Product Description In the Hebrew Bible, various aspects of theism exist though monotheistic faith stands out, and the New Testament largely continues with Jewish monotheism. This Element examines diverse aspects of monotheism in the Hebrew Bible and their implications to others or race relations. Also, it investigates monotheistic faith in the New Testament writings and its impact on race relations, including the work of Jesus and Paul's apostolic mission. While inclusive monotheism fosters race relations, exclusive monotheism harms race relations. This Element also engages contemporary biblical interpretations about the Bible, monotheistic faith, and race/ethnicity. Review In the Hebrew Bible, various aspects of theism exist though monotheistic faith stands out, and the New Testament largely continues with Jewish monotheism. This Element examines diverse aspects of monotheism in the Hebrew Bible and their implications to others or race relations. Also, it investigates monotheistic faith in the New Testament writings and its impact on race relations, including the work of Jesus and Paul's apostolic mission. While inclusive monotheism fosters race relations, exclusive monotheism harms race relations. Book Description This Element examines diverse aspects of monotheism in the Hebrew Bible and their implications to others or race relations. From the Author Race relations are an increasingly important topic - more now than ever before. Racism is not merely a lack of love or a deficiency of intellect, but it is a cancerous evil. On the one hand, there are myths about race or "others," and on the other, there are prejudices and animosity against different races and cultures. People often categorize others, based on race or ethnicity, and rank them by their intellect or culture. Racism begins with a notion that human races are discernibly distinct or differentiated and that some races are superior to others. But this notion is an illusion because dividing lines between races are ambiguous or unscientific.1 Excellence in human capacity or virtue is widespread among different races or cultures. What constitutes excellence in humans or culture is a matter of debate. No single standard or factor can determine a person or culture's excellence. Humans have existed for a long time and maintained diverse cultures, living in many regions of the world. So, naturally, their looks and culture have been differentiated, but these differences should not overthrow the singularity of humans who share more similarities than differences. Given the common humanity of homo sapiens, while we look different and think differently, we can seek the common causes of justice, peace, and prosperity. In the story of Genesis, God blesses humans and invites them to be fruitful and to multiply so that they may live fully in wider, different places.2 God's design for humanity is diversity, not homogeneity. Against God's wish, as the episode of the Tower of Babel shows (Gen 11:1-9), people did not scatter but gathered to make a big city, speaking one language. This episode sheds new light on how people must think about race or ethnicity. That is, race, ethnicity, or culture should not be a hiding place or a haven where people stay together among themselves only without engaging others. Race or culture matters not because it is the source of identity or pride but because it is an expression of diversity in God's creation. Like a flowing stream or river, race or ethnicity must be the concept of flexibility that engages otherness and other people. In doing so, people in any culture or ethnicity may learn from others. Since no humans are perfect, they need to help one another, learning from others, while maintaining both the singularity of human character and the diversity of culture.

Monotheism, Biblical Traditions, and Race Relations (Elements in Religion and Monotheism)

Religion & Spirituality

Kim, Yung Suk

Religious Studies

Cambridge University Press

Yung Suk Kim takes up the language of "body" that infuses 1 Corinthians, Paul's most complicated letter, and the letter that provides us the most information, and poses the sharpest questions, about social realities in the early church. Kim argues against the view that in speaking of the church as Christ's body Paul seeks to emphasize unity and the social boundary. Against the conventional rhetoric of the "body politic" in Greco-Roman philosophy, Kim argues that Paul seeks rather to nourish the vitality of a diverse community and to criticize the ideology of a powerful in-group in Corinth, a message of particular importance for contemporary global Christianity.

Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Paul in Critical Contexts)

Literature & Fiction

Fortress Press

The first part of the book includes nature poems based on the spirit of the Tao Te Ching and deals with things in nature: water, river, sea, earth, dust, mountain, flower, forest, rock, heaven, wind, and etc. The second part contains background commentaries about the poems.

You Are Dust (Poetry in Korean): Poetry Based on the Tao Te Ching (Korean Edition)

