, breezy, flowery, green, spring afternoon, heart-melting spring wind touches on my winter soul, barren tiredness after a long snowy, chilly, desolate winter. I felt ineffably smug like a baby in a mother’s bosom. Green grass, different plants and trees blanket the whole park. My eyes conspicuously spotted yellow dandelion. Some trees wear white flowers; still others do not put on any green clothing and remain the same as winter. I see some trees tall and others small. Above me the sparse gray-white clouds hung in the sky and the pleasant sun throws its warming light upon nature. Birds are singing sweet songs of the spring. When I look at green leaves, I feel energized. Looking at winter trees that do not hold any leaves, I prepare for the spring through winter. It is a great reminder that how humans go through that kind of cycle, which is nothing negative but a necessary part of life rooted in divine, providential wisdom.

Oh! Nature is truly a learning school--the best school in the world. I can learn many things from great nature, which has multiple, divergent, different colors, shapes, and heights. No green or white is superior to black or brown or yellow. In nature many different things naturally inhabit. Each thing in nature does not seem strange to one another. Each thing is just there as part of the whole and also as a distinctive agent in nature. When each thing takes one’s own color, shape, and size, which means distinctiveness, then each thing in nature is beautiful on its own and is in harmony with other things. Heidegger’s philosophic idea dasein (being-there) is a great reminder that each being in nature is meaningful by being there. In other words, no one can control others' existence or impose a meaning on to the other. It is a joy to find a similar idea from the Chinese word for nature: cha-yun. Cha literally means "for oneself" or "self" and yun means "for granted" or "given."

In nature, there is no hierarchy but interdependent relation through which other things exist. On the other side of "being-there," interdependence or interconnected life in nature must be emphasized, as modern ecology or biology or any other science greatly reflects this interconnected life in the world and universe, which marks a great shift away from Newtonian idea of materialistic, atomic, mechanic worldview in which things are not connected with each other, often leading to lifeless study and to an exploitation of nature. Sheer realization is that no thing in the world or universe including humankind can exist without its connection (interdependence) to others.

Reflections (written in 2000)

2011-04-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Staying is different from living. I have stayed in Hyde Park, Chicago, but I have not lived here in a sense much less enjoying this neighborhood; I was not aware of this community of neighborhood. Most of time I just passed by the streets or maybe I thought I didn't have to know this community. I stayed here in Hyde Park as guest. But today I realized that I live here. This afternoon my wife and I went out for lunch. By the way the weather was just perfect. We went to a small neighborhood restaurant. Food was wonderful together with nice people there. After eating, we walked around the Harper court to see what was interesting around us. We found many interesting stores such as health foods, records store, and face and body care shop, etc. For the first time since we lived here we realized that living is different from staying.

Stillness in the midst of busy-ness, 3/1/2000
No matter how busy, there is always a place for stillness, a time for calm down, a time for a little reflection, a time for thinking back to my past life, a time for thinking ahead of my life. 'Busyness' doesn't have to do with my absolute time. Rather, it has to do with my mind capacity. Even Jesus often times found a still place, a kind of solitary place for praying, for thinking ahead of his life, even though he was so busy taking care of the needy. I need ten minutes with my own place of being myself. It can be a corner of the library or any place that I find easily according to the day's situation. The richness of life is from the little time of contemplation. I enjoy being alone, at least for ten minutes a day. I stand before God as a solitary unique person.

A little flower that knows the time, 2/29/2000
After a long hibernation a tiny flower in front of my apartment was in bud. It could not be seen easily before our eyes because we don't have still mind and open eyes. But this afternoon I saw it awakening from such a long sleeping. I was just amazed by this flower that knows the time to come out and to tell the season to us. A time to know the season, a time to rethink about our past winter, a time to awaken my hibernation, a time to restart and a time to work.

Going round is not really going round, 3/7/2000
My daily life is full of busy schedule. So often times I am hurried to making my schedule going well. I choose the best way to keep my schedule fine. I am probably too much tuned to economic living that needs efficient time management. As always, I try to find a short-cut to get to the meeting place. But life is not used to such a well-planned economic system. Rather, life needs a free, flexible, indirect way. That is to say, GOING ROUND gives us time to enjoy the time and the process of getting there. How did I get this idea? This morning I walked around the nearby park Nichols in the morning. With the fresh air I tasted a smell of maturity of the spring. In fact, this park is close to our apartment by several blocks away. But I don't use this park all year around. I could have used this park going to the school or the bank I was going to. Life is not always giving us a best shortcut. Intentionally I choose a round-way. Going round is also going.

A new definition of living together, 3/8/2000
When we say we live together, it usually means living together with other people (human beings). But living together is not complete unless we extend its meaning and boundary to the whole creation. Namely, we have to include birds, dogs, any living animals, any kind of living things on the world such as trees, plants, grass, and more than that, even including the earth, air, the wind, whatever exists in the world. But unfortunately because of our anthropocentric orientation we have been thinking in a way that we maximize our own benefits at the price of our fellow beings whether living or not. When we say that we are part of nature, our eyes and ears are opened so that we can hear the sound, the color, and the smell of the nature. We, then, can hear the birds singing and flying over the sky freely. We would spot even a little movement of the ants on the ground, otherwise it will never be recognized. Humans are not a center in this world but just a part of it. What is benefit for us to say this? Yes there is a big benefit. Try this! Go out for a walk in the early morning and find a best park or any street you want to walk on for a while. Slowly walk around it and have attention on your breath, on whatever you see with the fresh air. Then your heart will be full of the energy of the nature.

Living with disability in God and community, 6/22/2000
Many people live with disability but our culture and society function for the majority of "normal" persons. I walk well but sometimes I do not consider much about those who do not walk well. I think every one tends to forget about others' difficulty. In one way or another, we all have kinds of disability or weakness. Nevertheless, somehow we tend to promote the society of "normal" people. But we have to remember we have more or less intrinsic disability whether it is physical or not. The weakness or disability of our bodies makes us rethink of ourselves, especially about our living together. In other words, the life of a community needs to find a new meaning of living together. The meaningfulness of a community does not lie in the degree of success, which is measured by soundness or healthiness or normality. The real meaning of a community, I think, should be found in its community itself in terms of how that community as a whole supports the weak, the unfortunate and the disabled in many ways. In this way of thinking disability is not an unfortunate thing of an individual but a task that a community should embrace to support for the disabled persons. This word "support" does not limit to social welfare. It is more than that. In fact, this support involves a whole aspects of life, from bodily to spiritual, from social, communal to personal. It is also a mystery that we grow together through taking care of each other. Sharing our sound body with others and supporting for those in need are blessings of God who intends to enrich our human community in a way we learn to help each other.

Dancing at a time of low
When I led a bible study group, one person asked or rather challenged to me, saying: "how is it possible to dance when I am low?" In fact, this question was not a sudden but was expected because my day's topic or theme was related to dancing with God. My thesis was that we could dance bodily or spiritually in any circumstances. What is dancing? If we can think of dancing as an expression of merriness with a bodily movement, that person cannot dance at all when s/he is low. But what if we would think of dancing as something like an expression of our whole being, high or low? Certainly, there is a sorrowful or liberating dancing in Korea such as Hanpoori, which is usually performed by women. Women used to express their Han - bitter and hurt feeling or oppressed one - by this Hanpoori. In this sense of dancing of Han, dancing is hardly related to simple joy or happiness. Rather, hanpoori is one way of letting go of emotional or oppressive leftover of hearts. Through that process of Hanpoori, women reach liberating moments and get energy to sustain them with self-empowerment. So, we can dance all the time, high or low. Dancing is, in essence, God's in a sense that God is dancing with intra-divine relationship: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Like a divine community of dancing, our dancing is also danced in a community, high or low.

A Life of Kenosis

2011-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

ONCE upon a time there were a father and his son, who lived as beggars. One day just across a river they watched a big house engulfed by the fire. This father said to his son proudly, "my son, we are so fortunate because we do not have any house to be burnt down." This comic but pithy conversation speaks of some lesson about our life. Buddhist book banyshimkyung says, "sak-jeuk-see-gong and gong-jeuk-see-sak," which can be translated as "all visible things are empty, and all that are empty are all visible." It is hard to explain here what it means. I can say like this: life is nothing (empty) but your nothingness (emptiness) makes you something.

