Teaching

As a professor, I am not merely interested in knowledge of the past but in today's world. I must tackle issues and help people today. That is why I study and teach history, religion, and culture.

Realistically speaking, biblical interpretation is about or for today's world because while we engage with the text and the past, we don't live for the past but live in the present. Likewise, it is not about the future that is yet to come because, in fact, there is no future separated from the present.

Critical questions are essential to interpretation. You can ask anything. But don't forget to ask about yourself as much as you ask about others. Talk to yourself as much as you talk to others.

The more you know, the more you know you don't know.

More often than not, I hear people saying, "As the Bible says." Strictly speaking, it does not say. Even if you believe that way, it speaks of multiple things with multiple meanings. Rather than saying, "The Bible says," it would be better to say: "I have read this part, and my interpretation is this." Otherwise, sometimes, people may kill or destroy others in the name of the Bible or God. We should avoid all forms of biblicism (idolatry of the Bible) and naive interpretations supporting one's ego or ideology. We should not worship the Bible but honor it by interpreting it carefully, critically, contextually, and faithfully.

Academic rigor is important.
To boost academic rigor, we must be critical and self-critical. We must know what others say and critique them fairly if needed, including our own. To do this job, we must read the books and articles. 
 


Teaching Information
Courses
 
"Learning occurs when you digest the material, raise critical questions, and try to answer them through research. You need to visit interesting topics you discovered again and again. Learning is never complete." --Yung Suk Kim

First-Day Advice
I am here because of my students. I am not perfect, but my passion for teaching and student success in class has always remained the same. I care for them. I care about their learning and unlearning. I believe critical study can reshape their understanding of scripture, society, church, and humanity. Writing is an essential part of rigorous study, and it is indispensable for academic success. I will do everything I can to help them prosper. I will encourage them to learn, teaching them what they need. I will also learn from them. On the first day of class, I begin with the following:
Trust God.
Trust yourself.
Trust your instructor.
Trust each other.
Trust the process.
We are in this together.

When you feel there is no hope within you, trust God. When you think you hit the bottom of yourself, that is not the end of the story. Don't beat yourself up. Look up to heaven. Remember that you are an able student. Trust yourself. Honor your instructor, and you may learn more than you expect. Consider your peers not as competitors but as learning partners. When things go rough--through hump and bump--stay the course. Ask for help. There is always a way out if you ask. Trust the process. We are all in this together.

 

 

For a comprehensive research guide:
"Biblical Studies: Authoritative Research Guide--Oxford Bibliographies."

Some important VIDEOS (for a full list of videos of mine, go here and subscribe to my channel)
Class Discussion Materials:
Other stuff:
[FOR PC(USA) STUDENTS]
[PLAGIARISM]

[JOURNAL ABBREVIATIONS]
Abbreviations in Theology and Bib. Studies (journals) 


Open Questions for Critical Biblical Studies:
If you say that the Bible contains truth or that truth is in the Bible, what do you mean? Is there biblical truth? What is the Bible's relation to truth? In fact, the Bible is not a single book.

"Justice means all people must have basic things in their lives. Having much without sharing them with others is evil. God wants justice in society. Love without justice is not loving. Justice without love is not justice" (Yung Suk Kim).

“Truth is more than trustable knowledge; it is deeply experiential, confessional, and contextual. It should be engaged in a community that he or she lives, embodied in a world ... requires a life that engages the way.” -- Yung Suk Kim, Truth, Testimony, and Transformation: A New Reading of the "I am" Sayings in the Fourth Gospel (Cascade Books, 2013).

Biblical interpretation is understood in many different ways. The following is the definition that I came up with today (6/28/2021).









Unpublished Papers (citation required):
1. The Origin and Theology of Afterlife in Rabbinic Literature
2. Review of Suetonius' biographical Work on Nero and Tiberius
3. The Roots of Individualism
4. Politics and the Bible
5. What is Reformed Tradition?
6. Abortion: PC (USA) Case Study
8. Reevaluating Western Mission and Mission Texts: In the case of Korea in the Nineteenth Century
9. Holy City in Matthew 4:5 and 27:53


The formula of excellent work in academic Study
Excellent paper=2W1H+C⁶
[What (thesis), Why (theory), and How (method), plus 6C's: clear, critical, coherent, consistent, contextual, and creative]




-TESS: thesis, evidence, structure, and style
-Prolific writing=I+T+E (idea, time, and energy)
-Good writing is grammatically correct, syntactically clear, and stylistically beautiful.


