Asian Contextual Theology for the Third Millennium

Theology of Minjung in Fourth-Eye Formation

Paul S. Chung, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Kim Kyoung-Jae, Chung, Karkkainen

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9781498276238
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

In this volume, an attempt is undertaken to highlight the genesis, progress, and transformation of Asian contextual theology of minjung, introducing its historical point of departure, its development, and its transformation in light of younger Korean and Korean American scholars' endeavors. In this regard, the new Asian contextual theology, which is emerging, strives to integrate both minjung and the wisdom of World Religions into its own framework and direction, assuming the character of a public theology and remaining humble and open before God's mystery while featuring its association with minjung in a holistic way.

part i

Asian Contextual Theology and Minjung Praxis

1

Christian Theology and Its Participation in the Social Historical Realm*

Kim Chai-Choon

The ancient Greeks developed an aristocratic philosophy that tended to conceptualize reality as it appeared. In this manner, they taught and educated themselves. In contrast, the Hebrews sought to discern and know the will of God before they thought about it and obeyed it. For instance, the Ten Commandments deal with the relationship with God first and then with parents and neighbors. In the Decalogue there is no such thing as Socrates’ dictum, “know thyself.” In addition, Confucianism offered the fundamental teaching of Eastern Asian ethics in terms of human relationships.

The Greeks were interested in metaphysical truth that transcends history, while the Hebrews were concerned with historical events, interested in completing the will of God who acts in history. The Confucianists, however, were concerned with ethical conduct and behavior, such that they developed a system of filial ethics. These ethics were focused on interpersonal ethics among human beings and close relatives and then they were extended to developing the ethics of the ruler and the ruled. Although personal loyalty was a basic virtue in Confucian ethics, the sense of historical consciousness remained ambivalent, since they were less concerned with the social-democratic ethics of justice and equality.

1. When we examine the divine revelations given to Israel, we come to know that God’s plan and economy always related to the historical meaning in the life setting of Israel. The creation account is the first example of this. God created the heavens and the earth and everything visible and invisible in it, and finally made Adam and Eve in God’s image. Then God commanded human beings to subdue the earth and gave a mandate for them to take care of all the creatures. This indicates that nature does not come into existence by itself, but exists in elemental connection with human history.

Human beings are free subjects. Even God does not control or take away their freedom. When freedom is suppressed or destroyed, human beings are dehumanized and degraded to the level of “things.” However, humanity attempted to build up human history without God and chose its own way instead of God’s way of light, sin instead of righteousness. As a result, nature is subject to futility. Nature still waits, with an eager longing, for the revelation of the children of God and for the liberation that will finally come with the glory of the children of God (Rom 8:19–24).

God desires human beings to freely return to God and gives a plan of salvation for them. Therefore, God’s providence is always clearly expressed in terms of historical events. God chose Abel instead of his brother Cain, elected Noah who was descended from Abel, Shem from Noah, Abraham from Shem, and Jacob from Abraham. The twelve tribes of Jacob formed a people, called Israel. God also made a particular revelation in history in God’s covenant with them. At this point, the “election” is God’s “condensed history,” and the covenant is God’s activity, which occurs in history, both by grace and through laws.

God’s providence was evidently embodied in the Exodus, which was the march and progress of the Hebrew slaves escaping from Egypt to Canaan, the promised land. If history is conceptualized as the gradual progress of human consciousness towards freedom, like G. F. Hegel states, then the Exodus can be the very symbol of human history. However, the main character of the Exodus is God, and God’s activity in history. God used natural forces to deliver Israel through the Red Sea and the wilderness. God led the Hebrews by means of a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire during the night.

As a result, the Exodus is not only defined by the history of the Israelites’ liberation, but may also function as the model for the liberations of all of history. History moves from A to B, in other words, it escapes from A and marches towards B. The same thing can be said about secular history. History moves, escaping from the primeval earth which was full of plunder, fighting, and revenge among clans, and marching towards the consummation of God’s kingdom, which means the end and completion of human history, including the world of nature. Christ acts behind history and is involved in human history in terms of setting in motion a right direction for the future of God. We perceive it in the eyes of faith.

