박성용 성서의 텍스트를 통한 평화영성 사색 첫 번째 언어의 근원과 목적

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박성용

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<성서의 텍스트를 통한 평화영성 사색 첫 번째>

                           언어의 근원과 목적

내가 너희에게 한 말은 영적인 것이며 생명이다.(요6:63하)

우리가 쓰는 말은 단순히 정보를 교환하거나, 이의나 논쟁이 있을 때 설득이나 가르침을 주기 위하거나, 일이나 과제를 실현하기 위한 소통의 기능만을 갖는 것은 아니다. 사실, 내가 쓰는 언어를 어떻게 생각하는가는 자신과 타자를 어떻게 생각하고, 어느 정도의 수준에서 상대를 그리고 나 자신을 대하고 있는지를 드러내기도 한다. 

  그러한 기계적인 기능을 넘어서 인격적인 차원을 말에 부여할 때, 말이 지닌 사고의 내용 전달을 넘어 상대와 나 자신이 보이기 시작한다. 물론, 기계적인 기능도 사고의 내용을 전달하고, 이를 알아들음으로써 관계를 형성하는 데 도움이 되고 사회의 유기적인 질서를 세우고 유지하는 데 어느 정도 도움이 되는 것은 사실이다. 적어도 말이 장벽(barriers)이 아니라 창문(windows)의 기능을 함으로써 두려움과 불안을 제거할 수 있기 때문이다. 

  말이 창문의 기능을 할 때 비로소 우리는 상대방의 모습이 보이고, 그의 모습에 대응하는 나 자신의 모습이 보이게 된다. 이것이 말이 지닌 인격적인 차원이다. 상대방의 얼굴과 전신이 보이기 시작한다는 것은 경이로운 일이다. 왜냐하면 우리는 종종 상대방의 면전에서 사고의 내용에 빠져들어 상대방의 모습을 잃거나 보고 있지 않기 때문이다.   

  말의 인격적인 차원을 더 들어가 보면 더 ‘깊이’에서 말이 지닌 본래적인 차원과 말 자체가 달을 가리키는 손가락처럼 존재론적인 차원이 있다. 이는 말이 지닌 껍질이 벗겨져서 그 알짬이 드러나는 차원이다. 그것은 성스러움(영적인 것)과 상대방을 세우고 살리기(생명)라는 존재론적이며 구원론적인 차원을 언어가 어떻게 담아서 노출시킬 수 있는가 하는 근원적인 것이다. 

  정보의 소통이라는 기능적인 측면과 상대방을 잘 대우해 주는 친절한 차원인 인격적인 측면을 넘어 기독교 비폭력 실천가들은 언어의 가장 본질적인 측면인 성스러움과 살아있음의 영역을 어떻게 개인, 조직, 사회에서 드러낼 것인지를 도전받는다. 왜냐하면 폭력은 바로 이 두 기준에 대한 결여나 반작용으로 나타나는 것이기 때문이다. 

  영적인 것 즉 성스러움은 다양한 의미로 해석될 수 있겠으나, 적어도 한 가지 핵심은 자기 정체성에 있어서 죄, 실패, 결핍, 두려움이 없는 참자아/영혼(“내면의 빛”)을 뜻한다. 생명은 참자아/영혼이라는 본성이 세상(타자와의 관계)에서 활동하는 이치와 그 힘을 의미한다. 즉, 타자에게도 그러한 성스러움의 에너지가 공급(giving)되어 스스로 일어서고, 자기 자신이 되며, 힘을 내어 살아가게 하는 차원을 뜻한다. 요한복음의 이 영과 생명이라는 두 단어는 누가복음에서는 각각 영광과 평화로 표현한다. 신적인 아들/딸됨으로서의 영광과 비유를 통해 거짓신념의 오류 교정과 질병의 치유로 얻는 평화가 그것이다.   

  이렇게 내가 하는 말이 영적이고 생명을 주는 차원을 담고 있으려면, 말하는 자로서 ‘나됨(I-am-ness)’의 기반이 내적으로 형성되어야 가능하다. 즉, 말하고 있는 ‘나’는 사고나 기억이 아니라 실재에 연결된 ‘존재(I am)’일 필요가 있다. 말하는 주인공이 사고나 기억이 아니라 존재가 말하는 이가 되려면 적어도 한 가지 필요한 것은 판단을 하는 ‘머리’에서 심장으로부터 말하기(speaking from the heart)가 연습되어야 가능해진다. 