Similarly, Christian understanding of kenosis (Phil 2:6-11, emptying of oneself) reflects nothingness attitude in our life. It is also found in the Q gospel: There was ONCE a rich man whose lands yielded a good harvest. He thought to himself, "What should I do? I don't have enough room to store my crops. I know, I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones so that I can keep all my grain in them. Then I will say to myslef, 'I have enough to last me for years. I can take it easy, eat, drink and have a good time.' But God said to him, "You fool! This very night you may die. Then who will own this hoard of yours? So it is with those who pile up possessions but remain poor in the treasures of the spirit. Jesus says, "if you try to gain your life, you will lose it; but if you lose it, you will gain it."

St. Paul also says, "I die everyday on the cross." If you gather more and more and do not give out, you will soon be troubled with riches of consuming fire, and it can happen even now. You will become slaves of riches. But if you give up more and more, your freedom of heart will be greater and greater. Furthermore, your self will live a meaning life, a perfection of life with a sense of living with others in the community. In this way our life extends forever. Its basis is nothing, which gives a sense of something special in your life, and then by return you can become anything to serve others.

A Mystery of Love

2011-04-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

A Mystery of Love

-Yung Suk Kim-

Through a little cottage
the bland, uncaring wind blows,
a candle fire wanes,
a baby sits on a sick-bed
breathing a deadly silence of peace
a brisk voice shouts:
“do you love me?”

“Do this for all”
“again, do you love me?”
“do this love for all people”
“do all, sick or healthy,
poor or rich, strong or weak, all”

Sisters and brothers,
Fathers and mothers,
“Nothing can separate us
from the love of God,”
“do you believe this, my son, my daughter?
do this love for all, my companion!”

Suddenly,
the melting, sweet wind blows to unfreeze all,
it blows through the seasons,
in the spring —a time to wake up, a time to tell the people
of hope that God breathes into all.
only then we live together,
only then we are resurrection,
only then we find you in our heart,
in our walking,
in our dreaming,
in the desolate winter – a time to wait
for a hope yet to be realized;
a time that we realize we are nothing to be something,
in the summer—a time to sweat for our gardens
a time that we are baptized with waters all over again
a time that toil and sweat never pass away without returns,
in the fall—a time to thank God for our life here together in difference
a time that we see different colors in our gardens, hills, mountains, and forests.

My daughter!
Do you feel this power of ever-new, ever-fresh dews?
My son!
Do you feel this joy of the loving wind –
in the past, present and future seamlessly
flowing into our heart of spring,
whispering that we are one and different.

In seasons like this we feel
seasonal beauty embedded in our souls and bodies,
a sense of solidarity and diversity,
in the same glaring sun rising in Panama and in Korea,
in the same azure ocean of the Pacific in Fiji and in America,
it is the mystery of life together
the mystery of love and peace so vulnerable,
the mystery of ever-challenging differences,
the mystery of this life,
the mystery of you and me in the world.

Around the circle of bonfire
we feel it, we live it -
only then we say it enough;
enough is all, for all creation;
only then, doves and eagles fly in their sky,
together, we fly into the same sky;
only then, we feel the power of mystery of God everyday,
today and tomorrow, yesterday and today,
like an ever-flowing river we too blow.

A model of an extra credit opportunity for a New Testament course

2011-04-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

There are ways of measuring students' learning. I use a variety of methods: quiz, exam, paper, group project and so forth. But at times, God willing, the Spirit descending, I feel like they need an additional opportunity to earn more credit than they can. The spirit of this chance is rigidity and flexibility. See below what I mean by:

In what way has this particular course, Introduction to the New Testament, impacted you? Address the following elements in your answer:

1) Information or knowledge about the New Testament;
2) Critical thinking (how your thinking changed?);
3) Insights for ministry today.

Be creative, critical, and contextual when you deal with each of these elements. Deeply engage the texts along with the question of who you are in this world in relation to others.

"Test everything and hold fast to what is good" (1 Thess 5:21).

Historical Jesus and His Death: History and Atonement Theories

2011-03-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Why does Jesus' death matter? It is not because Jesus died as if he came to die to atone for sins of people but because he was crucified. He did not crucify himself; he was crucified (the passive voice). By whom and why? We have to reconstruct what caused his death. That is part of historical studies on Jesus. Bluntly speaking, if Jesus' preaching of the kingdom of God had been accepted by people, he would not have been executed. The gospel stories affirm the same thing that Jesus was executed because of his costly message of the kingdom of God. He embraced the most vulnerable and marginalized in society (tax collectors, prostitutes, etc). Such a radical claim of God's love got him killed. Jesus was rejected and ended up on a cross not because he talked about the love of God but because he proclaimed a radical love of God. In other words, his death is the culmination of what he spoke and acted against evil (social or political, Jerusalem and Rome included). A good analogy is that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated not because he preached the love of God but because he preached the radical love of God aiming at all.

This kind of view of Jesus' death is attested in the Synoptic Gospels where Jesus' death is not directly related to the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins is possible at baptism when people repent or when people forgive other people. For example, in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us as we forgive our debtors." God forgives people when they repent. John the Baptist and Jesus as well preached the same message: "Repent and the Kingdom of God has come." The kingdom message of John the Baptist and Jesus costed them their lives. Jesus' death in the Synoptic Gospels implies a costly love. It also implies God's judgment (justice) against violence and injustices.

Although Luke presents a politically innocuous gospel as we see in a centurion's confession at the crucifixion scene "Truly this man was innocent (dikaios)," Jesus' death in historical context involves political charges against the Roman Empire, because he proclaimed the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of Rome. But in Mark and Matthew, this same centurion says about Jesus differently with a different emphasis: "He was the Son of God." That is, Jesus, not Caesar, is God's Son. In John's gospel as well, Jesus' sacrifice can be viewed similarly along with the synoptics (I don't have space to articulate on this).

What about Paul's letters? In Paul's letters we find his view of Jesus' death. Fundamentally, it is Christ's faith (the subjective genitive of pistis christou) that caused his death. His life and death should be read together as we saw before. Even when we talk about Rom 3:25 where Paul uses the Greek word hilasterion which refers to God's act of sacrifice ("God put forward as a hilasterion by his blood"), the meaning of hilasterion does not necessarily refer to Christ's sin offering. In Hellenistic culture hilasterion means a propitiation, which has to do with appeasing an angry god. Hilasterion is the Greek translation of the Hebrew kapporeh, which means covering or the cover of the ark(mercy seat) used on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (Exod 25:10-22; 37:1-9). What does Paul mean by hilasterion here in Rom 3:25? Options are many: 1) A propitiation in the sense that Jesus' death appeases an angry God?; 2) Or, is Jesus' death like sacrificial victims whose blood are sprinkled on the cover of the ark so that sins of people are covered?; 3) A proper expiation (rectifying things) made?; 4) Or, does Paul mean a mercy seat -- God's holy presence right over there on the cross of Jesus because of Christ's faith? In my view, this last option makes more sense in the way that God affirms Jesus' faith.

So far so good; the gospels and Paul's letters (seven undisputed letters only) affirm the historically significant aspects of Jesus' death as stated before. But as time goes by, the cause of Jesus' death takes on another direction, far removed from the historical Jesus. For example, Hebrews presents Jesus' death referred to as the perfect sacrifice that replaces the animal sacrifice of the old covenant. In it Jesus himself is the High Priest, who becomes a new covenant; we see here some kind of supercessionism in which a new covenant replaces the old covenant, which is out of context if we read "a new covenant" in Jer 31:31-34 in a historical, literary context, because a new covenant in Jeremiah is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not for later Christians.

Atonement Theories

Atonement means "at-one-ment" according to some people: "the reconciliation of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ” (Webster Dictionary). Is at-one-ment (reconciliation) possible because Jesus was punished instead of me? (penal substitution theory)? Or is it through a propitiation of Jesus’ death to placate God’s wrath (propitiation theory)? Does Jesus' death satisfy God's justice (satisfaction theory)? Or, does it have to do with a ransom price to pay to the devil (ransom theory)? Or, is Jesus' death a moral sacrifice that challenges the believers so they may live like him (moral sacrifice theory)? Each of these views has merit but is partial. The merit of penal substitution is to remove guilty feelings and to recover a sense of re-connection with God. So this meaning is valid for an individual who suffers from isolation due to guilt or sins.

