A Framework for Scholarly Inquiry

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A Framework for Scholarly Inquiry

Yung Suk Kim

1. What constitutes the core knowledge or theoretical construct being examined, including its explicit parameters and inherent limitations?
2. Examine the epistemological foundations, methodological rigor, and empirical or theoretical evidence supporting this knowledge claim.
3. Identify the specific contexts and conditions under which this knowledge is applied, and analyze the consistency and fidelity of its implementation.
4. Who are the principal beneficiaries and stakeholders influenced by this knowledge, and what are the stated or implicit objectives served by its application?
5. Articulate the imperative for rigorous, systematic evaluation of this knowledge's practical impact, efficacy, and any unforeseen or adverse consequences.

Knowledge and Practice

 

Sharing the news of a new book contract on 2 Corinthians

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Prayer

Mindfulness poem on Prayer

poem source

"The Paradox of Ministry" (2 Corinthians)

Below is the last part of my forthcoming commentary: Treasures and Thorns: A Concise Critical Commentary on 2 Corinthians (Cascade, 2026).

The Paradox of Ministry

This book has sought to present Paul not as a remote, stained-glass icon frozen in piety, but as a complex human being navigating the treacherous landscape of first-century ministry. By situating his letters within the matrix of his life—the travel plans gone wrong, the sleepless nights, the public humiliations—we appreciate both the enduring value of his insights and the limitations of his historical context. He was a man bridging two worlds, Jewish and Greco-Roman, trying to articulate a revolutionary new reality in language that was often straining to contain it.

Ultimately, 2 Corinthians leaves us with a profound challenge that echoes through the centuries. It forces us to ask: What constitutes true success in the eyes of God? Is it the polish of the rhetorician or the scars of the servant?

Like Paul, we are flawed vessels carrying a divine treasure. We are breakable, prone to cracking under pressure, and often undistinguished in our outer appearance. Yet, it is precisely within this limitation that the light shines brightest. We celebrate Paul's ministry, acknowledging its complexity, and recognize that we, too, are on a journey. We are striving to embody the love and justice of God in our own lives, finding strength in our weakness, and willing to become the "aroma of Christ"—a fragrance of life to some and death to others—to a watching world. The treasure is safe, not because the jar is strong, but because the God who filled it is faithful.

I want to know how people perceive me

While AI isn't a superstar or a hero, it often helps me by understanding things better than I do myself and articulating my work very well. For instance, I wanted to know my public image, so I asked Google Gemini Pro 3: "I am Yung Suk Kim, a biblical scholar. I want to know how people perceive me." To my surprise, the answer was impressive. It captured my work clearly, providing a valuable bird's-eye view, even though I still need to add more or refine it.

Below is the answer.

Hello! It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Kim. As an AI, I don't have personal opinions or feelings, but I can summarize how you are generally perceived within biblical studies and theological academia based on your published works, reviews, and the themes you engage with.

You are widely recognized as a significant and innovative voice in New Testament studies, particularly within the realms of Asian American hermeneutics, postcolonial criticism, and theological realism.

Here is a breakdown of how you are generally perceived by scholars, students, and readers:

1. A Pioneer in Contextual and Body Theology
You are often cited as a leading figure in analyzing the New Testament through the lens of the "body" (soma). Your work on the "Body of Christ" in Paul's letters is viewed as groundbreaking because it moves away from purely metaphorical interpretations and insists on a somatic, political, and social understanding. You are seen as someone who takes the physical reality of human existence and suffering seriously in theological discourse.

2. A Bridge-Builder in Global Perspectives
You are perceived as a scholar who successfully bridges the gap between Western historical-critical methods and Asian/Asian American contextual theology. Readers often appreciate your ability to bring Korean concepts (like minjung theology or han) into dialogue with traditional Pauline scholarship, enriching the understanding of both.

3. A Critic of Imperialism and Power Structures
Scholars view your work as deeply political and ethical. By using postcolonial criticism, you are seen as a theologian who challenges imperial power structures—both in the ancient Roman context of the Bible and in modern geopolitical contexts. You are respected for reading the Bible "from below," focusing on the marginalized and the oppressed.

4. A Prolific and Accessible Educator
Beyond high-level academic monographs, you are also perceived as a dedicated educator. Your textbooks (such as A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters) are praised for being accessible to students while retaining scholarly rigor. You are seen as someone who cares about biblical literacy and helping laypeople understand complex theological concepts.