Poetry

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

In A Transformative Reading of the Bible Yung Suk Kim raises critical questions about human transformation in biblical studies. What is transformation? How are we transformed when we read biblical stories? Are all transformative aspects equally valid? What kind of relationships exists between self, neighbor, and God if transformation is involved in these three? Who or what is being changed, or who or what are we changing? What degree of change might be considered ""transformative""? Kim explores a dynamic, cyclical process of human transformation and argues that healthy transformation involves three kinds of transformation: psycho-theological, ontological-theological, and political-theological transformation. With insights gained from phenomenological studies, political theology, and psychotheology, Kim proposes a new model for how to read the Bible transformatively, as he dares to read Hannah, Psalm 13, the Gospel of Mark, and Paul as stories of transformation. The author invites Christian readers, theological educators, and scholars to reexamine the idea of transformation and to engage biblical stories from the perspective of holistic human transformation. ""This book offers a rare contribution. Many biblical scholars dabble in theology or spirituality, but Yung Suk Kim sets forth a holistic understanding of human transformation along with a series of focused studies that embody his approach in enlightening ways."" --Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament, Lancaster Theological Seminary ""Transformation has become a buzzword in Christian discourse. We are sure we are in favor of it, but we are not altogether sure what 'it' is. Yung Suk Kim not only gives clear content to the familiar term, he shows us how an imaginative reading of the Bible can be an instrument of positive transformation."" --David Bartlett, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School ""A Transformative Reading of the Bible is an insightful and intriguing interdisciplinary study about human transformation theory and how it can contribute to biblical interpretation. True transformation is circular and perpetual and impacts every aspect of one's existence. Kim's holistic approach considers the complexity of human experience. This little-but-impactful book should be read by biblical scholars, graduate students, and anyone interested in a transformative approach to reading Scripture."" --Mitzi J. Smith, Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies, Ashland Theological Seminary, Detroit Center Yung Suk Kim is Associate Professor of New Testament at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University in Richmond. Kim is the author of three books: Christ's Body in Corinth (2008); A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters (2011); and Biblical Interpretation (2012). Kim is editor of the Journal of Bible and Human Transformation.

A Transformative Reading of the Bible

Wipf and Stock

About the Contributor(s): Yung Suk Kim is Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University in Richmond. Kim is the author of Christ's Body in Corinth (2008), A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters (2011), Biblical Interpretation (2013), and A Transformative Reading of the Bible (2013). Kim is editor of the Journal of Bible and Human Transformation.

Truth, Testimony, and Transformation

Kim raises a perennial question about Jesus: How can we approach the historical Jesus? Kim proposes to interpret him from the perspective of the dispossessed--through the eyes of weakness. Exploring Jesus' experience, interpretation, and enactment of weakness, understanding weakness as both human condition and virtue, Kim offers a new portrait of Jesus who is weak and strong, and empowered to bring God's rule, replete with mercy, in the here and now. Arguing against the grain of tradition that the strong Jesus identifies with the weak, Kim demonstrates that it is the weak Jesus who identifies with the weak. The paradoxical truth with Jesus is: "Because he is weak, he is strong." In the end, Jesus dies a death of paradox that reveals both his ultimate weakness that demands divine justice, and his unyielding spirit of love for the world and truth of God.

Messiah in Weakness: A Portrait of Jesus from the Perspective of the Dispossessed

Cascade Books

Yung Suk Kim raises a perennial question about Jesus: How can we approach the historical Jesus? Kim proposes to interpret him from the perspective of the dispossessed--through the eyes of weakness. Exploring Jesus's experience, interpretation, and enactment of weakness, understanding weakness as both human condition and virtue, Kim offers a new portrait of Jesus who is weak and strong, and empowered to bring God's rule, replete with mercy, in the here and now. Arguing against the grain of tradition that the strong Jesus identifies with the weak, Kim demonstrates that it is the weak Jesus who identifies with the weak. The paradoxical truth with Jesus is: ""Because he is weak, he is strong."" In the end, Jesus dies a death of paradox that reveals both his ultimate weakness that demands divine justice, and his unyielding spirit of love for the world and truth of God. ""A timely intervention of public biblical interpretation. Yung Suk Kim's interpretation of Jesus provides a much-needed intervention in our current cultural moment. A society determined to assert its power naturally seeks a Jesus who affirms its striving; Kim names such theologies idolatrous and demonstrates how Jesus brought transformation out of his own weakness. Acknowledging that we are all weak, he reasons, we can live in solidarity with the rest of humanity."" --Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament, Lancaster Theological Seminary ""In Messiah in Weakness, Dr. Kim presents the intriguing and engaging contextualized proposition that Jesus of Nazareth embodied both weakness and strength. Expanding the conceptualization of weakness, Kim convincingly demonstrates how Jesus, through his ministry of teaching and healing and his suffering/crucifixion, enacted weakness, advocating for the weak. Reading through the decolonizing lens of weakness, Kim guides readers along a path paved with history of interpretation, adept literary analysis, contextual theology, and cultural and contemporary relevance."" --Mitzi J. Smith, Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies, Ashland Theological Seminary/Detroit Center Yung Suk Kim is Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University. He is the author of seven books, including Christ's Body in Corinth (2008) and Resurrecting Jesus (Cascade, 2015). He has edited two volumes: 1-2 Corinthians (2013) and Reading Minjung Theology in the Twenty-First Century (Pickwick, 2013). He is the editor of the Journal of Bible and Human Transformation and the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion.

