Wednesday, September 17, 2025
“Ethnicity and Race: Union with the Body of Christ”
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Vol. 52 No. 4 (2025): The Gospel of Matthew in the Work of Liberation
Sunday, September 14, 2025
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Water as a Metaphor
Yung Suk Kim, PhD
I AM INTERESTED IN CROSSCULTURAL WISDOM IF ANY.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
information about my life and work
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. 
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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. 
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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. 
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Justice and the Parables of Jesus / Interpreting the Gospel Stories through Political Philosophy
Excerpts from my new book forthcoming: Justice and the Parables of Jesus / Interpreting the Gospel Stories through Political Philosophy (T&T Clark, 2026)
Monday, September 8, 2025
Sunday, August 31, 2025
"Treasures and Thorns" in Paul's Theology

Thursday, August 21, 2025
Festschrift
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.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
20th year of teaching
Many Facets of Justice
Friday, August 15, 2025
Devotionals
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Two revolutionary books?
Friday, August 1, 2025
도덕경 명상집 (3종1세트) 무료공개
여기 성서학자가 번역하고 명상하는 도덕경 명상집이 있다.
3종1세트랄까? 도덕경 원문, 한글 번역, 그리고 짧은 명상이 한권에 담겨있다.
무료공개이다. 누구나 즐겁게 시간날 때마다 조금씩 읽어가며 자기의 명상을 추가할 수 있겠다.
공부는 스스로 해야 하고, 생각도 스스로 해야 하고, 글도 자기의 글을 써야 한다.
Monday, July 28, 2025
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Book Review of How to Read the Gospels
Never judge a book by its cover.” This was certainly true for me with Yung Suk Kim’s groundbreaking book, How to Read the Gospels: An Introduction. While waiting for the review copy to arrive, my expectations were low because I had read many introductions over the past two decades and had come to assume, ‘It will be another introduction to the Gospels.’ However, I was proven wrong. Upon opening the book and skimming through its contents, I found myself repeatedly thinking, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this.’
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Milestone work on Luke?
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Short Memoir: All I Have Is Now
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
The brain and a galaxy
Monday, June 30, 2025
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Justice and the Parables of Jesus
Greetings. I've just read your manuscript. Thank you! I love the structure, it hangs together well, it'll be accessible for seminarians, and it's inspiring—I think it'll encourage readers to learn more about justice and the parables. I'm very, very pleased with it. And good work on the discussion questions.
...
I'd like to discuss the title. Would you be open to that? I wonder if you'd consider this: "Justice and the Parables of Jesus: Interpreting the Gospel Stories through Political Philosophy." ... Once again, thank you for your work on this excellent manuscript. T&T Clark will be proud to publish it.
This book examines the parables of Jesus through the framework of political philosophy, focusing on the ethical question of justice: "What is the right thing to do?" It contextualizes the narratives within the socio-political landscape of first-century Palestine, highlighting how they articulate a radical vision of divine sovereignty that confronts the dominant values and juridical structures of the Roman Empire. The text offers a nuanced analysis of the multifaceted themes of justice embedded in these parables, aiming to elucidate their moral and theological complexity. Organized thematically, each chapter engages with specific parables, accompanied by analytical discussion questions designed to foster critical engagement and scholarly dialogue. Ultimately, the volume aspires to contribute to contemporary discourses on justice by providing a comprehensive interpretive framework rooted in biblical parables, serving academic audiences and informed readers interested in the ethical and political implications of Jesus’s teachings.
Popular Style Version (for marketing or back cover):
Discover what the parables of Jesus can teach us about justice and what it truly means to do the right thing. This book looks at Jesus’s stories through the lens of political philosophy, showing how they challenge the unfair systems of the Roman Empire and offer a bold vision of God's reign. Each chapter explores different parables and their lessons on justice, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Filled with thought-provoking questions, it encourages readers to reflect on how these ancient stories speak to issues of fairness and morality today. Whether you are a curious reader or a scholar, this book provides fresh insights into the power of Jesus’s teachings about justice and how we can apply them in the modern world.
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Memorable quotes from the book MIND
Daniel J. Siegel, MIND: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human (Norton, 2017).
"By mind, I mean all that relates to our subjective felt experience of being alive, from feelings to thoughts, from intellectual ideas to inner sensory immersions before and beneath words, to our felt connections to other people and our planet. And mind also refers to our consciousness, the experience we have of being aware of this felt sense of life, the experience of knowing within awareness." (1)"Mind is the essence of our fundamental nature, our deepest sense of being alive, here, right now, in this moment." (1)
"Yet beyond consciousness and its knowing within awareness of our subjective felt sense of being alive, mind may also involve a larger process, one that connects us to each other and our world. This important process is a facet of mind that may be hard to measure, but is nevertheless a crucial aspect of our lives we'll explore in great depth in the journey ahead." (1)
"Though we may not be able to quantify in numerical terms these facets of our mind at the heart of the experience of being here in this life, this intrinsically felt subjective phenomenon of living, and the ways we can feel our connections to one another and the world, are subjective phenomena that are real. These non-measurable facets of the reality of life have many names. Some call this our essence. Some call this our core, soul, spirit, or true nature. I simply call this mind." (1-2).