  자극에 대한 충동적인 반응이나 머리의 판단이 작동하는 속도를 점차 줄이고, 가슴으로부터 말하기를 시도함으로써 우리는 점차 사고가 말하지 않고 심장이 말하는 존재력을 회복할 수 있다. 그렇게 함으로서 점차 영과 생명이 머물 수 있는 공간을 심장에 마련하게 된다.  

(2021.7.18.)

1 comment

황필규

빈들녁~

말은 대화는 창문이 되어야, 영과 생명( 영광과 평화), 판단의 머리가 아닌 가슴의 언어로 말하기, 주일 아침에 나됨을 위한 성찰의 단상에 감사합니다.

알라딘: 동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색

알라딘: 동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색

동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색   

김용해,김용휘,성해영,정혜정,조성환 (지은이)모시는사람들2021-05-31

288쪽

책소개

다섯 명의 학자가 “회심, 소통, 공동체, 생태, 영성”이라는 키워드를 중심으로 동학과 서양의 여러 사상적 맥락을 교차시켜 가며 재해석하고, 이를 토대로 신문명을 모색하는 작업을 담아냈다. 동학을 한쪽 축에 놓고 그리스도교(회심), 신비주의(소통), 사회주의(공동체), 토마스 베리(생태), 인도의 오르빈드(영성) 등을 배치하여 두 사상의 접점을 찾아 가는 과정에서 상호 이해와 내적 심화-확장을 통한 창조적 재해석이 일어난다.

이들 동학과 서학의 만남과 그로부터 파생한 제 사상은 수세기에 걸친 세계사의 갈등과 격변을 야기하는 과정과도 맞물린 것으로, 오늘의 세계가 새로운 지구적-인류적 과제에 직면한 상황에서 성실하게 공부하고 실행해야 하는 지혜를 제공해 준다.

목차

회심/김용해

회심이 왜 중요한가?―동학 천도교와 그리스도교의 대화

1. 서언: 회심과 시대정신

2. 종교와 회심

3. 회심 여정의 전제조건들

4. 회심의 동인(動因): 초월과 은총

5. 결언: 동귀일체를 향한 회심

소통/성해영

인간 내면에서 찾은 소통의 근거―동학의 신비주의적 보편성과 윤리성

1. 서언: 소통과 공존의 근거를 찾아서

2. 수운 최제우와 동학, 그리고 종교적 돌파구의 모색

3. 수운 최제우의 종교적 해답

4. 수운의 종교적 보편주의와 종교 다원주의

5. 결언: 인간 내면에서 찾는 역설적 중심

공동체/정혜정

동학의 신문화운동과 공동체론―서구 자본주의에 대한 대응을 중심으로

1. 서언: 인류의 위기와 자본주의

2. 중국 신문화운동 통찰과 조선 신문화수립의 방안

3. 이동곡의 조선 신문화건설론과 서구 문예부흥운동

4. 이창림의 동양 신문화수립과 한살림 공동체

5. 결언: 인내천의 사상혁명과 한살림 공동체

생태/조성환

생태문명에 관한 동서양의 대화―토마스 베리와 해월 최시형을 중심으로

1. 서언: 관점의 개벽

2. 현대인의 우주상실과 지구소외

3. 토마스 베리의 지구인문학

4. 해월 최시형의 생태문명론

5. 결언: 지구를 공경하는 신앙

영성/김용휘

오로빈도와 최제우의 인간 완성과 새로운 문명의 길

1. 서언: 전환이 이미 시작되었다

2. 스리 오로빈도의 사상과 신문명론

3. 동학과 신문명론

4. 비교: 새로운 문명의 비전과 의식의 진화

5. 결언: 과제와 전망

접기

책속에서

P. 63 회심이란 인간의 마음을 한울님(하느님 또는 절대지평)께 돌려 합치시켜 한울님의 뜻을 이루기 위해, 자신의 인식과 능력의 한계 속에서도 자신이 관계 맺고 있는 다양한 영역에서 더 큰 책임을 지려는 내적 결단이자 실행이라 할 수 있다. 이러한 회심의 수행은 의미 내용적 차원에서 그리스도교와 동학 천도교에서 핵심이라는 점에서 공통적이라는 사실을 확인하였다. 동학 천도교의 비전을 인간의 한울님과의 소통성, 천지인 삼재의 일체성, 모든 존재자의 평등성, 행위 주체로서의 인간의 소명으로 요약하였는데 우리는 이 비전을 관통하는 지향이 곧 회심의 수행임을 이해하게 되었다.  접기