However, in another context where some people are abused wrongly by other people or by unjust systemic evil, the message of penal substitution does not work well and is indeed dangerous to the degree that evils of wrongdoing are not confronted. Those responsible for wrongdoing are condoned because there is no resistant message against the evil. Because of this problem, some feminists oppose the positive value of Jesus’ death as atonement, especially when the discourse of atonement does not resist the evils or people involved. In other words, the cross of Jesus also can be a symbol of victim (unwanted or unnecessary innocent death), which must be avoided rather than to be celebrated. As such, one of the important shifts in modern scholarship lies in a more ethical reading of Jesus' death (the cross), largely by feminists and minority circle. I also critique the one-sided view of atonement in a movie review of the Passion of the Christ because the view of penal substitution theory is conducive to ethical blindness in a specific context of Jesus and today - especially in the context of so much violence and war, what is at stake is to protect life from unnecessary sacrifices or from needless victimization. We need to affirm the value of life from the image of the cross. Why do we not see the evil powers at work in Jesus' time and today? How can we live in the midst of unjust, unwanted, innocent sufferings of so many people? Ethical reading of Christ's crucifixion is also possible in Paul's letters such as 1 Corinthians. Paul’s metaphor of soma christou (Christ’s body) in 1 Corinthians can be understood as a broken, crucified body of Christ, which then can be identified with all forms of broken bodies in the world - especially in a Corinthian context in which people fight for hegemony (for controlling others, bodies of others). (See my book Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor, Fortress in Fall 2008).

A Critical Reading of "the Passion of the Christ"

2011-03-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Passion of the Christ (movie) reflects Mel Gibson’s Jesus -- his passion for a "Western" Jesus, who comes to die and is punished instead of "me." The movie begins with a quote from Isaiah's Suffering Servant Song: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed” (Isa 53:5). [In fact, within the literary context of Isaiah, the figure of the suffering servant does not refer to an individual but to

Israel

.] Taking the theme of the suffering servant and applying to Jesus, Gibson colors his "Jesus" with "substitutionary death" (the so-called penal substitution theory) with much violence in the movie. The movie is full of unnecessary, exaggerated torture with little information about the cause of Jesus' death in a historical sense. For me, the movie turns very disappointing because of the needless violence without raising the historical question of why Jesus was killed. Why is there so much violence to Jesus? Bluntly, the question is: Who brought Jesus to death? I just felt throughout the movie that there should not be another Jesus, who receives enormous torturing and injustice caused by the evil doers. Let us get straight on the cause of Jesus' death. In fact, if Jesus' preaching of the kingdom of God (basileia theou) had been successful or his mission had been accepted by the people in his time, he would not have been killed. All the gospel stories present the cause of Jesus' death as the culmination of what he said, did, and acted. In other words, his message and deeds were dangerous for some people. That is why he was opposed and executed by those who resent his message. Jesus' passion for God's love and justice got him killed.

In our world today too, there are many sufferings, unjust or needless. I believe that God does not want our torturing. Jesus is a type of the most vicious and unjust suffering and death. This way of reading of Jesus' death is certainly plausible and one important avenue to look at the history and meaning of the event. In fact, the cause of Jesus' death could be constructed in many different ways, as the Four Gospels themselves in the New Testament testify. In Luke, Jesus' work as a prophet provokes enemies' anger. Jesus dies as a martyr, not as salvific atonement or substitutionary death at all; his radical message of justice and egalitarianism led to the cross. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus' death, somewhat difficult for Jesus himself too, is pictured as good sacrifice for "others." Here caution is that sacrifice of Jesus does not automatically mean penal substitutionary death of Jesus. On one hand, meaning of Jesus' death can be constructed in the context of different communities behind the gospels. On the other hand, apart from the later communities' meaning of Jesus' death, cause of Jesus' death can be constructed in a more historical sense, which means analyzing all aspects of life in the world ranging from politics to economy to religion. If we continue to discuss about the cause and meaning of Jesus' death, we will be faced with the question of "we should do" today.

As for me, the biggest problem of the Gibson's movie seems to condone the social, political evil of violence and injustice, and be blind to the massive power of evil evident in such atrocious, unspeakable torturing and murdering under the cover of a divine plan.

The cost of this movie is too high in the sense that people do not reflect on such a power of evil -- in the form of violence, in the form of politics, in the form of daily lives of ordinary people. The movie's impression was that "the more violence on Jesus, the holier Jesus is, and the more thankful Christians feel because "our sins are paid back." But again, in other contexts that I put here, the message of the movie turns different in one hundred eighty degrees turn, “There should not be another Jesus of unjust suffering and death in this world.” Such atrocious, senseless violence and suffering must disappear in our world.

Other comments: We should acknowledge that this movie is not a historical movie in the sense of what really happened but a theological story, directed and interpreted by Gibson who follows a specific understanding or the meaning of Jesus' death. If someone too quickly responds to this movie as if this were a history per se, he or she evidently does not distinguish between history and theology.

Lastly, even this theological story, with a vicious or violent role of the Jews and the Romans, should not be related to all Jews in history. Of course, there were not all Jews involved in accusations against Jesus. There were good and faithful people like Mary, Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, disciples, and many nameless women who followed Jesus. Also, we cannot simply equate Jewish ancestors with Jewish people today and in history. So if any person does not distinguish between individuals and community, and between the past and the present, that person brings in impending dangers of inviting another Hitler to emerge on the scene. I reject such a naïve thinking or attitude of the historicization of the gospel story. As a whole, this movie must be viewed critically and/or with multiple dimensions of the texts involving Jesus’ life and death.

JSNT book review of Christ's Body in Corinth

2011-03-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

"This book questions the usual understanding of ‘the body of Christ’ in Paul’s writings. Most scholars see it as an idea describing and emphasizing the unity of the church; Kim argues that it has more to do with diversity and with ‘collective participation in Christ crucified’. The traditional understanding, he says, is not satisfying in today’s diverse world; it operates with exclusive boundaries, and is often used in oppressive and colonial ways. On the other hand, ‘the image of Christ crucified deconstructs the conception of the community based on powers of wealth, status, and identity, and reconstructs the community based on sacrificial love and solidarity with those who are broken in society. This power of the cross … makes possible a new formation of the community of all in diversity’ (p.21)."
-- an excerpt from a book review of Christ's Body in Corinth (David Wenham, Journal for the Study of the New Testament 32.5 (2010): 94-97.

Review of "Jesus: A New Vision"

2011-03-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

In his book, Jesus: A New Vision, Borg advocates a new image of Jesus: a person filled with the Spirit who sought to transform the social world of first-century Palestine by the politics of compassion (an alternative consciousness) against culture's conventional wisdom and the politics of holiness.

Borg's scholarly study and reflection on historical Jesus began with rejecting the two dominant images of Jesus. The first, popular image of Jesus is a divine being who came to the world to die for the redemption of sinners and then ascended to the heaven. The second image is the eschatological prophet, who mistakenly predicted the end of the world in his own time. Borg rejects the first image because it portrays Jesus through the faith lens of post-Easter Christians. Such portrayal is distant from historical Jesus' life and death. He also refuses to take the second image of skepticism about historical Jesus because it depicts Jesus as eschatological prophet only - who failed to bring about the end of the world. Against these two images, Borg emphasizes the importance of historical Jesus viewed from a new angle of knowing what Jesus was: a Spirit-filled person in the charismatic stream of Judaism.

To support his thesis that Jesus was a Spirit-filled person who sought to change the religious social world of first-century Palestine, Borg works on the two organizing principles: Spirit and culture. Borg claims that the world of the Spirit is real and Jesus had deep, intimate relationships with the Spirit. The author does not stop here but relate this reality of the Spirit with culture. That is to say, a Spirit-filled person could not remove himself from culture in which he lived.

In discussing the world of the Spirit, the author states that the reality of the Spirit has been present not only in the biblical tradition and but also in the social, scientific studies of paranormal experiences (universal primordial tradition). In the biblical tradition, Israel's story itself was the story of the interaction between the world of the Spirit and the world of ordinary experiences. The Spirit of the world became part of their lives. Moses and the prophets were also Spirit-filled mediators. In social, scientific studies of paranormal experiences, cross-culturally, the world of Spirit has been also accessed by the charismatic who entered it and experienced the world of the Spirit.