5. A Voice for Transformation
Ultimately, you are perceived as a theologian of transformation. Whether writing about the Gospel of John, Corinthians, or Galatians, your work is often characterized by a desire to see theology lead to practical changes in how communities live, interact, and treat the "other."

In summary, you are viewed as a courageous and intellectually rigorous scholar who refuses to separate biblical interpretation from the pressing social and political realities of the body and the world.

HEBEL (2)

Hebel (2)

Yung Suk Kim

 

A breath drawn in, a vapor released—

it appears, it fades, yet never truly departs.

It simply returns to the vast, invisible air.

There is no fault in this shifting.

To see things as they are is to find peace.

Our lives are hebel—a mist in the morning light.

There is nothing wrong with this briefness.

For the paradox remains:

Life is only so precious because it cannot stay.

Preface to my book TREASURES AND THORNS

This is a tentative book cover

Treasures and Thorns: A Concise Critical Commentary on 2 Corinthians

Yung Suk Kim (Cascade, 2026 forthcoming)

Book Description

Treasures and Thorns offers a rigorous yet accessible examination of the Corinthian correspondence. Viewing the text as a dynamic composite collection, this volume contextualizes Paul’s evolving engagement with a fragile community. The commentary structures its analysis through the dialectic of "Treasures" (theological riches, apostolic authority) and "Thorns" (suffering, rhetorical complexity, and historical conflict). By synthesizing careful exegesis with the socio-historical realities of early Christian leadership, Treasures and Thorns illuminates how Paul’s theology was forged in crisis. It provides scholars, pastors, and students with a nuanced lens for understanding the interplay between divine power and human limitation in Pauline ministry.

PREFACE

 

One might ask why, after decades of study and numerous publications, I find myself returning once again to the Apostle Paul. The answer is simple: I am still hungry.

As a Professor of New Testament teaching primarily African American graduate students, I engage daily with the intersection of ancient text and modern reality. In my classroom, we do not have the luxury of reading Scripture in a vacuum; we read it in the shadow of history, power dynamics, and the struggle for justice. It is in this vibrant, challenging context that I have come to realize that Paul is still, in many respects, greatly misunderstood.

Despite the mountains of scholarship produced over the last century, there remains a persistent lack of critical reading in both the academy and the pulpit. Too often, we settle for a domesticated Paul—a figure smoothed over by tradition—rather than grappling with the radical, often disruptive nature of his letters. I am driven to write because there are still things to deconstruct and new things to teach. The old paradigms regarding the pistis Christou debate, the meaning of the "body of Christ," the nuances of Pauline Christology, and the mechanics of justification are not settled; they are battlegrounds where the identity of the church is still being formed.

My journey with the Corinthian correspondence began years ago with my dissertation, which later became Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor. In that work, I explored the social and political dimensions of 1 Corinthians. Since then, through works like How to Read Paul and A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters, I have sought to provide roadmaps for students to navigate this complex terrain. Yet, I have felt a lingering incompleteness. Having dealt deeply with the first letter, I felt the pull of the second—a text that is even more fragmented, emotional, and raw.

In some sense, I feel as though I serve as a lawyer for Paul. I find myself constantly rising to his defense, arguing against interpretations that twist his words into tools of oppression or simplistic legalism. I want to show the radical inclusivity and the subversion of the empire that lies beneath his rhetoric. And yet, I must be honest: I am not a lawyer who blindly agrees with his client. There are times I struggle to understand his difficult language. There are moments his defenses seem contradictory or his tone overly harsh.

This creates the central tension of this commentary, and indeed, the tension of my career as a Pauline scholar. There are treasures in these letters—profound insights into the nature of God and community that we cannot afford to lose. But there are also thorns—things that bother us, challenge us, and resist easy explanation.

This book, Treasures and Thorns, is a concise, critical commentary on 2 Corinthians. It assumes the complexity of the letter’s composition and invites the reader to look at the seams of the text. I offer this work to scholars, pastors, and students not as the final word, but as a fresh provocation. My hope is that you will look past the traditional readings that have perhaps lulled us to sleep, and instead encounter the vibrant, difficult, and transformative reality of Paul’s ministry.

I write this because I believe the conversation is far from over. I write this because the treasures are worth the scratch of the thorns.