Similarly, the Hebrew prophets proclaimed to the leaders and the people of Israel the word that they received from God. The standard of their prophecy was God’s covenant and word in the event of the Exodus. God was the Lord in the history of the Exodus. God was the Lord of Moses and the Israelites. The goal of divine action was the completion of human freedom. For this purpose, God was the Subject who acted in history. The word in the mouths of the Hebrew prophets was the action of God “in, for and with” history. God’s word spoke definitely for the poor, the distressed, and the oppressed, and it judged the greedy and spoke against those with power and authority who did not listen to the distressed. The prophets critiqued established religion that looked good in appearance, but had no spiritual or moral essence. A prophet was God’s spokesperson who was confronted with the historical and social reality of the world of politics, economics, culture and religion.

2. With the advent of Christ, history moved from A to B. Jesus Christ came from above to below. While on earth he directly participated in human society. He first attempted to preach the good news through the synagogue, but he was rejected. So he went directly to the society of the people in need. In particular, he became a friend of the poor, the sick, the isolated, and the abandoned, and he strove to restore their lost humanity in relation to God’s Torah. Thousands of people followed him. At the same time, he was suspected more and more by the religious authorities. The authorities’ suspicion initiated a series of events against him.

The most significant event was the crucifixion. Jesus was crucified on the charge of instigating a political revolt against the Roman empire. He was regarded as a member of a sect of Zealots whose aim was to liberate the Jews. He was referred to as the king of the Jews on the cross, which indicated that he was convicted as a political criminal. If he had taught only a conceptual truth apart from historical reality, or if his teaching was concerned only with profound academic philosophy, he would have not been slain on the cross.

Moreover, the authorities didn’t leave Jesus alone because he criticized their vices. The expression “historical Jesus or confessional Christ” simply reflects a hermeneutical understanding of Jesus Christ. He himself is both “the historical Jesus and historical Christ.” His life cannot be understood merely in terms of a historical explanation of what is mystical or miracle in Jesus Christ; all the events that happened in his life are historical ones.

History is a stage on which God performs in Christ, not only for God’s kingdom but also for the secular world. History is an arena where the contemporary and living Christ works. History is arbitrary and faithful. It is of dynamic and christological character. At this juncture, we are reminded of Karl Barth’s idea of pre-history (Urgeschichte). Barth argues that the original and eternal history of God was established in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and this history became the foundation and hidden meaning for all histories. So God’s eternity or pre-history refers to the history of God’s gracious election of the world. Therefore, God’s eternity includes human temporal history through God’s gracious act of election in Jesus Christ for all.1

Therefore, we regard history not as fixed but dynamic, moving forward to God’s future. One cannot simply connect one historical event with another without hesitation. Some think that history repeats itself or reveals itself, but there is no such thing as the fixed regulation of making history in the pattern of repetition. In fact, Christ in his dynamic act moves secular history in accordance with God’s reign. Therefore, we should have eyes to see “the signs of the times” (Matt 16:3). We need to be mindful of recognizing what God is doing and what God aims to do in our present history. Thus as Christ’s disciples, we take part in history, taking up the cross of discipleship every day in service of and for the sake of God’s purpose of history.

Jesus said to the sick, “Your faith heals you,” when he healed the sick by the power of God. Jesus teaches us that healing becomes effective only when one responds to it with faith. Likewise, in the historical process—though Jesus is the Lord of history—healing society is not possible unless human beings respond to Christ with faith. For instance, if war is not a historical necessity, but comes from an eruption of sinful human desire, Christ does not want it. If we ignore a warmonger or an agitator who stirs up international hatred—on the condition that we as Christians have no interest in history or think that we are self-transcendent for heaven –can we say that we are righteous according to the biblical standard? We are summoned to participate in the movement of peace and reconciliation, and show interest in national and international affairs of politics, and take responsibility to challenge provocative and evil activities and to improve good will.

When a whole nation is filled with injustice and corruption—but if we remain silent about injustice and the corruption of the people in power—we would remain non-believers who turn away from Christ’s on-going work in human history. Economic development becomes possible by an owner’s oppression of laborers, such that this situation creates the phenomenon of “the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.” Economic injustice is not the will of Christ. If we are not moved and stirred by the death of a young lab...