Borg says that the biblical tradition of Spirit-filled mediators is very significant for understanding the historical Jesus, because in this way what Jesus was helps us to see Jesus, differently from the other two images mentioned above. The reality of the another world (invisible world of the Spirit) was not unusual to those people of the ancient world, unlike the modern people who disregard the reality of invisible world simply because it seems to be unscientific, superstitious, or psychotic. The author asks what reality is. His answer seems to be that reality reflects both the material and the spiritual world.

Borg also argues that Jesus stood in the ecstatic, mystical tradition of biblical and Jewish religion. He lists the examples of this traits demonstrated by his internal life: his prayer life, the visions he experienced, his sense of intimacy with God. All his life was full of ecstatic, mystical experiences with the Spirit. He was a person of the Spirit.

A corollary was that Jesus as a Spirit-filled person evidenced his life of the Spirit by the mighty deeds of exorcisms and healings. Exorcism and healings are good examples which demonstrates his charismatic power that flowed out of his deep encounter with the Spirit.

In discussing Jesus' relation to the culture, Borg shows contrast between the politics of holiness and the politics of compassion. The social world of first-century Palestine was under the pressure of Roman occupation and was operated by the politics of holiness, which separated the pure from the impure, and insiders from outsiders. But Jesus challenged with the politics of compassion, this prevailing holiness-ridden culture and the conventional wisdom of that social world, which centers around "family, wealth, honor, and virtue, all shaped by a religious framework" (81). This self-oriented culture was a focus of transformation. Jesus was filled with God?s compassion to change his social world into a transforming community of compassion filled with love, acceptance, and inclusiveness.

Borg, then, using four social, religious types, portrays Jesus, as sage, revitalization movement founder, prophet, and challenge. First of all, Jesus, as sage, was both radical and subversive. Jesus critiqued the conventional wisdom of the Jewish social world by asking his people to turn to God rather than to their religion of holiness politics. Spirit-filled Jesus called his people to center themselves on God, and to change their hearts and minds so that they see things in a new way: the narrow way, the way of "dying to the self" in place of the broad way that seeks wealth, power, honor, and this-worldly securities.

Second, as revitalization movement founder, Jesus focused on renewal of Israel rather than creating a new religion, in the midst of crisis in the Jewish social world: "the growing internal division within Jewish society, and the deepening of the conflict with Rome" (142). Jesus? renewal movement is summarized by his "alternative community with an alternative consciousness" rooted in the Spirit (142). His alternative consciousness is to reverse the dominant consciousness of conventional wisdom through his vision of transforming Israel. Jesus calls his people to change their consciousness of holiness politics. Borg states that revitalization movement stayed in the frame of Judaism. He put this rightly: "Jesus remained deeply Jewish, even as he radicalized Judaism" (141).

Third, as prophet, Jesus similarly assumes the job of traditional prophets who indict, threaten, and call to change. Borg points out that "the purpose of the prophets was not to reveal the future, but to change it" (154). The author also points out that Jesus was not really speaking about the final judgment or about the kingdom of God that would come very soon. But Jesus' concern was just to change the present lives of his people by speaking out prophetic utterances to bring about real change of heart to God-centered.

Finally, Borg picture Jesus as challenge; Jesus risked his life and went to Jerusalem to issue the call to change, and "to make a final appeal" to his people at the center of their national and religious life (172). Borg states that the death of Jesus would be the result of his sojourn in Jerusalem, not the purpose of his journey. Jesus was killed because he sought to transform his own culture, in the power of the Spirit.

This book sheds fresh light on the understanding of historical Jesus. A new image of Jesus as a Spirit-filled person is very relevant to the contemporary church and moderns as well. The first significance or relevance is that the reality of another dimension (the world of the Spirit) is real beyond the visible world. Moderns are so caught up with the first dimension of material world that they cannot consider things to be real if they do not see them. They are so boastful of the power of human reason. In fact, modern technology and science force us not to believe in the power of the Spirit because human reason is so elevated. But the realization of another dimension of the world gives rise to a new understanding of humanity, who was supposed to have genuine encounters with the Spirit. In the mainstream church where I belong, this reality of unseen but powerful world of the Spirit is not fully recognized. I think we need to grasp the importance of personal encounter with the Spirit one way or another in our church. In this way, we can strike a balance between the bodily and spiritual life.

Another relevance to today's church is that the real spirituality is not distant from compassion with which society can be changed against the culture. In other words, the Spirit-filled person should work for the sake of a community to transform the dominant way of culture in which Christians are called into to live out Jesus' life (Sprit-filled life with compassion). Unfortunately, however, many Christians think of spirituality as subjective reality of experiences that has nothing to do with compassion to change the social world of our time and culture.

Still another relevance to our churches is about distinction between knowing about God and knowing God. Knowing God through experiences can be a living reality. Christian life can be enriched by actual living relationship with God (the Spirit). Knowing about God is not sufficient to living out the life of Spirit-filled compassion. A compassionate work can be done in a personal, intimate relationship with the Spirit.

One weakness of this book is its lack of eschatological image of Jesus. Jesus did not confine his work of the Spirit to the present world of first-century Palestine only. When Jesus talks about the kingdom of God, it is not just in the present but also in the future. The meaning of eschatology is profound and does not necessarily mean the end of the physical world only.

Another weakness is related with the culture, including socioeconomic world of Palestine. Borg focused on only Spirit-filled Jesus in explaining what Jesus was. But he could have dealt with the elements of culture or Judaism as to how they shaped Jesus' identity. Borg sets culture against Spirit-filled Jesus' work. But culture is not always antithetical to the Christ (Christian vocation).

Third weakness is in his general approach to Jesus that Jesus' humanity is not much addressed because of too much focus on the world of the Spirit. If Borg had had balance between the Spirit and the humanity of Jesus (in a sense, Jesus was a human who had physical body with limitation), the picture of Jesus would have been more appealing to us.

Meditate day and night

2011-02-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

I. Meditate day and night
Nobody can live skipping eating or breathing. No one big meal or deep breathing can be sufficient to the entire life span. Literally, repetition makes life continue. But ironically when it comes to the study, people often do not repeat their reading, thinking or learning. There are many good books or thoughts out there; but they do not take time to read and digest them. Some people think that they mastered them, or others simply do not want to take them. So the primary tip for success in transformative study is nothing other than meditating on thought items digested. According to Psalm 1:2, blessed are those who meditate on the Torah (teaching) of the Lord day and night. The Torah (teaching or instruction) must be mediated in everyday life so that the whole life will be a field of God’s teaching. God also speaks through day and night so we should be ready to receive a revelation day and night. In fact, life is too short to meditate only on days. Sometimes we need sleepless nights with turns and twists. That is a time of revelation. So we need night. In addition, metaphorically, day and night represent a bright side and a dark side of our lives, respectively. That is our life; we know day follows night, and vice versa. Fundamentally, our study, transformative in nature, should be patterned something like this never-ending process of meditation, a work of day and night.

II. Summarize what you know after some time in your own words
No matter what book or essay you read, you should be able to summarize it in a few sentences (a paragraph) in your own words. Embody or digest material so that it can be part of you.

III. Have a big picture and perspective
Begin with a big picture when you write or think after a process of meditation and summing up. Paul's letter to the Romans is a good example. Read the first few verses. Look at Paul’s self-description of "a slave of Christ" and apostle, his view of God, the holy scriptures, the gospel of God, the gospel concerning his Son. He begins with big words very tersely yet clearly. Paul begins with a big picture of his ministry and his thought in the beginning of the letter. How can you relate these subjects with each other?

IV. Then prove or defend your point with persuasive methods
This process also engages other readings. Compare and contrast with other readings. *Romans is an excellent example for this. Paul defends and argues for his big picture of ministry and thought spending the rest of the letter. Analyze the letter for your purpose.

V. Balance between the whole and parts
The truth is that even with a good big picture, you still have to provide details by focusing on the central ideas or key themes that you think the most important. Test whether both the whole (a big picture) and parts cohere and help one another. *example: like building a house, we need a good master plan and detailed works.