What do you see?













 
OLD RESOURCES (no more updates)
HELPFUL BOOKS FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES

N. Clayton Croy, A Primer of Biblical Greek, Eerdmans, 1999.
Nestle-aland: Greek New Testament W/concise Dictionary (NA27th ed.)
Walter Bauer, ed. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Univ. of Chicago Press. 2001.
Sakae Kubo, Reader's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Zondervan 1975.
Bruce Metzger, Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek. Baker Academic. 1998.

S. McKenzie and S. Haynes, To Each Its Own Meaning (Westminster/John Knox, 1999)
New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Abingdon Press
Richard Soulen, Handbook of Biblical Criticism, 3rd edition. W/JKP, 2001
Daniel Patte, ed. Global Bible Commentary, Abingdon Press


Dictionary
Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 vols.), CD-ROM.

Historical-critical method (source, form, tradition-history)
Who Wrote the Bible? (Richard Friedman)
The World of Ancient Israel: Sociological, Anthropological, and Political Perspectives (ed. R.E. Clements)
Reading the Old Testament (John Barton)
Old Testament Interpretation: Past, Present and Future (ed. James Mays)
Prolegomena to the History of Ancient Israel (Wellhausen)
Form Criticism of the Old Testament (Gene Tucker)
The Legends of Genesis: The Biblical Saga and History (Hermann Gunkel, 2003)
Rediscovering the Traditions of Israel (Douglas Knight)
A History of Pentateuchal Traditions (Martin Noth)

Redaction criticism
Four Gospels, One Jesus? A Symbolic Reading.
Synopsys of the Four Gospels ( English-only text)
What is Redaction Criticism? (Norman Perrin)
History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (Louis Martyn)
Mark the Evangelist: Studies in the Redaction History of the Gospel (Willi Marxen)
Four Other Gospels: Shadows on the Contours of Canon (John Dominic Crossan)
A Theology of Q (Richard Edward)
The Theology of the Gospel according to Thomas (Bertil E. Gartner)

Social-scientific criticism
A Home for the Homeless (John Elliott)
Sects and Society (Bryan Wilson)
Kingdom and Community (John Gager)
The Social World of Luke-Acts: Models for Interpretation (Jerome Neyrey, ed.)
The First Urban Christians (Wayne Meeks)
Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity (Gerd Theissen)
The Social Setting of Pauline Christianity: Essays on Corinth (Paperback)
The Social Construction of Reality (Peter Berger & Luckmann)
Community and Gospel in Luke-Acts (Philip Esler)

Canonical Criticism
From Sacred Story to Sacred Text (James Sanders)
Canon and Community (James Sanders)
Old Testament Theology in a Canonical Context (Brevard Childs)
Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture (Brevard Childs)
Between Text and Community: The "Writings" in Canonical Interpretation (Donn F. Morgan)

Rhetorical criticism
The Art of Rhetoric (Aristotle). Loeb Classical Library. HUP. 1926.
Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah (Phyllis Trible)
Jeremiah: A Study in Ancient Hebrew Rhetoric (Jack Lundbom)
New Testament Interpretation through Rhetorical Criticism (George Kennedy)
Prophecy and Persuasion (Yehoshua Gitay)
The Dialogic Imagination (Mikhail Bakhtin)
The Diatribe and Paul's Letter to the Romans (Stanley Stowers)
Gender and Difference in Ancient Israel (ed. Peggy Day)
A Reading of Romans: Justice, Jews, and Gentiles (Stanley Stowers)
Reading between Texts: Intertextuality and the Hebrew Bible (ed. Danna N. Fewell)
Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel (Michael Fishbane)

Structural criticism
Religious Dimensions in Biblical Texts: Greimas's Structural Semiotics and Biblical Exegesis (Daniel Patte)
Structural Exegesis for the New Testament Critics (Daniel Patte)

Narrative Criticism
On Story-Telling: Essays in Narratology (Mieke Bal)
Narrative in the Hebrew Bible (David Dunn and Danna Fewell)
What is Narrative Criticism? (Mark Allan Powell)
Exploring the Texture of Texts: A Guide to Socio-Rhetorical Interpretation (Vernon Robbins)
Reading Mark, Engaging the Gospel (David Rhoads)

Reader-response criticism
The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response (Wolfgang Iser)
Let the Reader Understand: Reader-Response Criticism and the Gospel of Mark (Robert Fowler)
Literary Criticism and the Gospels: The Theoretical Challenge (Stephen Moore)

Post-structural criticism
Of Grammatology (Jacques Derrida)
Derrida and Biblical Studies (Semeia 23, 1982)
Poststructuralist Criticism and the Bible: Text/History/Discourse (Semeia 51, 1990).