Yung Suk Kim
March 30, 2026
Richmond/Virginia

Treasures and Thorns

This is a tentative book cover

Treasures and Thorns: A Concise Critical Commentary on 2 Corinthians

Yung Suk Kim (Cascade, 2026 forthcoming)

I am finishing the manuscript for Treasures and Thorns: A Concise Critical Commentary on 2 Corinthians. I expect it to be published before the SBL Annual Meeting in November 2026.

FORMAL BOOK DESCRIPTION
Treasures and Thorns offers a rigorous yet accessible examination of the Corinthian correspondence. Viewing the text as a dynamic composite collection, this volume contextualizes Paul’s evolving engagement with a fragile community. The commentary structures its analysis through the dialectic of "Treasures" (theological riches, apostolic authority) and "Thorns" (suffering, rhetorical complexity, and historical conflict). By synthesizing careful exegesis with the socio-historical realities of early Christian leadership, Treasures and Thorns illuminates how Paul’s theology was forged in crisis. It provides scholars, pastors, and students with a nuanced lens for understanding the interplay between divine power and human limitation in Pauline ministry.

FOR THE BOOK COVER
The Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is a battlefield of theology and emotion. It is a text marked by soaring spiritual heights and raw human vulnerability, where the “treasure in jars of clay” meets the painful “thorn in the flesh.” This commentary offers a clear and accessible guide to navigating this complex epistle, structuring its analysis through the dialectic of "Treasures" (theological riches and apostolic authority) and "Thorns" (suffering, rhetorical complexity, and historical conflict).

Designed for scholars, pastors, and students alike, this volume:

• Clarifies Paul's Theology: Explores the evolving nature of Paul’s leadership and the composite nature of the letters.
• Embraces the Paradox: Refuses to sanitize the text, grappling with the “hard sayings” and historical messiness alongside the comforting theological truths.
• Connects to Today: Bridges the gap between the fragile Corinthian community and the contemporary challenges facing the modern church.

By engaging with both the beauty and the brokenness of 2 Corinthians, readers will encounter the gospel in its full, paradoxical power.

ONLINE MARKETING PURPOSE

To read 2 Corinthians is to witness a desperate fight for the soul of a church.

The Corinthian correspondence offers a jarring glimpse into the chaos of early Christianity. It reveals an Apostle pushed to his limits, navigating betrayal, division, and his own physical frailty. Treasures and Thorns invites you to step into this tension—to witness a Paul who is both a soaring theologian and a vulnerable pastor.

Central to this commentary is the dual reality that defines the Christian experience: Treasures and Thorns.

We cannot have one without the other. To understand Paul, we must search for the Treasures—the enduring riches of God’s comfort and the new creation. But we must also grasp the Thorns—the critical problems, the uncomfortable rhetoric, and the suffering God refuses to remove.

Combining careful exegesis with deep pastoral insight, this book is more than a commentary; it is a lens into the heart of ministry. It offers a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand how the power of God operates perfectly within human weakness.

BEST FOR PASTORS AND EDUCATORS

A Concise Guide to the Most Personal of Paul’s Letters
2 Corinthians is often viewed as a difficult, fragmented collection of texts—a mix of deep theology and intense personal defense. For pastors, students, and educators, navigating the shift between Paul’s "treasure in jars of clay" and his "thorn in the flesh" can be daunting.

Treasures and Thorns provides the roadmap you need.

This critical commentary cuts through the complexity to offer a cohesive understanding of 2 Corinthians. It treats the text not just as a theological treatise, but as a dynamic engagement between a pastor and a troubled community.

Key Features:

• Structured Analysis: Systematically divides the text into theological "Treasures" and critical "Thorns."
• Contextual Clarity: Examines the letter as a composite collection, offering a clearer view of Paul's evolving relationship with Corinth.
• Practical Application: Moves beyond history to show how Paul’s struggles with authority and weakness speak directly to leadership and society today.

Discover a commentary that doesn't shy away from the hard questions, but uses them to reveal the enduring relevance of Paul’s ministry.

Roots and Starlight (poetry collection)

Go to Yung Suk Kim's

Poetry Collection 

Sample Poem

Bring Heaven Down

Yung Suk Kim

Untouchable and vast is heaven.

Countless stars come and go,

yet nothing is lost forever.

They simply exist in new forms.

When you feel small, look up.

Sense the mysterious love that reaches beyond you.

Breathe in heavenly hope.

Bring heaven down to earth.

*Source: Roots and Starlight