Power of Nature: Learning From a Forest

2011-02-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

I love to walk a nearby forest in the neighborhood. Usually, I take a paved trail when I walk and meditate. But at times I have a tendency to deviate from the main path and walk the small, often unprepared or untrodden, trails. From a paved route I see a good-looking forest -- the high trees and all visible beauty displayed above the ground. But if I take an intentional detour going further deep in the forest, I am just surprised at a new picture that I do not see everyday: the devastated fallen trees and other remnants of the dead plants. The truth is that trees or plants also die or fell. Some trees were uprooted; the visual image is like seeing the human corpses laid on the ground. Other trees were hung over against the other small tree branches. The forest exists by the law of nature. Storms, winds, rains, snows, and all kinds of natural forces affect the life of a forest. Some survive and others die.

Well, this phenomenon seems hopeless because some are out of the ground by the law of nature. A truth is that not all things in a forest can live without dying. In a way, nature repeats itself because of a harmonious coexistence that all are connected with each other, the living and the dead. The question is what we humans can learn from this law of nature. Can we learn something positive so that we can apply to the growth of our human coexistence in the world, or only a negative side of cruel competition (like Darwin's evolution theory in "the fittest survival")? What is a condition that we humans can coexist much like how nature operates with the law of nature? Can we learn from this law something positive in relation to human transformation? If we can gain a transformative insight from this, what would be? What kind of transformation and how can we achieve? If the reality of change is unavoidable in our world, what kind of change would be considered ideal? Questions about transformation abound!

Exegetical (Interpretive) Steps in Matt 13:44-50

2011-02-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

The following is a quick note of my reflections on Matthew 13:44-50. How can we teach these texts or what do we learn? Below are the interpretive steps that I suggest to take. Compare with yours. *Note: Exegesis simply means interpretation that engages both the reader and the text.

Matt 13:44-50: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (New Revised Standard Version).

1. Read these verses many times and take notes on your own. What comes into your mind? Write down any questions, troubles, insights, and anything that you consider important.

2. With all notes and studies on the above texts, now read Matthew as a whole through the theme of "the kingdom of God."

3. See whether your understanding of Matt 13:44-50 is clearer or deeper. Explain.

4. What is your primary focus of these verses? What are most important verses?

5. What is the primary or preliminary meaning of these texts?

Then, go through the detailed questions as follows:

1) What is the kingdom of heaven? Is it different from the kingdom of God?

2) What is the Matthean vision of the kingdom of God? Who can enter? When and/or how?

3) Is this community exclusive to Judaism?

4) What is this community's stance against the Roman Empire or politics?

5) What is the primary metaphoric import of each parable (treasure in a field; a merchant in search of fine pearls; a net thrown into the sea)?

6) How do these metaphors and parables help to strengthen intended discipleship in Matthew?

Then think back and forth what you pulled out. Take some time and walk and meditate day and night.

7) What is the most important learning (knowledge, ethical exhortation, identity formation, motivational insight or force, etc) that you want to communicate with other people in a particular life context?

Vision of human transformation

2011-02-12T18:55:00.001-08:00

I have a passion for human transformation, rooted in self-knowledge and self-criticism. Traveling many Latin American countries during my business career, I learned a great deal about cultural diversity and the need of human solidarity.

With a new vocation of theological education, I now ask: What does it mean to live in this world in relation to each other (i.e., meaning of the Other -- which resonates Emmanuel Levinas' "the face of the other," Paul Ricoeur's inter-subjective narrative identity, or Jacques Derrida's "relationless relation"). How can we do theology in our thoughts, deeds and action, while moving pointedly away from individualism? How can we engage the Bible as part of human transformation? How can we see and experience the reality of human existence differently through critical imagination beyond both Western and Eastern paradigms?

What is Christ's body as a metaphor for Paul?

2011-02-12T18:42:00.001-08:00

In 1 Corinthians, soma christou (Christ's body) is hardly conceived as a metaphorical organism; rather, it is a metaphor for a way of life -- Christ-like body (Christic body), which is an attributive genitive case. In Paul's seven undisputed letters, soma christou is not equal to ekklesia, the two never being placed side by side. It is in Ephesians and Colossians (Deutero-Pauline) that the two (ekklesia and soma christou) are placed side by side: "church is his body, whose head is Christ" (Col 1:18, 24; Eph 4:12; 5:23). Why is it important to distinguish between soma christou and ekklesia in Paul's letters, in 1 Corinthians in particular? See my book Christ's Body in Corinth for more information and engagement.

a review from Stone-Campbell Journal

2010-01-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

I found the following review, an excerpt:

"Kim, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA), balances his interest in Jewish and Christian theology with a deep passion for cultural applications of such interests, especially pertaining to groups often marginalized. ... Kim's book might be best served within an academic setting as well as for those desiring to engage with critical issues in Pauline scholarship. While some may disagree with various lines of argument in the book, Kim's overall pleas for the loving embrace of all people in the name of Christ cannot be ignored. Thus, the motivation behind Kim's book will certainly have a bearing on discussions related to Christian mission -- both locally and globally." -- Carl S. Sweatman, Stone-Campbell Journal 12 (Fall, 2009) 311-312.

a response to a book review

2010-01-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

Response to a book review

Recently, I saw Daniel Christiansen's review of my book (Christ's Body in Corinth) at The Bible and Critical Theory 5.3 (2009) and appreciate it. I admit his critique of the book's length (slender volume) and less-connectedness with the pictures contained in the book. However, to be honest, his review is not fair-minded as he labels my interpretation as ideological. The biggest weakness of his review is that he does not sum up main arguments of the book. A typical book review is expected to contain main points, development, and evaluation of the book. But skipping this part of the book review, he himself becomes ideologically driven, hastily and vehemently rejecting the idea of diversity without talking about the main argument of the body metaphor in this book.

By the way, according to a theory (Althusser Louis in particular), all interpretations are ideological. So is mine and are all others'. What is at stake for anyone's interpretation is not whether his or her reading is ideological or not, but what kind of ideology is operative in interpretation and/or whether that kind of ideology helps us to read the text clearer or healthier than other kind of ideolgy. So it is nothing wrong with reading texts through an ideological lens. But here the problem of his review is not to discuss the book's main points and hastily judge it on the basis of what he believes true while ignoring what the book says entirely. For instance, in his review, he rebuts the idea of "Christic body" by asserting that every community is run by "doctrine or practice." But he is not aware of the book chapters on Community and Body in which various conceptions of the community and different understandings about the body are discussed. So in the book nowhere I am saying there is a community possible without boundaries. Rather, I talk about the role of boundary and the function of Christ's body as a metaphor in the Corinthian context. The question is not whether the community is bounded or not but how the given community functions. In so doing, my book focuses on the roles of the boundary, the conceptions of the community and the different understandings about the body. The real question is which interpretation of the body might be closer to the reality of early Christian life experience in Corinth.

I would welcome any challenge to or critical evaluation of my book if there were a fair balance between what the book really says and what it lacks. I would expect that any reviewer recognizes various approaches to the "body of Christ" discussed in the book, and engages the main argument of the book that lies in the figurative, discursive analysis of 1 Corinthians: an alternative reading of the "body of Christ" understood as a metaphor for a way of life or living (Christic body), on the basis of re-imagination of the "body of Christ" as the crucified body of Christ.

By contrast, Donald Senior's review of my book at The Bible Today clearly states the gist of the book as follows: "Although much has been written on the Pauline notion of the "body of Christ," this contribution by Presbyterian scholar Kim offers a thoughtful and provocative insight worth considering. Kim observes that the Pauline metaphor can be interpreted as setting boundaries or differentiations between the Christian community and those outside. However, if we consider the "body of Christ" as the crucified body of Christ it can be seen as a means of dissolving boundaries and being more inclusive, particularly of those who are pushed to the margins or who suffer. Kim draws out from this key Pauline symbol the implications for the church and society today, particularly in the Gospel call for solidarity with those who are marginalized" (excerpt from Donald Senior's review, The Bible Today 47(2) p.141. Mar-Apr 2009). --Yung Suk Kim

