The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Korea

The phenomenon of South Korean Christianity is, in a word, remarkable. In less than 250 years, 29% of South Korea’s population adheres to Christianity, a staggering 71% of Korean Americans identify as Christian, and the powerful zeal of Korean Christians to spread the Gospel’s influence in South Korea already overshadows other established religious groups (i.e. Buddhism, Confucianism).

This phenomenon-particularly the rapid growth and unique interpretation of Christianity among Koreans around the world-is intimately and inextricably tied to how Koreans appropriated the Bible in their religio-cultural and socio-political milieu from the 18th century onward. Less noted and understood, however, is the tapestry of Korean biblical interpretation that emerged from being missionized, colonized, divided, and globalized. These influences reflect a distinctive Korean-ness of biblical interpretation that relates closely to Korean perceptions of divine liberating intervention, and the Korean diaspora that seeks to move beyond oppression.

This Handbook offers a comprehensive overview on how the Bible has been used by faith communities in Korea and the Korean diaspora over two centuries. In this volume, noted theologically diverse scholars present representative thinking on creative inculturations of the Bible in Korea. Some conservatively align with received western orthodoxy. Others have a sense of complementarity that informs distinctive accents of Korean Christianity, the long-standing religious traditions of Korea, the diversity of Korea’s global diaspora, and the learning of non-Koreans attentive to the impact of the Bible in Korea. Together, this volume presents an exquisite tapestry of Korean biblical interpretation in the making.

Won W. Lee is a Professor of Old Testament in the Religion Department and the Director of Asian Studies Program at Calvin University (Grand Rapids, MI). He is the author of Punishment and Forgiveness in Israel’s Migratory Campaign, The Bible: A Library of Holy Writings, and a dozen articles on the Pentateuch, Prophetic books, Korean biblical interpretation.

Source: publisher’s website

Contents

Introduction | Won W. Lee

Part I Methological Inqury

1. Translation of the Bible in Hangul | Min Suc Kee
2. The Authority of the Bible in Multi-scriptural Context of Korean Christianity | Yoon Kyung Lee
3. Scripture-logy and Scriptural Performance in Canonical Criticism and Confucian Thought | Tai-Il Wang
4. Mapping Korean Biblical Interpretation in the Shadow of Anticolonial, Liberationist, and postcolonial Powers | Sung Uk Lim

Part II Intercultural/Religious Engagements

5. Shamanistic Influence on Biblical Interpretation | Soo J. Kim Sweeney
6. Confucian readings on Abraham | Myung Soo Suh
7. Daoist, Buddhist, and Christian Readings on Creation | Eun-Kyu Micah Kim
8. 18th Century Joseon Confucian Readings on Jesus | Guen Seok Yang
9. Biblical Readings on a Theology of Dao | Heup Young Kim

Part III Self-Theologizing

10. Reception of the Bible during 18th Century | Inhee Park
11. During Japanese Colonization (1910-1945) | Jungsik Cha
12. Post-Korean War (1950-53) Era (1945-1970) | Samuel Cheon
13. Self-theologizing in Hymnology | Jayhoon Yang
14. Self-theologizing in Preaching | Sunggu Yang
15. Political Turmoil through Minjung Perspectives | Jae Won Lee
16. Minjung and Han | Yoon Jong Yoo
17. Minjung in Global Context | Jiseong Kwon
18. Reunification of South and North Koreas: From Division to Unification | Kyung Taek Ha
19. United yet Divided: Reading Judah and Israel in the Context of Two Koreas | Koog P. Hong

Part IV Diaspora Contexts

20. Korean American Biblical Interpretation | Wongi Park
21. ‘Forever Strangers on the Margin’ in the context of the United States | Hyun Chul Paul Kim
22. Double Marginality in the context of Southern Hemisphere | Honam Kim
23. Triple Marginality: Korean American Feminist | Jin Young Choi
24. Diversity within Korean Diaspora | Boyung Lee