The Other Side of Sin

Description

The good news of Jesus Christ is for both sinners and the sinned-against. For the past two thousand years, Christian theologians have focused on the experience of sinners, but treated their victims inadequately. To counterbalance this perspective, a diverse group of Christian scholars consider sin "from the other side." To make sense of Christianity from this standpoint, they offer a more complex and comprehensive analysis of human participation in evil and its reconciliation than the simple formula of sin and repentance. The Other Side of Sin is an original, fresh, and exciting adventure into one of the most needed areas of theological thinking.
Acknowledgement

Introduction
WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF SIN?

Chapter One

THE SHRILL VOICE OF THE WOUNDED PARTY
Walter Brueggemann on The Old Testament

Chapter Two
THE BIBLE AND HAN
Andrew Sung Park on The Bible and Asiatic theology

Chapter Three
THE ALIENATION OF ALIENTATION
Justo Gonzalez on church history

Chapter Four
FOR SHAME, FOR SHAME, THE SHAME OF IT ALL: POSTURES OR REFUSAL AND THE BROKEN HEART
Susan L. Nelson on constructive and feminist theology

Chapter Five
BEYOND “THE ADDICT'S EXCUSE”: SIN, ADDICTION, AND ECCLESIAL RECOVERY
Ched Myers on christian activism

Chapter Six
RECONSTRUCTING THE DOCTRINE OF SIN
Theodore W. Jennings Jr. on theo-ethics

Chapter Seven
THE CONUNDRUM OF SIN, SEX, VIOLENCE, AND THEODICY
Marie M. Fortune on pastoral counseling

Chapter Eight
TEACHING JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION IN A WOUNDING WORLD
Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore on Christian education

Chapter Nine
HOSPITALITY TO VICTIMS: A CHALLENGE FOR CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
Ruth C. Duck on liturgical theology

Bibliography

Contributors

Index

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Theology
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 21 mai 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791490211
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Other Side of Sin

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THE OTHER SIDE OF SIN

Woundedness from the Perspective of the SinnedAgainst

Edited by ANDREW SUNG PARK and SUSAN L. NELSON

State U n ive r s i ty of N ew Yor k P re s s

Published by State University of New York Press Albany

© 2001 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production, Laurie Searl Marketing, Fran Keneston

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

The other side of sin : woundedness from the perspective of the sinned-against / edited by Andrew Sung Park and Susan L. Nelson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-5041-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-5042-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Sin. 2.Victims—Religious life. I. Park, Andrew Sung. II. Nelson, Susan L. (Susan Louise)

BT715 .O84 2001 241′.3—dc21

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2001020007

Acknowledgment

Contents

Introduction Why Do We Need Another Book on the Subject of Sin?

Chapter One The Shrill Voice of the Wounded Party Walter Brueggemann on The Old Testament

Chapter Two The Bible and Han Andrew Sung Park on The Bible and Asiatic theology

Chapter Three The Alienation of Alienation Justo L. González on church history

Chapter Four For Shame, for Shame, the Shame of it All: Postures of Refusal and the Broken Heart Susan L. Nelson on constructive and feminist theology

Chapter Five Beyond “The Addict’s Excuse”: Sin, Public Addiction, and Ecclesial Recovery Ched Myers on christian activism

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THE OTHER SIDE OF SIN

Chapter Six Reconstructing the Doctrine of Sin Theodore W. Jennings Jr. on theo-ethics

Chapter Seven The Conundrum of Sin, Sex,Violence, and Theodicy Marie M. Fortune on pastoral counseling

Chapter Eight Teaching Justice and Reconciliation in a Wounding World Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore on Christian education

Chapter Nine Hospitality to Victims: A Challenge for Christian Worship Ruth C. Duck on liturgical theology

Bibliography

Contributors

Index

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Acknowledgment

We would like to express our deep appreciation to our contributors, for they had to complete their writings with no map to guide them as they explored new territory. In addition, they have graciously waited for the publication of this book for a long time.We applaud their patience and cooperation. Particu- larly to Walter Brueggemann, who completed his chapter long before the oth- ers and shared it with the other contributors, all the contributors owe very much. His chapter was, however, first published inHorizons of Biblical Literature and is published here with their permission. We thank Jacquelyn Grant who was willing but could not be part of this project due to schedule complications. To our editor Nancy Ellegate of the State University of New York Press, we are indebted for her support and kindheartedness. Betty Stutler, faculty secretary of United Theological Seminary, who read, edited, and formatted chapters into the final version, Becky Schram, who did indexing, and Sheryl Gilliland at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, who coordinated the earlier steps in our process, we cannot thank enough. Without their help, this book could not be what it is. Their efficient work and technical editing skills were superb. During the time of working on this project, S. Jane Myong,Andrew Sung Park’s spouse, and David Lutz, Susan L. Nelson’s spouse, have invisibly sup- ported our project. How sympathetically they understood our work and pres- sure to complete our project deserves more than our words of gratitude. Indeed, they have been our coeditors, too.

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INTRODUCTION

Why Do We Need Another Book on the Subject of Sin?

A patient comes to see a doctor.The doctor diagnoses his or her symptoms and prescribes medicine. If the diagnosis is wrong, a medicine prescribed according to that diagnosis will not be effective and the patient’s health can be in jeop- ardy.We cannot emphasize the importance of a proper diagnosis too much for the healing of a patient. Every Sunday Christians come to church to worship and hear a minister proclaim the good news of salvation. Before preaching, the minister needs to know the needs of the people who should be helped.Without diagnosing their problems accurately, the good news of salvation would not be good news; per- haps it would even be wrong news. If the minister understands the problems of people well, she or he can deliver an appropriate and strong message. In the pews, we find all kinds of people from various walks of life.There are sinners (liars, adulterers, molesters, abusers, rapists, and murderers), victims (the deceived, molested, abused, raped, and bereft), and victims’ family members sitting and waiting for a healing message. In Christian theology, there is only one category used to diagnose the wrong of the world: sin. Sin, its guilt, and death are the primary categories from which we can be saved. In this mode of thinking, freedom from sin will resolve all the problems of the world, since sin is the major culprit of wrongs in the world. But what about the healing of the sinned-against? Naming a problem is the beginning of its solution. It is necessary for us to specify the pain of the sinned-against. The good news of Jesus Christ should be real good news to everybody. Demanding repentance of sin from the abused, the hungry, and the humiliated is not good news, but absurd news. To be reasonable to these wounded Chris- tians, we need to present a more comprehensive picture of Christian analysis of wrongs than the simple formula of sin-repentance.

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