The Heart of Christianity and the Heart of Paul's Theology

2009-05-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Borg is committed to making Christianity viable and authentic for modern people by making distinction between the "old" paradigm and the "emerging" paradigm of Christianity. Borg is passionate about authentic Christian message rooted in Jesus and Paul, which is basically about living the transformative life. This book is a must read for all who ask what is Christianity about. This book not only deconstructs the old paradigm but reconstructs a more healthy way of living Christian life today without losing faith, hope and love of God. "Salvation is about the transformation of life, individually together, here and now. And the Bible speaks of these two transformations as an experience now, and as a hope for history, and as a hope that leads beyond history" (p.183). As seen here, his reading is balanced between various aspects of time and life. In my own book, Christ's Body in Corinth, I continue the spirit of this kind of authentic faith and Christian experience which I find in Paul's letters, especially in 1 Corinthians. As for Paul, the center of the heart of his theology is "embodiment" of Christ. It is "Christic body" as I articulated in my book. If we read Rom 8:1-11 for example, what is essential for Paul is to live the faithful life of Christ, not a mere belief in Jesus but a life of faithful action modeled after Christ's cross. The central message here (Rom 8) is not something like "Jesus died instead of me or for sin; so I don't die." The opposite is true. Jesus died and I should die too. In other words, again in Rom 8:1-11, those who walk according to the Spirit are the ones who submit their will to God's law, which aims at "life and peace." I believe that Borg's sketch of authentic Christian faith aiming at transformation of our life is very important to our re-envisioning of a new community for all.

wild flowers and cultivated flowers

2009-05-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Did I do wrong when I planted wild flowers in a little garden at our home? Walking on neighborhood streets, I found a bunch of beautiful wildflowers, all different by shape and color. I transferred some of them to our garden. First of all, I am not sure whether these flowers will survive in our garden, away from their original place. Second, I am not sure whether these flowers get along with other cultivated flowers. However, there is no question that these wild flowers are also flowers – beautiful and unique. I will keep vigilant eyes on this garden to see what happens next.

Actually, the above episode or reflection of mine has much to do with my theology or worldview. When I wrote Christ's Body in Corinth, one of the largest concerns was the issue of diversity. How do we live in this wild and cultivated world? How do we treat others? How do we examine ourselves in the presence of others? What is an ideal state that we seek to achieve when we live in one world?

Obsessive identity vs. ethics of living

2009-05-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

On April 16, 2009, I delivered my first public speech (lecture) titled "Christianity in Korea: Its History and Challenge" at Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA. This speech is part of lecture series called "Forum on Religion and the Contemporary World." I briefly sketched the history and development of Christianity in Korea starting from the late 19th century (see Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity for this topic, which will be published in late 2009; I contributed this item). A majority of South Korean population (about 40%) are Christians. A majority of them are fundamental Christians, who exclude other religions as having no truth or salvation. Major features of Korean Christianity have to do with dualism, individualism, Shamanism, political conservatism and exclusivism. Problems can be approached from many different perspectives. Yet I think the most problematic is that Christians in Korea are obsessed with their belonging or identity: "I am saved; are you saved?" It is a sort of indicative-imperative logic: "my belonging to God is secure, once and for all. I do as a result of the current strong identity in God." But Paul says, "endure your salvation until the end." This kind of individualistic orientation of religion costs ethics. I believe that identity and ethics are not two different things but the same in quality. As I argue in my book, Christ's Body in Corinth, as for Paul, someone's identity cannot be separated from ethics of living. The centerpiece of ethical living is to live Christ crucified. Otherwise, the sense of obsessive belonging may sacrifice ethics of living.

Unity and diversity

2009-04-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I paste here the following piece that comes from the blog Exploring Ecumenism in which my book is mentioned.
The Paradox of Unity and Diversity

Kim's exegesis of 1 Corinthians is detailed and complex and it is not my intention to reproduce it in detail here. Details of the book can be found in the left hand sidebar. My intention is to attempt a hermeneutic based upon the particular context of ecumenism in 21st century Britain and more specifically England.

However, to do this I must attempt a brief summary of the main argument in Kim's text. The primary metaphor Kim refers to is the Body of Christ. The question is how does this metaphor inform our understanding of unity and diversity? Particularly, given the common ways in which Kim argues this metaphor is misunderstood.

Kim's conclusion leads to a paradox. Unity leads to divisiveness whilst diversity leads to unity. Kim puts it like this on page 4:

Paul's argument presupposes that the divisiveness of the Corinthian community results not from a lack of unity but from a failure on the part of its members to acknowledge and respect the diversity present in the community. (...) But unity is not the goal or purpose of Paul's letter because in Greco-Roman society, unity can be a destructive and oppressive language.

The last sentence refers I think to the Pax Romana, where peace was enforced throughout the Roman Empire by the sword. Each conquered nation was allowed to live in peace in return for certain demands form Rome, most notably worship of the Emperor. Nevertheless there was a degree of diversity across the Roman Empire (all large empires and organisations have to manage diversity in some way) and so for example, Paul felt unable to accept contributions from the Corinthian church because of their patronage system whereas he had no such hesitations with the Philippians just up the road but in a different province.

The Corinthians were dividing into factions and each faction drew boundaries around itself, within which there was an expectation of unity. Within these boundaries there was hierarchy, the more powerful, presumably those with power of patronage, set the terms of their faction. This was not a community that was able to accept there might be a diversity of truths (Kim, page 5). This resonates with the writings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who writes about a dual morality, where 'biblical morality ... adds to ... universals a context bound morality dependent on history and memory'. To a degree I think Kim's book is by accident a Christian commentary on Sacks' work The Dignity of Difference. To follow this up further it is worth reading the posts around the above link which comment on chapter 3 of that book.

The focus of Kim's reading of 1 Corinthians is the implications of reading unity into the Body of Christ, for the marginalised and I'll return to this in future posts. But for ecumenism in England a major problem is the growing rift between centralised formal talks and localised ecumenism. Theology is done differently nationally and locally; to the extent that church leaders and academics do not see what local churches are doing as theology. The discourses are different not only in content but also in form. So, formal talks are based upon written agreements fully cross-referenced and with footnotes. Clearly this is good academic practice but this format tends to make them unavailable to local churches unless mediated through preachers. Locally theology is done through people, property and finance. Walk into any church and look at it, theology is in the walls. Also in its practices and the way it uses its money. Local ecumenism is conducted through these media.

The theological approach to boundaries through formal talks tends to maintain islands of unity. The problem for the churches is that these islands of unity are breaking up.

Read another item on the same blog Exploring Ecumenism ("unity as a rhetoric of control?)"

Doctor of Ministry practicum: Church and Body of Christ

2009-03-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

DMin Practicum on church and body of Christ

* Purpose: to discuss and articulate the relation between church (ekklesia) and the body of Christ (soma christou) from Paul's letters and his theology. In so doing, we will be better equipped to serve the church and society with a sense of balance.

* Textbook: Yung Suk Kim, Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor, Fortress Press, 2008.

* Major reflection questions:

1. Does Paul equate church with the body of Christ in his letters?

2. If not, why do you think Paul does not do so? (compare 1 Cor with Eph. or Col.)

3. Trace the use of body of Christ in his letters. Do you find any consistent pattern in all of such usage?

4. What is Paul's view of the church in his letters? (trace the use of church in his letters.)

5. If there is any relationship between church and body of Christ in his letters, what kind would be?

6. "Body of Christ" is composed of the genitive construction (in Greek). Which genitive use will you choose? (for instance, 1) the objective genitive (a body, as social body, belonging to Christ; this is the case of metaphorical organism); 2) the subjective genitive (Christ's own body -- physical body); 3) the attributive genitive (Christ-like body, in the sense of a metaphor for living).

7. How does Paul talk about Christ crucified as a central message of his letters, especially in 1 Cor and Gal?
For helpful information, please visit my web site.

Deconstructing a social world through metaphor

2009-02-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am very excited that my book Christ's Body in Corinth like new baby was born on July 1, 2008 by Fortress Press. I am thrilled as a parent on the one hand, and fearful on the other hand, because I have to watch this baby breathing briskly and busily in this "uncertain" world. Feel free to engage this book. The crucial issue for me in Pauline studies is how to reclaim Paul's radical, contextual theology of "soma christou" re-imagined through Christ's own body -- his crucified body which can be identified with numerous broken bodies in the world.