P. 77 수운의 종교적 해답은 다음에서 살펴볼 세 가지 구체적인 주장으로 이루어져 있다. 첫째, 보편주의적 진리관이다. 수운은 동서양의 모든 문명이 동일한 천도(天道)를 소유한다고 굳게 믿었다. 그리고 동일한 천도가 시공의 맥락에 부합하도록 각기 다르게 표현된 것이 동서양의 다양한 종교라는 입장을 견지했다. 둘째, 개인 체험에 근거한 신비주의의 강조이다. 수운에 따르면 보편적 천도는 우리 모두의 내면에서 발견될 수 있다. 그 점에서 우리 모두는 어느 문명에 속해 있든지 간에 동일한 천도에 가 닿을 수 있는 존귀함을 태생적으로 가진 존재이다. 셋째, 실천적 윤리의 강조이다. 수운은 각자가 자신의 내면에서 체득한 보편적인 천도를 현실에서 구현하는 일이 무엇보다 중요하다고 역설했다.  접기

P. 117 수운이 품었던 꿈은 비록 현실에서 좌절되었지만 오늘날에도 여전히 통찰의 원천이 될 수 있다. 우리는 종교의 다름이 빚어내는 갈등과 긴장을 경험 중이며, 종교가 더욱 전면적으로 만나게 될 미래에 불협화음은 커질 위험이 있다. 그러니 수운의 종교적 보편주의는 매력적이다. 또 그가 종교의 제도화된 형식이 아닌, 인간 종교성의 근원에 가 닿으려 했다는 점도 중요하다. ‘무종교의 종교(religion of no religion)’나 ‘영적이지만 종교적이지 않은(Spiritual But Not Religious)’과 같은 표현이 암시하듯, 제도 종교 밖에서 인간의 종교성을 발견하려는 움직임이 본격화된 상황에서 수운의 가르침은 새로운 돌파구를 제시할 수 있다.  접기

P. 160 이창림은 동학을 “민중의 철학”으로 규정했다. 일찍이 수운 최제우는 ‘새로운 세상의 개벽(新世開闢)’을 창도하여 조선민중뿐만 아니라 장차 세계 민중에까지 계급해방운동의 길을 개척하는 민중철학을 전개하였다는 것이다. 동학은 사회의 부패, 혼돈, 암흑 속에서 죽어 가는 모든 민중에게 「새 세상은 다 잘 살아보자」고 외치는 고함소리로 계급투쟁의 전선에 나서서 갑오동학농민혁명(1894), 갑진개화운동(1904), 3·1운동(1919)의 대 풍운을 일으켰다. 그리하여 민중운동과 계급해방의 새로운 길을 열어나갔던 것이 동학이다.  접기

P. 208 동학을 사상적 차원에서 좀 더 깊게 들여다보면, 단순히 외세에 대한 ‘항거’나 정치적 ‘혁명’의 수준에 머물러 있었던 것만은 아님을 알 수 있다. 동학이 표방한 ‘개벽’은 보다 큰 ‘문명전환’의 차원을 말하기 때문이다. 무엇보다도 ‘개벽’이라는 말 자체가 ‘시대의 전환’이라는 메시지를 담고 있다. 이러한 점에서 개벽을 표방한 동학을 ‘한국적 근대’라고 부르기도 한다. ‘modern’의 번역어로서의 ‘근대’에는 ‘새로운 시대’라는 의미가 담겨 있기 때문이다. 다만 여기에서 주의할 점은, 이때의 ‘근대’가 서구 유럽이 추구한 ‘근대’와 반드시 일치하지는 않았다는 점이다. 동학농민혁명이 ‘척왜양’을 외쳤다면, 오히려 동학이 지향한 근대는 그것과는 반대의 성격을 지니고 있었으리라는 점은 쉽게 짐작할 수 있다.  접기

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이 책을 추천한 다른 분들 : 