Feminist criticism
Discovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context (Carol Meyers)
"Feminist Criticism in the Garden: Inferring Genesis 2-3," Semeia 41 (1988): 67-84.
Feminist Perspectives on Biblical Scholarship (ed. Adela Y. Collins)
The Women's Bible Commentary (eds. Carol Newsom, Sharon Ringe)
The Bible and Feminist Hermeneutics. Semeia 28 (1983).
"The Effects of Women's Studies on Biblical Studies," Journal for the Study of Old Testament 22 (1992).

Ideological criticism
Biblical Hermeneutics: Toward a Theory of Reading in the Production of Meaning (J.S. Croatto)
Decolonizing the Biblical Studies (Fernando F. Segovia)

Post-colonial criticism
Postcolonial Reconfigurations: An Alternative Way of Reading the Bible and Doing Theology
Postcolonial Criticism and Biblical Interpretation
Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World
Return to Babel: Global Perspectives on the Bible
Postcolonial Imagination And Feminist Theology (Kwok Pui Lan)
Postcolonial Feminist Interpretation of the Bible (Musa Dube)

Bart D. Ehrman. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to Early Christian Writings. 3rd edition. London & New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 2004.
This book is one of the best introductory textbooks focused on a literary and historical introduction to the New Testament. Plainly written and easy-to-follow book with various helpful summary boxes. The only weak point is its lack of diversity in a theological introduction. However, I strongly recommend this book for a historical, literary introduction to the NT.

The New Interpreter's Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version With the Apocrypha (Hardcover) Ed. Walter J. Harrelson. Abingdon Press.
This Study Bible is a show of mainline Protestant scholars' interpretation focused on "forensic" understanding of salvation, evil, and sin on the one hand and two-step ethical approach (indicative to imperative; become what you are) on the other. This study bible takes on an "objective" reading of the text heavily drawing on historical background and author-centered meaning location in what typically known as an "exegetical" mind-set. This kind of scholarship therefore can be contrasted with Global Bible Commentary or Women's Bible Commentary because of the latter shifts to a more readers-oriented meaning along with a more complex dimension of meaning production.

Gerd Theissen. Fortress Introduction to the New Testament (Paperback)
Theissen's Introduction to NT is quite helpful in understanding NT communities' social location and their identity struggle within the communities and outside of it. By and large, his view of Jesus is "wandering Charismatic" movement in a "reforming" sense of Judaism while his view of Paul is "love patriarchalism" by which Pual is viewed as a social conservative. This scholar's stance is rooted in the sociological, historical understanding of the text, and the community.

The Women's Bible Commentary - expanded (Paperback) Eds. Carol Newsom and Sharon Ringe. W/JKP.
The collection of women scholars' essays on each book of the Bible gives us a tremendous resource of women's interpretations of the scripture, based on women's experience and critiques on androcentric scholarship. This book is a must companion to theological students who are studying scripture seriously in the modern context of struggle within the church, society, and the world.

Global Bible Commentary. Ed. Daniel Patte. Abingdon. Read some introductory articles on the web of GBC.

This commentary just published in 2005 is a remarkable resource through which students are led to a diversity of interpretive choices on the text in view of readers' social, cultural, political, religious life contexts. Thus, this book that deals with 66 biblical books has prominent global scholars who write each commentary. It is easy to follow and deep in its ethical commitment and responsibility. This is a MUST reading for all students who are concerned with interpretation in the modern world.

Synopsys of the Four Gospels Completely Revised on the Basis of the Greek Text of the Nestle Aland (English-only text) (Hardcover). by Kurt Aland (Editor). This synopsis of the Four Gospels gives you a sense of comparative texts in one view (with four columns). This is English-only text with helpful textual footnotes.