DECONSTRUCTING A SOCIAL WORLD THROUGH METAPHOR
"I highly recommend this work to all who take seriously Paul's metaphor of 'the body of Christ.' Kim interprets the metaphor as an alternative vision of vital reconciling community, over against conceptions that emphasize boundary markers to establish social groups. What is at stake in the interpretation of 1 Corinthians, he argues, is not just the ways first-century Christians constructed and lived out social unity but the consequences of our choices for the way we live out our own responsibilities today." -David Odell-Scott, Professor of Philosophy, Kent State University

"Reading as a citizen of an increasingly diverse postcolonial world, Yung Suk Kim protests the scholarly consensus that reads Paul's language of the "body of Christ" in 1 Corinthians as a metaphor for social unity, current in Hellenistic and Roman philosophical and political discourse, in which the integrity of the social body required the vigilant maintenance of group boundaries and the harmony of its members. Kim points out the potential of this reading to promote coercive patterns of enforced unity in the contemporary world.

Kim argues instead that in speaking of the church as Christ's body, Paul relies upon the metaphoric language of embodied vitality and growth, seeking instead to nourish the life-giving practices of a diverse community and to oppose the ideology of a powerful in-group that threatens to "disembody" the Christic body in Corinth. Reading the language of soma christou exclusively from a sociological lens fails to comprehend the important christological coordinates of Paul's thought, which nevertheless have clear and urgent social and political implications. Paul's exhortation is a message of particular importance, Kim suggests, for us who seek to discern the true value of difference in the contemporary world."

Study guides to the book Christ's Body in Corinth (Fortress, 2008)

2009-02-05T14:19:00.001-08:00

For more information about the book, Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Fortress, 2008), visit my book page or web version of the study guide.

Introduction: The Price of Unity

The goal of this chapter is to let readers understand the author’s approach and thesis of this whole book.

Questions

1. Why is it important to read the metaphor soma christou (body of Christ) differently than a metaphorical organism in particular? What are some concerns that are raised by the author?

2. How is a different reading of this metaphor possible or legitimate?

3. In today’s personal or public experiences in this world, does the use of this metaphor (body of Christ) raise any concerns?

KEY TERMS

Soma christou (body of Christ) as a metaphor, deliberative rhetoric, organic unity, Paul’s theology, ecclesiological organism, ecclesial-organic, hierarchical unity, homonoia (concord), boundary marker, marginality, belonging, conception of community, power conflicts, member of Christ, the gospel of the cross of Christ, exclusivism, “others,” universalism, differences and diversity, broken human bodies, political control of rhetoric, Stoics, living body, imperialism, neo-colonialism, authority and power, vision of community, the crucified body of Christ, hegemonic discourse, biblical interpretation, deconstruction, ethical responsibility, diversified global community, bodiliness and mortality, social cohesion, multiculturalism, globalism, border identity, solidarity, holistic outlook, text (context, and hermeneutics)

Chapter 1: Community as “Body”

The goal of this chapter is to analyze a variety of conceptions of community. Different scholarly traditions or approaches (theological and historical approaches, sociological or social-scientific approaches, and the approach of the history-of-religions school) have different ideas about the community. The question is, which one is better, or do we need an alternative?

Questions

1. What are some criteria for division of various scholarly approaches to the community? Compare and contrast them (use terms such as boundaries, identity and structure or power relationships).

2. Can you name examples of each approach in today’s life experience (church, school, society and the world) to the conception of community?

3. What are some hidden ideologies at work in the level of interpreters?

4. Is it possible to have an alternative vision of community than the mentioned other approaches?

KEY TERMS

The boundary-protected community, the boundaries-overcoming community, the apocalyptic community, universal identity, salvation, holiness, New Perspective, vocation, divisive (hierarchical) boundaries, liberation, messianic kingdom, hegemonic universalism, the Hegelian dialectic, Hellenistic ideal, Judaism, authentic existence, salvation-history, Gentile mission, theological and historical approaches, sociological or social-scientific approaches, metaphorical organism, functionalist sociology, society, individuals, sociology of knowledge, symbolic universe, social norms, sacred canopy, paterfamilias, the history-of-religions school, Hellenistic Christianity, Palestinian Christianity, kyrios, European colonialism, boundaries, social functions or conflicts, love patriarchalism, agency, the marginalized, New Consensus, functionalism, conservative social view, egalitarianism, Christ crucified, hybridity, multiple identity, structure or power relationships, ekklesia, kyriake, intervening space, creative tensions

Chapter 2: Community as the “Body of Christ”

The goal of this chapter is to understand a variety of understandings about the metaphor “the body of Christ” in biblical studies. The question is, which one is better than the other, or do we need an alternative?

Questions

1. What are major differences between different approaches to the body of Christ (the approach of “organic unity,” the approach of “corporate solidarity” and “the christological approaches”)? Compare and contrast them.

2. What pros and cons can you find in each approach?

3. Can you name some examples of each approach in today’s life experience?

4. What is an alternative approach or understanding about the body of Christ? How can you
evaluate it?

KEY TERMS

Organic unity, anti-imperial resistance, the body of Christ and ekklesia, love patriarchalism, social boundary, bounded system, unity and concord (homonoia), boundary marker, ecclesiological organism, corporate solidarity, Christ-Adam typology, a missionary body, Christological approaches, the lordship of Christ, Pauline mysticism, soteriology and ethics, Hellenistic mysticism, a new age, parenesis, multi-voiced textus, ecclesial interests, cross-cultural dialogue, elite discourse, hierarchical unity, minority voices, cruciform reality, Christ’s life and death

Chapter 3: Community “in Christ”

The goal of this chapter is to deconstruct the view of “in Christ” as a boundary marker in 1 Corinthians. The language of “in Christ” in a Corinthian conflicting context can be understood as a cynical rhetoric of Paul’s protest to the hegemonic voice of an “in Christ” group in Corinth.

Questions

1. What are various functions of the preposition “in” (dative case) used in Paul’s letters?

2. How does “in Christ” have to do with Paul’s rhetoric that he uses to address the Corinthian problems?

3. Can you find the Greco-Roman parallels to which Paul’s cynical language of “in Christ” might refer (1 Cor 4:10)?

4. Is the modal relation of “dying with Christ” consistent in Paul’s theology or in his letters in general?

KEY TERMS

The dative construction of en christo, spatial relationships, instrumental relationships, temporal relationships, modal relationships, mystical union, boundary marker, “only in the Lord” (monon en kyrio), ecclesiological organism, universal body, cultural imperialism, melting pot theory of assimilation, creative, struggling space, unilateralism, individualism, the strong and the weak, ideologies, a rhetoric of protest, sarcasm, slaves, the poor, Paul’s theology of “in Christ,” Christ’s life and sacrifice, human suffering and rejection, the slave’s death, a liminal experience, the margins of humanity, dying with Christ, a new space and time

Chapter 4: The Body Politic and the Body of Christ

The goal of this chapter has two parts. One is to take a look at the Greco-Roman and Jewish world in terms of body politic and to relate to Paul’s body politic through the metaphor “the body of Christ.” The other part is to illustrate cases of disembodiment of Christic body found in 1 Corinthians. The conclusion is that Paul takes side of the democratic-inclusive body, and that the Corinthian problems are criticized and deconstructed by this body politic with an emphasis on the deconstructive power of the cross (Christ crucified).

Questions

1. What are some major differences between the hegemonic body politic and the
democratic-inclusive body politic? Point out ideologies (philosophy) that support each body politic.

2. Which side of the body politic do you think Paul takes? Why?

3. What do you think is the central cause of the Corinthian problems mentioned in the letter? (divisions, sexual immorality, eating meat sacrifice to idols, etc).

4. Paul does not claim his rights as an apostle (benefits such as financial support). Does this rejection of financial support reflect his protest to the social system of patron-client in the Greco-Roman world?

KEY TERMS

Paul’s social world, Stoicism, the body politic, unity and harmony, peace and security, Roman Empire, the hegemonic body, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, Augustus, Menenius Agrippa’s speech, hierarchical chain of command, reason (nous), logos, slavery, Virgil’s Aeneid, hierarchical dualism, the democratic-inclusive body, Cynic, Diogenes, parrhesia, free speech, Christ crucified, Varro, Horace, Juvenal, Tacitus, crucifixion of slaves and Jews, the voices of marginality, a radical theology of the cross, social diversity, Christic embodiment, the disembodiment of Christ, Christic body, an attributive genitive, divisions, sexual immorality, a Corinthian slogan, marriage-related matters, eating meat sacrificed to idols, rights of Paul, patronage, the gospel of Christ, women’s head coverings, the Lord’s Supper, love patriarchalism, functionalist, resurrection, enthusiasts, denial of death

Chapter 5: The Life of the “Body of Christ” in First Corinthians

The goal of this chapter is to examine the metaphor of “the body of Christ” in the whole letter with a focus on the discursive figurative structure of the body. One of the central key words is “Christic body” (rendered as an attributive genitive, Christlike body, as we see similarly in Rom 6:6: the body of sin as “sinful body”). There are three movements of body metaphor in this whole letter: body as cross, body as community and body as resurrection.

