Vol. 52 No. 4 (2025): The Gospel of Matthew in the Work of Liberation

In the current issue of Currents in Theology and Mission, which just came out warm, there are two articles of mine: 

1) "The Light Yoke: A Paradox of Yoke, Rest, and Self-Love (Matthew 11:28-30)"; 

2) “'Getting in Front of the Text'” for Liberation and Social Transformation."

Vol. 52 No. 4 (2025): The Gospel of Matthew in the Work of Liberation (link)

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Water as a Metaphor

Yung Suk Kim, PhD

I AM INTERESTED IN CROSSCULTURAL WISDOM IF ANY.

1. Confucius (Analects): Water as a metaphor for dynamism 

-知者樂水 (zhī zhě lè shuǐ): "The wise enjoy water."

-知者動 (zhī zhě dòng): "The wise moves."

2. Laozi (Dao De Jing): Water as a metaphor for something smooth, weak, or flexible 

-上善若水 (shǎng shàn ruò shuǐ): "The best thing is to be like water."

-守柔曰強 (shǒu róu yuē qiáng): "Keeping softness is strength."

3. Jesus (John's Gospel): Water as the source of life

-"I am the living water" (John 4:14)

information about my life and work

ChatGPT helps find some basic information about a person in the public domain. I asked about myself to see how accurate it is. It’s impressive overall. I paste the results here.

Here’s a summary of the life, work, and significance of Yung Suk Kim, a Korean-American biblical scholar, along with some of the main themes he engages with. PDF version.

⸻
Life & Background
• Yung Suk Kim was born in Daegu, South Korea. 
• Education:
• B.A. from Kyungpook National University (1985) in South Korea. 
• M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary (1999) in the U.S. 
• Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Vanderbilt University (2006) 
• His current position: Professor of New Testament & Early Christianity at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University (VUU). 
• Beyond academia: He has traveled in Latin America during an earlier business career, which shaped his awareness of cultural diversity and solidarity. 
• Recognition: He has received awards from VUU (e.g. Scott & Stringfellow Outstanding Professor) and a presidential citation. 
⸻
Major Works & Contributions
Yung Suk Kim has published extensively. His work tends to bring together traditional biblical scholarship with concerns for transformation, justice, pluralism, and context. Here are some of his key works and what they aim to do.
• Christ’s Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (2008) — explores how Paul’s metaphor of Christ’s body in Corinth is not just theological metaphor, but has political, social implications. 
• A Theological Introduction to Paul’s Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (2011) — looks at Paul from multiple theological angles, integrating different thematic dimensions. 
• Biblical Interpretation: Theory, Process and Criteria (2013) — reflects on how we read biblical texts, what methods, assumptions, and criteria should guide interpretation. 
• A Transformative Reading of the Bible: Explorations of Holistic Human Transformation (2013) — emphasizes how biblical texts can be read in ways that lead to transformation, both personal and societal. 
• Truth, Testimony, and Transformation: A New Reading of the “I Am” Sayings of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel (2014) — focuses on important sayings of Jesus in John and their meaning for witness, identity, transformation. 
• Toward Decentering the New Testament (2018, co-authored with Mitzi J. Smith) — a project to shift some of the dominant axes of New Testament scholarship to include marginalized voices, different interpretative lenses, decentering certain assumptions. 
• How to Read Paul: A Brief Introduction to his Theology, Writings, and World (2021) — more accessible, aimed at students, to open up Paul’s letters and theology in their historical, literary, ethical dimensions. 
• Monotheism, Biblical Traditions, and Race Relations (2022) — engages with how biblical monotheism and its traditions intersect with issues of race relations. 
• Most recently (2024) he published How to Read the Gospels, which introduces readers to the Gospels not only historically or literarily, but with attention to how different interpretive methods (e.g. feminist, ecological, disability, etc.) can illuminate them. 
He also edited volumes, for instance 1-2 Corinthians: Texts & Contexts (2013) and Reading Minjung Theology in the Twenty-First Century (2013) among others. 
⸻
Key Themes & Methodological Interests
From his published work and public statements, several recurring themes stand out:
1. Contextuality & Cultural Diversity
Kim believes that reading biblical texts must take into account cultural, historical, social contexts. The reader’s own identity (race, culture, social location) matters. 
2. Transformation
Not just understanding for its own sake, but how texts can help transform individuals and communities—ethical, social, personal transformation. 
3. Pluralism & Decentering
He works to challenge dominant interpretive frameworks, to include marginalized perspectives (race, geography, cultural difference), and to decenter assumptions in New Testament scholarship. 
4. Ethics & the Other
He is interested in what it means to live with others, to attend to difference, and how theology and biblical interpretation might foster solidarity and ethical responsibility. He draws on thinkers like Emmanuel Levinas, Paul Ricoeur, etc. 
5. Reading methods & hermeneutics
He emphasizes not simply what the texts are, but how we read them: theories, criteria, literary, historical, rhetorical, political approaches. 
6. Engagement with social issues
Ideas of race relations, power, empire, ethnicity are all part of how he approaches biblical texts—not as remote ancient documents, but as works that still have purchase for issues today. 
⸻
Significance & Impact
• Kim has contributed to making New Testament studies more accessible and socially relevant. His books like How to Read Paul and How to Read the Gospels aim to reach students and non‐specialists. 
• He adds strong voices to the movement to diversify theological scholarship—bringing in voices and methods that critique power, privilege, racial dynamics in how the Bible has been used and interpreted.
• At VUU, he is not only a scholar but a mentor and teacher; the recognition he’s received there shows his impact in academic community and in students’ lives. 