Messiah in Weakness

Jesus cannot be domesticated! In Resurrecting Jesus Kim asks the fundamental two-prong question: "What, then, can we learn from Jesus, and how can we build on the significance of his life and work as we do theology for our day in the here and now?" Kim abandons the traditional divide between criticism and theology and argues that a solid New Testament theology can be reconstructed from a critical study of the historical Jesus. Jesus is put back into the context of first-century Judaism in Palestine. Resurrecting Jesus reexamines Jesus' life, work, death, and resurrection, giving readers -a better, clearer understanding about the historical Jesus and the New Testament writings that refer to him; -an exploration into the significance of Jesus' life, teaching, and death, based not on doctrine but on his work of God in first-century Judaism and Palestine; and -a redefinition of New Testament theology that is a process of discerning and engaging the historical Jesus and the New Testament writings.

Resurrecting Jesus

Biblical Interpretation

Description: Yung Suk Kim asks important questions in Biblical Interpretation: Why do we care about the Bible and biblical interpretation? How do we know which interpretation is better? He expertly brings to the fore the essential elements of interpretation--the reader, the text, and the reading lens--and attempts to explore a set of criteria for solid interpretation. While celebrating the diversity of biblical interpretation, Kim warns that not all interpretations are valid, legitimate, or healthy because interpretation involves the complex process of what he calls critical contextual biblical interpretation. He suggests that readers engage with the text by asking important questions of their own: Why do we read? How do we read? and What do we read? Endorsements: ""Kim analyzes the process of biblical interpretation with provocative accent. While acknowledging the value of historical-critical and literary-narrative contributions, Kim privileges the reader-response dimension. His contribution is distinctive in its depth analysis of the interplay between the interpreter and the text. He takes account of the expected diversity of interpretation, given the diverse storied-life experiences of interpreters. . . . The book is an enriching, collateral resource for graduate-level courses on biblical interpretation."" --Willard Swartley, Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary ""In this compelling introduction to the dynamics of biblical interpretation, Yung Suk Kim builds on established methods of interpretation to promote new strategies of reading, in which the question of what the text means is bound together with questions about the identity and circumstances of readers. With sensitivity to the ethics of interpretation and the values of solidarity and diversity, this book opens a way to focus on timely interpretations of the biblical text."" --Ray Pickett, Professor of New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago ""At last, I have found the brief introduction to biblical interpretation I've been looking for! Kim clearly and succinctly lays out the issues and options; and, to encourage the reader to go deeper, he includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter. I look forward to using this book in class. . . . May this gem have a long and well-traveled life!"" --Michael Willett Newheart, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, Howard University School of Divinity ""Biblical Interpretation provides a comprehensive, hopeful, and practical vision to the reader, scholar, and preacher for understanding biblical texts in more critical and egalitarian ways. Yung Suk Kim's vision is to bring new . . . voices to the table in an effort to understand and interpret biblical texts in fresh and creative ways--ways that will make pulpit preaching a direct beneficiary of the entire process."" --James Henry Harris, Professor of Preaching and Practical Theology, Graduate School of Theology, Virginia Union University About the Contributor(s): Yung Suk Kim is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University, Richmond. He is the author of Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (2008) and A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters (Cascade 2011), and the editor of the Journal of Bible and Human Transformation.

How to Read Paul provides an incisive, yet brief, examination of Paul as a writer and theologian steeped in the cultural, intellectual, and religious crossroads of the ancient world. Through an analysis of Paul's undisputed letters, Yung Suk Kim explores and explains Paul's key theological concepts and situates them in their proper cultural context. By placing Paul in the Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman worlds that informed his thinking, this book reexamines familiar themes in his letters, such as gospel, righteousness, and faith. In so doing, How to Read Paul provides teachers, students, and interested lay readers with a clear, user-friendly portrait of the apostle, informed by a critical, yet appreciative, integration of the new perspective on Paul, emphasizing the faithfulness of Christ as well as believers' participation in Christ. The first few chapters give an overview of Paul and his letters, while the remaining chapters deal with key theological concepts and their cultural contexts. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help students focus their reading and reflection on central elements, features, and themes. How to Read Paul is an ideal textbook for both undergraduate and seminary classrooms and a helpful guide for professors, clergy, and lay readers.

How to Read Paul: A Brief Introduction to His Theology, Writings, and World

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