Aune, David, ed. The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study. Michigan: Eerdmans, 2001. [Review of scholarship]
Carter, Warren. Matthew and the Margins: A Sociopolitical and Religious Reading. New York: Orbis, 2000. [Socio-historical and marginal reading]
Davies, W. D. and D. C. Allison, Jr. Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, Vol.1,| 2,| 3. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark, 1988. [literary-historical]
Patte, Daniel. The Gospel of Matthew: A Contextual Introduction for Group Study. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003. [Methods]
Wainwright, Elaine M. Shall We Look for Another? A Feminist Reading of the Matthean Jesus. New York: Orbis, 1998. [Feminist]
Senior, Donald. What are They Saying about Matthew? Revised version. N.Y: Paulist Press, 1996. [Review of scholarship]
--------. The Gospel of Matthew. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.
Neyrey, Jerome H. Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1998. [Social science, cultural anthropology]
Kingsbury, Jack. Matthew as Story, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1988. [Narrative]
Powell, Mark Allan. Chasing the Eastern Star: Adventures in Biblical Reader Response Criticism. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 2001. [Reader response]
Patte, Daniel, ed. Global Bible Commentary. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004. [Scriptural Criticism]
Susanne Scholz. Biblical Studies Alternatively: An Introductory Reader.



Korean American Studies (a collection of books)
East to America: Korean American Life Stories Elaine Kim and Eui-Young Yu
Changes and Conflicts: Korean Immigrant Families in New York Pyong Gap Min
Caught in the Middle: Korean Merchants in America's Multiethnic Cities
The Korean Americans: New Americans Won Moo Hurh
The Social Origins of Korean Immigrants to the United States from 1965 to the Present In-Jin Yoon
Korean American Women: From Tradition to Feminism Young I. Song
The Korean Frontier in America: immigration to Hawaii 1896-1910 Wayne Patterson
Blue Dreams Nancy Abelmann and John Lie
Bridge-Makers and Cross-Bearers: Korean American Women and the Church.
Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood. Richard Kim
Korean Preaching: An Interpretation Jung Young Lee
The Korean Americans: The Immigrant Experience Brian Lehrer
The Korean American Dream Kyeyoung Park
Struggle to Be the Sun Again Hyun Kyung Chung
Marginality: The Key to Multicultural Theology Jung Young Lee

RESOURCES FOR CRITICAL STUDIES
Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor
[there are multiple reviews]

"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" -- The Bible Today

"Kim's thesis must be taken seriously as a basis for current church life. As indicated in his description of the apocalyptic body, we are moving toward a universal faith community that will incorporate diversities in the Christic body." -- Brethren Life and Thought

A Transformative Reading of the Bible: Explorations of Holistic Human Transformation
"Kim has produced an insightful and thought-provoking work. He has considered from a variety of angles (theology, philosophy, psychology) concepts that have become "buzz words," especially in churches: "transformative" leadership and education. The book will help preachers and teachers to be more self-conscious in their use of the Bible in "transformative" ways. This book, then, could helpfully be used in seminary classes in biblical introduction, religious education, or preaching."
--Michael Newheart, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology

Biblical Interpretation: Theory, Process, and Criteria
Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)

"I found myself highly informed and impressed by the vast array of ideas and thoughts applied to biblical interpretation. Kim should be congratulated for creating an excellent introduction for understanding theory, process, and criteria for critical contextual biblical interpretation." ---Review of Biblical Literature

A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul
Kim's unique perspective on the necessity of participation by the three aspects of God, Christ, and believer is a refreshing take on Pauline theology. His methodology is clear and well executed. He successfully illustrates the necessity of the believer's participation in Pauline theology. For the Pauline scholar, Kim brings a fresh take not only to the study of Pauline theology but also to the theme of imitation in Paul. Overall, his monograph is scholarly yet accessible; it could be well used in pastoral contexts. -- Review of Biblical Literature

Resurrecting Jesus: The Renewal of New Testament Theology
"Kim's work is well organized, easy to read, and written with passion. He often advances positions and moves forward without giving detailed arguments for them, but he provides sufficient documentation to the reader in scholarly literature for those who are interested in studying the pros and cons for his stance. This documentation mostly negates one criticism I had of his work: that he tries to do too much in too few pages. Also, this reviewer appreciates Kim's transparency in stating his positions openly and clearly, alerting the reader through excellent organization to the flow of the argument. Finally, how unique and different is his "alternative approach" to doing New Testament theology (xii, 23, 108)? Whether fresh and new or merely a different approach, Kim's work would be useful for reflective reading in a Christology course to give students variety in their studies of the historical Jesus and New Testament theology." --from Review of Biblical Literature 06/2018