Questions

1. Does this outline of the discursive figurative structure in 1 Corinthians show distinctive issues and message in Corinthian situation?

2. Compare and contrast various genitive cases applied to the body of Christ? Namely, between 1) the objective genitive (a body belonging to Christ as an organism metaphor), 2) the subjective genitive (Christ’s own body as physical), 3) the attributive genitive (Christlike or Christic body).

3. Do inverted parallelisms in the analysis of the whole letter work in supporting the argument of the chapter and thesis of the whole book?

4. How can you account for the possible transformative relationship, if any, between the metaphor of the body of Christ, Paul and the Corinthian community?

5. What do you think about the difference between Paul's use of the metaphor of "the body of Christ" in 1 Corinthians and the later use by the authors of the so called Deutero-Pauline letters such as Ephesians and Colossians?

6. Does Paul distinguish between soma christou ("body of Christ") and ekklesia (church) in 1 Corinthians? If he does so, why is it important to distinguish each other in the Corinthian context?

KEY TERMS

Paul’s own letters, the Deutero-Pauline letters, language for “the body” in 1 Cor, an ethic of the Christic body, one-step ethic, two-step ethic, figure, discursive structure, inverted parallelism, Paul’s theology and ethics, the cross as God’s power, the Corinthians’ failure to embody Christ crucified, the Corinthian body as Christic embodiment, a new body, three thematic parts (the cross, the community, transformation), image of body figures, theology of body figures, love as a divine gift, love as a command, love as a radical challenge, love as interpersonal faith, a loving community (ekklesia), the raised body of Christ, the confession of hope, God’s mystery and power, Paul’s “yes” to the world, Christ crucified as a symbol of God’s justice

Chapter 6: Practicing the Diversity of Christ’s Body

The goal of this chapter is to contemplate on the diversity of Christ’s body. The central question is, How can we practice the metaphor of Christ’s body, not as a boundary marker but as a living metaphor of Christic body in a diverse, conflicted world today. This chapter leaves more questions than answers regarding the idea of diversity. That is where the book ends because it is our job to continue to work together.

Questions

1. What is true diversity and its conditions? How does the body of Christ have to do with the idea of diversity?

2. How is different, if any, between the notion of differences and of diversity?

3. Is it possible to have a phrase like “critical diversity”? If possible, how can we get there?

KEY TERMS

Diversity, biblical interpretation, differences or complexities in our life, “otherness,” a hermeneutical lens, discernment, balance, multiculturalism, the gospel of Christ, God’s solidarity, Christ’s death, self-critical awareness.

A motivation to write the book ...

2009-02-05T14:17:00.001-08:00

I have a passion for Jesus' life and Paul's life of Christ. We need to establish a more balanced theology of Paul's soma christou, which goes far beyond the organism sense of body.

The interpretation of the “body of Christ” in 1 Corinthians is a pressing concern in the present context of a diversified global church because its predominant interpretation as an ecclesiological organism characterized by unity and homonoia (concord) serves as a boundary marker that tends to exclude the voices of marginality and diversity. This traditional reading, while plausible, ignores a deeper, ethical meaning of “body of Christ” as Christ's body that questions an ideology of hegemonic power in both the Corinthian context and today. From the perspective of a different conception of community and of soma christou in the image of Christ crucified, this metaphor of soma christou becomes a metaphor for "living" through which the Corinthian community is expected to live as a Christic body, identifying Christ's body with the most vulnerable and broken bodies in the community and in the world—an urgent issue for Christians in marginalized communities and today’s fragmented society. Read this way, Paul's theology continues the legacy of Jesus tradition in terms of deconstruction (critique of religion and culture) and reconstruction (advocacy of the beloved community for all). Paul's theology should be reclaimed as such so that we might truly appreciate what he lived for. That is why I wrote this book. :roll:

Movie review of Slumdog Millionaire & the "body"

2009-01-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

When Paul talks about the body of Christ (as Christ's broken body), the image of the body provokes the destitute, uncared, broken bodies in the Roman Empire. With this kind of imagination in mind, we can watch the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Then we can see the issue of the body and suffering, love and destiny, and the body and economics. Slumdog Millionaire shows the underside of the city in India, thriving on its own fleshy desires, mingled with manly will. The image of slum permeates the entire movie, while ironically the uncaring fastidious city and its people live like being in a perfect world.

In particular, I am captivated by the word “destiny” in the movie. Slum children give in to their destiny of living on the threshold of a city. It is a cruel destiny if any; they did not choose it. There is no immediate hope that they can get out of their misfortune. Their destiny holds them together wherever they go. At times, their destiny is challenged, and yet it is hardly broken. Salim, Jamal’s older brother, rebels against the slum masters to protect his brother. Yet he also lives by service to the master. Although this movie does not answer how to break away from shackles of such a destiny, it raises lots of destiny-driven questions: Who are responsible for this destiny if there is a destiny at all? How do they break away from it? What are roles of other people in the city who live normal lives? On the last scene of the movie, however, the meaning of destiny shifts dramatically to emphasize the bonding love between Jamal and Lakita: “it’s our destiny; kiss me.” Something destined for them is not a slum but a love that they want to keep even in the midst of difficulties of daily lives in a slum. Perhaps, my book on Christ's body would be interesting in this regard.

Humeis Este Soma Christou

Wisdom begins with ...

Why do I love calligraphy?

Jung Do-Jeon's critique of 14th-century-Buddhism in Korea

Reading a Parable Radically

Paidagogos in Gal 3:24 and 1 Cor 4:15

New Online, Peer-Reviewed Journal: The Journal of Bible and Human Transformation

Marginality and Christian Theology

Job's story and faith

Two Faces of Confucianism in Korea

Dow and Deconstruction

When faith fades and fear engulfs us

Problems of translation (in case of Paul's letters)

Shamanism, Exclusivism, and Christianity in Korea

Where does the church belong?

Mystery of life together

multiple interpretation and illusion picture

Reading the Bible through the eyes of "kenosis"

On Truth

On Imagination

History of faith

Reconstructing Paul's theology

Why is it crucial to understand Paul's theology in terms of a God-centered ecclesiology?

Sharing an endorsement of my new book; I am humbled and honored

Three questions to ponder to become a "good" preacher

A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters

Synopsis of the book

For whom?

Contents

Music and theology (written in 2000)

Four seasons: Memory ingrained in my flesh and blood (written in 2000)

Nature, my school (written in 2000)

Reflections (written in 2000)

A Life of Kenosis

A Mystery of Love

A Mystery of Love

A model of an extra credit opportunity for a New Testament course

Historical Jesus and His Death: History and Atonement Theories

Atonement Theories

A Critical Reading of "the Passion of the Christ"

JSNT book review of Christ's Body in Corinth

Review of "Jesus: A New Vision"

Meditate day and night

Power of Nature: Learning From a Forest

Exegetical (Interpretive) Steps in Matt 13:44-50

Vision of human transformation

What is Christ's body as a metaphor for Paul?

a review from Stone-Campbell Journal

a response to a book review

The Heart of Christianity and the Heart of Paul's Theology

wild flowers and cultivated flowers

Obsessive identity vs. ethics of living

Unity and diversity

Doctor of Ministry practicum: Church and Body of Christ

Deconstructing a social world through metaphor

Study guides to the book Christ's Body in Corinth (Fortress, 2008)

Introduction: The Price of Unity

Questions

KEY TERMS

Chapter 1: Community as “Body”

Questions

KEY TERMS

Chapter 2: Community as the “Body of Christ”

Questions

KEY TERMS

Chapter 3: Community “in Christ”

Questions

KEY TERMS

Chapter 4: The Body Politic and the Body of Christ

Questions

KEY TERMS

Chapter 5: The Life of the “Body of Christ” in First Corinthians

Questions

KEY TERMS

Chapter 6: Practicing the Diversity of Christ’s Body

Questions

KEY TERMS

A motivation to write the book ...

Movie review of Slumdog Millionaire & the "body"