-The major symptoms: rigidity and chaos.
-The main solution would be integration, which is "more like a fruit salad than a smoothie" (87).
-Use bottom-up (conduit) and top-down (constructor) together in a sense of balance.
"We stop seeing clearly because we know so much." (p. 130).
"All we have is now" (p. 251).
-The concept of self-organization.
-Four facets of the mind: information processing, subjective experience, consciousness, and self-organization.
-Neuroplasticity may be improved through mindfulness, awareness, attention, and presence. The importance of awe/openness to possibilities (287).
-9 aspects of integration (p. 90--)
-8 senses
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Because we know so much

Ancient philosophers, such as Laozi and Confucius, warn against human arrogance. Confucius says: "If you know it, you know it. If you don't know it, you don't know it; that is knowledge." (Analects 2:17: 知之爲知之, 不知爲不知, 是知也).
He also notes that a wise person is flexible, just like water (Analects 6:23: 知者樂水, 知者動).
Laozi remarks that the wise person acknowledges their own ignorance and observes small things, such as dust. (Daodejing 71: 知不知上, 不知知病; also Daodejing 52: 見小曰明).
One of the early beliefs in Buddhism is anicca, 諸行無常, which means that all things are impermanent. Socrates is known for his humility, which allowed him to see clearly because he did not possess hubris.
"Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." (Eccl. 1:2; cf Gen 3:9).
*Note: The Hebrew word "hebel" (הֶבֶל) means "breath or vapor." Vanity is not the only translation of this word. The idea of "hebel" suggests that everything is transient.
Monday, June 9, 2025
Here I am, Lord!
God is love. If you ask where God is, I can say he is not in heaven alone but here and everywhere. Indeed, God is the source of our life. Wherever you go, whatever you do, God is always with you. We must be mindful of God's presence in our lives. We must feel it at every moment. God is not an idea but the power that enables us to live abundantly.
—Spanish Version—
Trabajé para una empresa llamada LG en los años 1990. Viví en Panamá con mi familia. Viajé mucho a América Latina. Me gustaba la comida, la gente y la cultura de América Latina. También disfruté viajar al Caribe. Mis hijas eran pequeñas desde los 3 a los 5 años. Viví allí durante tres años y me mudé a Miami Florida, Estados Unidos. Luego trabajé allí durante casi dos años y dejé mi trabajo para seguir una educación teológica. Entonces nuestra familia se fue a Chicago y yo estudié en el Seminario Teológico McCormick. Luego, fui a la Universidad de Vanderbilt para realizar un programa de doctorado en estudios del Nuevo Testamento.
Dios es amor. Si preguntas dónde está Dios, puedo decir que no está sólo en el cielo sino aquí y en todas partes. De hecho, Dios es la fuente de nuestra vida. Donde quiera que vayas, hagas lo que hagas, Dios siempre está contigo. Debemos ser conscientes de la presencia de Dios en nuestras vidas. Debemos sentirlo en cada momento. Dios no es una idea sino el poder que nos permite vivir en abundancia.
Monday, May 19, 2025
Sacred Tension
Book Review

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This well-written book offers fundamental yet crucial insights and interpretations of the Old Testament. It covers critical topics such as the creation story, the nature of God, and theodicy. Brown argues that Scripture should be read dialogically, respecting its diversity and dissonance. The Bible is not a single book! It contains a collection of diverse authors, crafted over a thousand years. The implication is that the reader determines the ultimate significance of the text. This book is a valuable resource for serious readers of the Bible.
2 What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? 3 As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins who shall die.In earlier times, the emphasis was on collective identity and responsibility. But in later times, the most felt need was to rebuild the community through a new covenant. For this purpose, individual empowerment and agency became significant.
View all my reviews
Saturday, May 17, 2025
summer reading
To be prolific
Visit this page for the list of my future book projects.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
See the world wider, think critically, and act boldly
Immanuel Kant
Sunday, May 4, 2025
The Burning Bush and Divine Revelation
אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה (Exod 3:14)
"I am that I am" (my translation)
The above saying characterizes me. I am that I am. I am irreplaceable by anything or anyone. I am awesome because I am God's masterpiece. I must believe it. Nothing or no one can bring me down or describe me fully or adequately. No matter what happens, God's love remains strong and unchanged. So I am that I am.