한겨레 신문 

 - 한겨레 신문 2021년 6월 11일 학술 새책

저자 및 역자소개

김용해 (지은이) 

저자파일

 

신간알리미 신청

1986년 한국예수회에 입회하여 1996년 사제서품을 받고 2006년에 최종서원을 한 예수회 신부이다. 전남대학교에서 법학사(1986), 서강대학교에서 철학석사(1990), 오스트리아 인스브룩대학에서 신학석사(1996), 독일 뮌헨 예수회철학대학에서 철학박사(2002) 학위를 취득하였으며, 2015년 현재 서강대학교에서 인권과 인간존엄성에 관심을 갖고 연구하면서 사회철학, 윤리학, 인간학 등을 가르치고 있다.

저서로 Zur Begruendung der Menschenwuerde und Menschenrechte auf einer interreligionen Metaebene(IKO-Verlag, 2005), 『젊은이의 행복학』(서광사, 2011), 역서로 『일반윤리학』(Friedo Ricken 저, 서광사, 2006), 『알프레드 델프』(시와진실, 2011) 등이 있다. 논문으로 「Die philosophischen Grundlagen der Menschenrechtsidee in Asien」, 「Die Tonghak-Vision, Ein kreatives Beispiel fuer das interreligioese Gespraech」, 「인간존엄성의 근거: 종교적 실존」, 「현대 영성의 초월철학적 이해」, 「이타적 자살과 이중효과의 원칙」, 「죽음의 철학적 함의와 죽음교육의 필요성」 등이 있다. 접기

최근작 : <동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색>,<한반도의 분단, 평화, 통일 그리고 민족>,<인간존엄성의 철학> … 총 5종 (모두보기)

김용휘 (지은이) 

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신간알리미 신청

대구대학교 자유전공학부 조교수

학부에서 물리학을 전공하고?대학원에서 동양철학(주자학)을, 동학 연구로 철학박사 학위를 취득했다. 2010년부터 환경과 생명운동에 관심을 가지고 활동하고 있으며, 한국종교인평화회의(KCRP) 생명평화위원장을 맡고 있기도 하다. 지난 2년간 인도 오로빌에서 공동체를 경험하고 돌아와 지금은 방정환의 정신을 계승하는 ‘방정환배움공동체 구름달’ 대표로 활동하고 있다. 동학을 중심으로 새로운 시대의 철학을 모색하고 있다. 저서로는 『우리학문으로서의 동학』, 『최제우의 철학』, 『손병희의 철학』, 『최제우, 용... 더보기

최근작 : <우리 학문으로서의 동학>,<동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색>,<개벽의 징후 2020> … 총 9종 (모두보기)

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신간알리미 신청

서울대학교 외교학과를 졸업하고, 문화체육관광부에서 직장 생활을 시작했다. 열일곱 살에 뜻하지 않게 찾아온 신비적 합일 체험의 의미를 이해하기 위해 뒤늦게 종교학을 시작했다. 2003년에 종교학 석사학위를, 2008년에 미국 라이스대학교에서 종교심리학과 신비주의의 비교 연구로 박사학위를 받았다. 현재 서울대학교 인문학연구원 교수로 재직 중이 다. 지은 책으로 《A Happy Pull of Athene: An Experiential Reading of the Plotinian Henosis in the Enneads》 《종교, 이제는 깨달음이다》(공저)가 있고, 주요 논문으로는 〈프로이트 정신분석학과 탄트라의 종교 사상 비교〉 〈수운水雲 종교체험의 비교종교학적 고찰〉 등이 있다. 옮긴 책으로는 프로이트의 《문명 속의 불만》이 있다. 종교 체험의 비교 연구를 통해 영성과 종교성을 탐구하는 것이 주된 관심이다. 접기

최근작 : <동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색>,<수운(水雲) 최제우의 종교 체험과 신비주의>,<다시 이어지다: 궁극의 욕망을 찾아서> … 총 17종 (모두보기)

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신간알리미 신청

동국대학교 교육학 박사. (現)원광대학교 동북아시아인문사회연구소 HK연구교수

<저서> 「몸-마음의 현상과 영성적 전환」(2016). 「백년의 변혁」(2019, 공저)

<역서> 「동학문명론의 주체적 근대성」(2019)