Justice and the Parables of Jesus / Interpreting the Gospel Stories through Political Philosophy

New book: a thematic, contextual study of Jesus’s parables through the lens of political philosophy. Combining historical analysis, theological insight, and discussion questions, it offers a rigorous framework for contemporary conversations about justice—ideal for scholars, clergy, and informed readers. [book link]

Excerpts from my new book forthcoming: Justice and the Parables of Jesus / Interpreting the Gospel Stories through Political Philosophy (T&T Clark, 2026)

The backbone of this new book

From a political-philosophical perspective, Jesus’s parables function less as abstract doctrinal statements and more as performative critiques and prescriptions for social ordering: they diagnose concrete injustices, invert prevailing hierarchies, and model practices—mercy, redistribution, hospitality, and accountability—that reconfigure communal relations. Drawing on juridical, economic, and familial imagery, the parables expose how power, status, and property norms produce exclusion and inequity, while articulating an alternative ethic that privileges the vulnerable and reframes obligations among neighbors, rulers, and institutions. Though not programmatic blueprints for legislation, they operate as normative interventions that reshape moral imagination and civic dispositions, enacting a "politics of justice" grounded in everyday practices and relational responsibilities.

Jesus’s parables as a radical politics of justice: stories that expose injustice, redistribute mercy, and reshape everyday relationships and responsibilities.

Driving range practice (Richmond, Virginia)

September 8, 2025 

Shorts Clip

How to treat text

"Treasures and Thorns" in Paul's Theology

In my work, pause and activity are balanced. I honor the work’s rhythm and recognize when I need rest. Rest is an opportunity for new thought; a pause doesn’t mean stopping. After spending a lot of time on a project, I take intentional breaks and return days later with renewed energy and fresh insights. After a busy summer of intensive work on my two book projects, I stepped away to pause and then moved on to another project I had worked on previously. It is about 2 Corinthians.

Festschrift

It is with distinct honor that I contribute this essay to a Festschrift celebrating the enduring legacy and scholarly contributions of Larry Welborn, a cherished friend and esteemed colleague at Fordham University.

I came up with the title for the Festschrift for Larry Welborn at Fordham University: "The Bond of Union: Kollao in 1 Cor 6:17 and the Interpretation of the Soma Christou in 1 Cor 12:27." I am writing it now.

20th year of teaching

Twenty years of unwavering dedication have driven the growth of my teaching and research. As I celebrate my twentieth year of teaching, I realized I've also written nearly twenty books and edited four volumes. Despite the challenges, life is good.

Many Facets of Justice

I received my copyedited manuscript today and submitted the revised file to the publisher. The next step is the first proofs. This book explores justice and the parables of Jesus.

Justice is multifaceted, not a single, fixed concept. It's a broad notion with diverse aspects. Distributive justice, for example, is critical during economic crises, while procedural justice becomes paramount when transparency is absent. In essence, different situations demand different forms of justice. My forthcoming book, Justice and the Parables of Jesus: Interpreting the Gospel Stories through Political Philosophy (T&T Clark, 2026), delves into ten distinct forms of justice, revealing their presence within Jesus's parables. It promises to be an insightful and engaging exploration.