"In this slender volume, Kim has shown how to bring together historical inquiry, historical-critical exegesis, and religious studies in service of New Testament theology. The historical-critical interpretations Kim presents are standard fare in New Testament studies; no one will be surprised by them, though undoubtedly interpreters will take exception with some of them. Kim's contribution is bringing these conclusions to bear on the task of New Testament theology. Kim repairs the link between the historical Jesus and New Testament ethics that is sometimes severed by the texts of the New Testament as he factors the concerns of the contemporary reader into his interpretation of those texts. Nevertheless, while this small volume will not resolve the debates concerning the starting(Jesus or the texts?) and ending (the texts or contemporary concerns?) points of NewTestament theology, it should become an important conversation starter for those discussions." ---Review of Biblical Literature (12/2018)

Messiah in Weakness: A New Portrait of Jesus from the Perspective of the Dispossessed
Asian American Theological Forum


CHRIST'S BODY IN CORINTH (Reviews at Fortress)
For Kim, valuing diversity, difference, inclusion, and solidarity is an ethical priority. His critiques of standard interpretations of Paul's metaphor of the body of Christ are thus ethically grounded. He rejects the "ecclesiological organism approach" because "it leaves no room for taking into account marginalized voices or diversity" (p. 30). He finds that other standard approaches to the metaphor of the body of Christ, including what he terms "the christological approach" and the "corporate solidarity approach," fall short of his goal of an ethically multicultural nterpretation that makes room for interreligious dialogue. --- Jennifer A. Glancy, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 74 no 2 Ap 2012, p 378-379. 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. --Donald Senior, The Bible Today, 47(2) p.141. (Mar-Apr 2009). "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)." -- Reviewed by David Wenham, Journal for the Study of the New Testament 32.5 (2010): 94-97. a 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 I appreciate it. I admit his critique of the book's length (slender volume) and less-connectedness of the pictures 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 not to state a main thesis of the book at all; in his review is there no summary or main argument of the book. A typical way of being fair to any book review is to write main points and development of the book, and then to evaluate it critically. But he skipped this part of being fair to the book; instead, he himself becomes ideologically driven, hastily and vehemently rejecting the idea of diversity even without looking at the main argument of the body metaphor that this book argues. 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 or not the community is bounded 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 In Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Fortress Press Minneapolis, 2008), Yung Suk Kim addresses those who inhabit the margins of the global church. British churches in urban neighbourhoods often find they have much in common with the global church’s many theological positions and ecclesiological contexts. This short analysis of Paul’s metaphor of the Body of Christ might illuminate their experience of unity as part of the global church. Kim asks, how does this metaphor inform our understanding of unity and diversity? Paradoxically, unity leads to divisiveness, whilst diversity leads to unity. '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.' (Page 4) Kim argues the Gospels’ radical commitment is to those marginalised by state or church. So, there must be a paradoxical co-existence of competing truths. Paul's goal in his first letter to the Corinthian churches is therefore not unity but reconciliation. 'Being united in the same mind and the same purpose is not a matter of belonging to an ecclesiological body, but rather is a matter of having a mind and purpose framed by the same gospel that does not empty the cross of Christ of its power.' (Page 74) The metaphor of the Body of Christ is not the assembled church so much as the broken body of Christ on the cross. The cross is fundamental to what Paul means by the Body of Christ. Crucifixion was for slaves, the marginalised and the poor. The problem in Corinth was the perception of unity as between leaders, rather than as the solidarity of the most marginal people. Through Jesus’ death, God identifies with the lowest in society. 'How could we believe that Paul would disregard the experiences of the most vulnerable, the slaves and victims of the Empire, when he talks about Christ crucified? How could we believe that the same Paul who made the cross central to his message would side with the hegemonic body politic based on the Stoic ideal of unity? It appears, to the contrary, that the image of Christ crucified deconstructs society's wisdom, power and glory.' (Page 53) Unity is not drawing boundaries between those who believe correctly and those who do not. Rather it is solidarity between those who know the crucified Christ and bear his scars. It is not formal ecumenical talks that matter, but the wider oikoumene. 