<주요논문> 3.1운동과 국가문명의 ‘교(敎)’: 천도교(동학)를 중심으로(2018). 일제하 식민지 여성해방운동과 동아시아(2019). 한국 근대 서구 국가사상 수용에서의 정치체제 유형과 자연권(2019). 일제하 ‘학술강습소’의 문화운동과 샘골학원(2019) 외 다수

최근작 : <동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색>,<일제강점기, 저항과 계몽의 교육사상가들>,<백년의 변혁> … 총 8종 (모두보기)

조성환 (지은이) 

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원광대 동북아시아인문사회연구소 HK교수, 『다시개벽』 편집인. 저서로는 『한국 근대의 탄생』이 있고, 역서로 『한국은 하나의 철학이다』 등이 있다.

최근작 : <동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색>,<세계는 왜 한국에 주목하는가>,<개벽의 징후 2020> … 총 10종 (모두보기)

출판사 제공 책소개

지금도 계속되고 있는 서세동점, 지구적 위기의 근본 원인

최근 2, 3백년 남짓한 (길게는 500년) 세계 근대 역사는 서구 문명의 폭력적 확장 과정이 그 이외 각 지역의 고유한, 자주적인 역사 흐름을 압도하였던 시기이다. 19세기의 조선 또한 이러한 서구 문명의 폭력적 내도(來到)에 대응하여 기존의 성리학 기반 체제를 수호하거나(守舊派), 서기동도(西器東道)의 실용적 대처를 모색하거나(實學派), 혹은 서학 천주교를 수용하고 재해석하고(親西派), 이를 기반으로 적극적인 사회 개혁을 추구하기도 하였다(開化派). 이런 가운데 세계 문명을 조망하면서, 당대의 변화가 조선에 국한된 것이 아닌 문명사적 대전환의 일각임을 간파하고 대안적 종교-사상-철학운동을 펼친 세력이 있는데 이것이 ‘다시개벽’을 표방한 동학이다(開闢派).

동학은 그 시대의 주류 종교 또는 세력으로부터 출발하는 것이 아니라 당대에, 그리고 어쩌면 인류 역사 이래 대대로 고통 받고 소외받아 온 이들의 고통과 희망으로부터 자생하면서 그보다 더 밑층, 자기 문화의 가장 심층에 있는 잠재력으로부터 싹튼 영성운동이다. 동학은 한편으로 서구로부터 연원하였으나 당대 민중들의 일각에서 신앙으로 수용하고 죽음으로써 지켜 나온 서학(西學)과 짝을 이룬다. 조선 민중들의 영성은 제국주의와 더불어 동점해 오는 서학(천주교)마저 개벽적으로 승화시킨 것이다.

다시 말해 조선 사회가 서세의 동점과 내부 질서의 와해라는 이중의 위기에 놓인 상황에서 민중들은 궁극자이고 보편자인 하늘을 지향하여, 현실의 질곡을 일거에 도약적으로 극복하는 천도(天道)의 선포로 나아간 것이다. 어둠 속에서 달빛이 더욱 빛나듯이 위기와 고통 속에서 한울님(天主)의 현존은 더욱 뚜렷이 다가왔다. 그리고 그때로부터 다시 1.5세기 혹은 2세기가 지난 오늘의 한반도는 지구 전역적인 위기가 더욱 깊어지고 넓어지고 뚜렷해지는 시간을 지나고 있다. 돌이켜보면, 이 위기의 시간은 지난 2세기 남짓한 시간 동안 인류사의 주도적인 흐름이 걸어온 길의 연장선상에 있는 것이다.

오래된 미래의 지혜, 하늘학(天學)으로서 동학과 서학의 대화

중요한 것은 오늘 한국인은 물론 인류 전체가 직면한 문제들이 하나의 전통, 하나의 문화, 하나의 종교 비전으로 해결할 수도 없는 다원주의적, 전 지구적 문제라는 점이다. 이는 2세기 전에도 마찬가지였지만, 그때는 ‘우리가’, ‘우리만이’ 새로운 세계의 비전을 갖고 있다는 생각 때문에 진실이 호도되고 감추어졌다면 오늘의 문제, 즉 지구열화, 핵전쟁 위협, 생활세계의 식민지화, 고삐 풀린 자본의 횡포 같은 문제는 모두가 동의할 수 있을 만큼 그 심각성이 도드라지고, 명명백백하여, 이에 대하여 다차원적으로 접근해야 한다는 것을 누구도 부정할 수 없게 되었다는 것이다.