Biblical Studies and Life
Saturday, May 3, 2025
“The Samaritan as a Paragon of Self-Love and Neighborly Love (Luke 10:25-37)”
Friday, May 2, 2025
Wisdom
"Wisdom is the fusion of knowledge and experience that empowers us to navigate life's complexities, guiding us to live with insight and purpose across all cultures." (Yung Suk Kim, 2025)
"every thing changes"
“Everything changes.” (anicca, from Buddhist trad.)
הבל
“Vapor, breath” (Eccl. 1:2)
“The only constant in life is change.” (Heraclitus)
“Change is inherent to being human; the key lies in understanding and embracing it. A creative life emerges from a vortex of change.” (Yung Suk Kim)
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
AT THE INTERSECTION OF HERMENEUTICS AND HOMILETICS
This book is ideal for those who don't appreciate the same old approach to traditional interpretation or preaching that fails to consider alternative readings while pushing for a hegemonic perspective. The most salient feature of this edited volume is that multiple, diversely seasoned scholars read the same text from their critical, contextual perspectives. Sometimes, their readings converge; at other times, they diverge, often creating tension or conflict. The book includes three homiletical introductory chapters and ten transgressive readings aimed at transformational preaching.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Embrace Change
-Yung Suk Kim
Monday, April 28, 2025
The Lord's Prayer
Thursday, April 24, 2025
My Rose
I cradle its tender beauty each day,
watering it with devotion and gentle hands.
It is more than a plant; it is my love incarnate,
a soothing balm that heals my soul,
whispering secrets of hope as its floral leaves unfurl
in the embrace of each new dawn.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Finally, the manuscript was submitted
This book examines Jesus's parables through the lens of political philosophy, with a particular emphasis on the concept of justice. It poses the foundational question: "What is the right thing to do?" The parables reflect the life issues and complexities of justice in Jesus's time, offering a radical vision based on the reign of God that challenges the prevailing values and justice system of the Roman Empire.
The work explores the multifaceted theme of justice articulated through Jesus's parables, situating his teachings within the socio-political landscape of first-century Palestine. This approach seeks to uncover nuanced interpretations of justice and the moral intricacies inherent in these narratives. The book meticulously categorizes various forms of justice that resonate with the parabolic teachings: distributive, attributive, procedural, social, restorative, compensatory, retributive, global, racial, and environmental justice.
Readers can navigate through chapters aligned with their specific interests, each accompanied by thought-provoking discussion questions designed to foster critical dialogue and reflection. Ultimately, this volume aims to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and advocating for justice in the modern world, making it an essential resource for scholars, theologians, and anyone interested in the teachings of parables.
Below is an excerpt from the last paragraph of the concluding section.
Diversity characterizes how nature survives and thrives. It is crucial for understanding a world where various people and cultures coexist. This implies that no race, culture, tradition, or religion should dominate others. Truth can be discovered across multiple aspects of human life and through diverse perspectives, even when they are difficult to express. Mere differences between cultures do not automatically constitute diversity. We must learn to think collectively, respect one another, and collaborate to create a just society and a better world. Differences in cultures or religions should not be perceived as threats or taboo; instead, they should be viewed as opportunities for mutual engagement and shared learning experiences. Otherwise, cultural or religious arrogance may dominate our social and political landscapes. Ultimately, we need critically engaged diversity to foster global solidarity. While we are different, we also share a common humanity: our honor and duty to uphold and pass on to future generations.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Justice and the Parables of Jesus
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Poetry is life
I love poetry, as it reveals profound truths about myself and the world around me. Through the artistry of poetic imagination, I connect with my inner self and engage meaningfully with my environment. Poetry provides comfort; it invigorates my spirit and equips me to navigate each day with resilience. Poets unearth hidden treasures amidst chaos, finding glimmers of hope even in the darkest moments of despair.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Beautiful Afternoon
academic and practical
Saturday, April 12, 2025
NEW EDITED BOOK
Unfolding uncharted areas of interest, inquiry, or insight, they will transgress against the authoritative reading of texts, fashion hermeneutic horizon in dialogue with the text, and forge homiletic trajectories toward contemporary audiences. Without limiting interpretation to a box, this volume looks to register bold voices to perennial issues in our day. Homiletic transformation occurs through the relentless, resistant reading of the text and reimagining our world.
—William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia
“Yung Suk Kim has pursued the question of human transformation in his scholarship. In this edited volume, he invites thirteen distinguished scholars to create a creative space where transformation can occur through preaching—enacted and emboldened by transgressive readings of the Scriptures. Readers will be surprised by the surplus of meanings that flow through the art of embodied interpretation and proclamation, which profoundly engage with current sociopolitical and communal contexts. I highly recommend this book.”
—Jin Young Choi, Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester, New York