'Instead, Paul identifies himself with the most foolish people: "[W]hen slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day" (1 Cor 4:13). Paul's sarcasm represents a rhetoric of protest against the dominant oppressive systems of the world; systems that suffocate the powerless and make them hungry.' (Page 36) To identify with the marginalised is to be engaged with the world as it is, to choose to live on the knife edge. This diversity enables all who believe to subject their beliefs to debate with others. The aim is commitment to each other despite our differences. The complexities of the world demand a complex and diverse church in response. As churches work for transformation, they need the diverse insights of a diverse church. Book review source: Churches Together in England. Lawrence Garcia Reviews Yung Suk Kim’s “Christ’s Body In Corinth: The Politics of A Metaphor” February 17, 2012 QUOTE: For those on whom it is being imposed, “unity” can be an ominous word. After all, history has proven such words—unity, concord, and harmony—are usually employed ideologically by the social elite upon the marginal, a sort of rhetorical tool in the ideological tool belt of those situated at the pinnacle of power. Ancient statesmen and philosophers like Cicero and Seneca— Rome’s ruling elite—wrote about homonoia (concord) in which everyone was to do their part within the empire by helping to maintain the status quo; the radical social division between rich and poor, free and enslaved, male and female. Was Paul’s “Body of Christ” metaphor analogous to the concept of homonia? Did Paul develop this image of the Christological body as a way to promote an ideology that served to maintain their positions of power? No, says Yung Suk Kim in his book titled Christ’s Body In Corinth: The Politics of A Metaphor, a radical break from the traditional ecclesial-organic understanding of Paul’s metaphor “body of Christ.” In his book Kim argues: In the context of a deepening fragmentation of the world today, we need to embrace a different conception of community—a community of all diversity and solidarity. I believe such a conception is available in Paul’s new imagination of the body of Christ as a collective participation in Christ crucified. In that community, 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. However, if Paul’s metaphor is going to take on new relevance, the vulnerabilities in the traditional ways we have understood Paul’s body image will have to be exposed. To this end, Kim deals head-on with both the “organic unity” approach that often results in the silencing of the marginal by trumpeting the social-norms of the “hegemonic voices” in the community, and the “corporate solidarity” approach which has a “broader conception of community,” but still fails in alleviating the plight of those residing at the margins. What is needed is a proposal that won’t wind up being the functional equivalent to the Roman concept of homonoia, after all, the problems in the Corinthian body are because they are practicing the very social values of the wider culture—“concord.” Thus, we have to wonder how a re-affirmation of the wider GrecoRoman values actually solves the problem of abuse of the poor by the rich at Corinth. Kim writes: A new conception of community in the context of marginalization and social fragmentation requires that we imagine anew the Pauline “body of Christ” as a social site for realizing the ethical, holistic, and life-giving potentialities of Christ’s life and death. In particular, the image of Christ crucified may be seen as deconstructing powers and ideologies of wealth, status, or belonging and reconstructing the community through sacrificial love. This will likewise entail a re-sketching of the “in Christ” metaphor, not as a static boundary marker per se, but as a spatial “gathering of differences” where the “weak” in Corinth can claim a place of significance and appreciation. This theory has a practical strength to it as Paul is not just conjuring up abstract metaphors, but aiming at cruciforming concrete ways of life in Corinth. To be “in Christ” is neither mystical nor existential, but a manner of life that participates and identifies with those—“the not many mighty” in Corinth for whom Christ has died. Such a reading actually addresses the problems we see cropping up throughout the Corinthian correspondence: ideological power struggles linked either to Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ; the freedom touting that caused the weaker in Corinth to fall; and the exclusion of the marginal by the rich at communal meals, and especially, at the Eucharist. So, far from solidifying the existing hierarchies in Corinth, Paul’s “body of Christ” metaphor urges the strong to practice an active identification with the marginalized in Corinth for whom God identified himself with at Calvary. Among the many volumes in the Paul In Critical Contexts series, Kim’s proposal is one of the most plausible re-imaginings of Paul and his writings. It both lays bare our often uncritical use of the “body of Christ” metaphor which if used to maintain ideological or social hierarchy in the church can actually rub against Paul’s reason for employing it. And if allowed to do its deconstruction/reconstruction of how we understand Paul’s term we will certainly witness an improvement in the way the wealthy and powerful in our churches relate with the lowly and weak, crystalizing Paul’s grand vision of a new creation at last. UNQUOTE ---From Lawrence Garcia Blog



Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)