그러므로 오늘의 이 문제를 해결하기 위해 전에 없던 새로운 지혜가 필요한 것이 아니다. 오히려 지난 역사, 오늘의 지구적 문제가 처음 시작하던 시기에 원천적으로 이 문제의 대안이 제시되던 그때의 지혜를 다시 주목하는 것으로 충분하다. 아니, 그것이 가장 좋은 방법이다. 해답은 문제 속에 이미 주어져 있고, 문제의 문제점은 그 출발점에서 가장 잘 보이기 마련이기 때문이다.

인류에게 희망을 줄 ‘새로운 문명’을 모색해 온 저자들은 오래된 미래의 지혜로서 동학을 위시한 개벽적 담론들을 논찬하면서, 한국인들의 고유한 사상과 지혜들을 관통하는 알갱이가 곧 ‘하늘’임을 새삼 스럽게 발견하게 되었다. 하늘은 어원적으로 우리 민족의 이름인 ‘한’과 일치한다. ‘한’은 하나, 전체, 위대함, 대략적이라는 뜻을 담고 있어서 ‘한울(한우리)→하눌→하늘’은 자연스레 전체를 아우르는 하나의 형상을 담고 있다. 이 한을 매개로 할 때 동학과 서학은 쉽게 만나 소통할 수 있으며 과거와 현재, 남과 여, 인간과 비(非)인간도 스스럼없이 서로 만날 수 있다. 이것이야말로 하늘의 뜻(天命)을 찾아 자연과 세계(地)와 조화하고 완성하는 인간학(人)이니 이는 다름아닌 하늘학(天學)인 것이다.

하늘학으로 그려내는 미래, 미래의 현재화 - 하늘학

하늘학은 “하늘을 모든 존재자를 창조하고 각각의 존재자의 본성을 완성하는 인격신으로 혹은 근원적 원리로 삼는 사상 또는 종교가 자신들의 하늘-자연생태-인간 삼자 간의 경험과 의미 체계를 공유하고 토론하여 인류의 새로운 비전으로 제시하는 것”이다. 하늘학은 정태적인 관점과 동태적 관점을 아울러서 인간과 사회의 개혁과 진보를 다룬다. 개체와 전체, 정체성과 관계성, 의식과 무의식, 주체와 객체, 정치와 종교, 개성과 공공성이 대립하고 분열하여 서로를 배제하는 문화를 극복할 대안으로 ‘동귀일체(同歸一體)’의 지평을 모색한다. 이것이 서구의 근(현)대성과 포스트모더니즘의 논쟁을 해소하는 지평이라 생각한다.

자연에 대한 과학적 인식과 종교적 믿음을 분리하고, 인식 주체의 이성(과학)만을 절대화하는 근(현)대성과 주객 이분법, 도구적 이성에 의한 세계의 사물화, 과학과 기술의 이면의 파괴성이 오늘의 ‘괴물 지구’를 낳았다. 이에 대한 반발로 이성을 해체하려고 봉두난발이 되도록 뛰어다니던 포스트모더니즘을 화해시키는 것, 다시 말해 주체의 강조와 주체의 해체를 통합하는 것은 서구 문명의 한계-과제를 해소하는, 그들의 아픈 심신을 달래고 치유하여 행복한 미래 세계로 인도하는 길이기도 하다. 오늘, ‘동아시아-한국’의 사람들이라고 해서 그러한 ‘서구 문명의 한계’로부터 자유로운 것은 아니다. 오히려, 그 독을 농축된 형태로 체화한 것이 우리이다.

한민족의 지혜를 담고 있는 하늘학은 어떤 비방으로서 그 독(毒)을 해소하고, 아니 그 독(毒)마저 약으로 승화시키는 비전을 제시할 수 있을 것인지가 이 책에서 답하려는 물음이다. 하늘학은 하나의 종교문화, 하나의 비전으로 환원하려는 것이 아니라 여러 종교문화와 여러 비전들이 공통으로 지향하는 가치를 모색하는 가운데, 다양한 개성과 전통, 사상과 강조점을 존중하며 현대 세계의 문제를 해소하는 공론장이 될 것이다. 접기

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박길수

uttS5ponchsored  · 

[모들책이야기] 1. 신학자, 한국철학자, 교육학자, 종교학자, 비교철학 등을 전공한 학자들이 동학을 재해석하며, 새로운 문명을 모색하였습니다. 동식물은 물론이고, 지구환경과의 공생과 상생을 요구받고 있는 오늘날의 첨예한 지구적 시각으로 보면, '문명을 모색한다'는 말은 여전히 지나치게 인간중심주의적일 수 있습니다. '문명'이라는 것 자체가 인간 활동의 산물이고, 그 문명이 오늘날 지구생명공동체의 파괴, 그리고 인간 그 자신의 파괴까지 야기하고 있는 형편을 보면 더욱 그렇습니다.

2. 그래서 이 책은 '회심'으로부터 시작합니다. 지극히 '종교적'입니다. '종교적'이라는 말을 '종교교단에 대한 충성스런 복종'의 의미가 아니라, 거룩하고 신성한 것에 대한 경외심을 바탕으로 나의 삶, 일거수일투족을 조신하고 조심하고 조행(調行)하고 조용(調用)하는 것으로 이해한다면, '종교적'인 것은 '교단의 차이'에 구애되지 않고, 그 마음과 그 행동과 그 되돌림에 의해 구분될 수 있습니다. 

3. 회심의 다음 단계는 소통입니다. 깨달음을 얻는 제자가 스승에게 인가(認可)를 얻는 것처럼, 회심의 소통을 통하여 서로의 회심을 확인하고, 나의 회심을 자각하는 과정입니다. 회심이 나의 내면에만 머물러 버리면 이는 아집으로 흘러갈 가능성이 커집니다. 아착(我着)이 되고 아만(我慢)이 됩니다. 결국은 스스로를 무너뜨리고, 맙니다. 소통은 마치 호흡처럼, 회심에 생기를 불어넣어 줍니다. 그것이 흩어져 버리지 않고, 또는 회한으로 부패해가지 않고 생생활활한 생동력을 제공해 주도록 작동합니다.

4. 소통은 필연적으로 '공동체'를 낳습니다. 공동체를 이루고자 하는 의지나 필요에 의해서가 아니라, 소통하는 단위 그 자체가 공동체가 됩니다. 공동체는 서로에게 때로 위로가 되고, 때로 자극이 됩니다. 그러나 공동체는 필연적으로 속박이 되고, 그것은 필연적으로 나타의 출발점이 됩니다.

5. 생태란, 공동체의 해체, 자연의 회복을 지향하는 태도입니다. 공동체와 생태 사이에는 조화의 여지가 아주 넓지만, 끝내 조화하지 못할, 불화이 영역이 상존합니다. 그 '불화(不和)'의 영역이야말로 생태적 건강성의 원천이며, 존재가치입니다.  끝내 공동체로 용해되지 않는 생태, 공동체에 끊임없이 해체의 기운을 불어 넣는 존재, 그것이 생태의 영역입니다.

6. 회심-소통-공동체-생태의 전 과정이 '무한순환'의 안정성을 획득한 자리에서 영성이 발현합니다. 없던 영성이 비로소 발현한다고 말할 수도 있고, 잠겨 있는 영성의 문이, 그 순환-무왕불복의 과정 에서 열림[개벽]으로 해서, 영성이 드러나는 것이라고 말할 수도 있습니다. 영성이야말로 동학공부의 한 봉우리라 할 만합니다. 영성의 다른 이름이 곧 '한울'입니다. 

7. 이 책 <동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색>은 연구논문을 모은 책입니다만, 저는 위와 같이 읽었습니다. 제가 허깨비를 본 것일 수도 있지요만, 마음은 그렇습니다. 여러분은 또 어떤 소식을 들을 수 있을까요?

#회심 #소통 #공동체 #생태 #영성 #동학 #서학 #문명 

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3 comments

하경숙

영성은 현실적 존재 안에 다 있다고 한다면 땅에도 사람에도 다 있습니다.영성의 근거가 하늘이라면 그 궁극적 하늘이 실재적 사물인 천주로 화하여 현실적 존재가 되었으니 필연적으로 하늘의 영성은 천주에도 깃들게 됩니다. 다른 말로 성신화 된거지요. 성신화 되면서 천주는 곧 "마음"이 되어 세계와(인간사 포함) 유기적인 관계를 맺으면서 넓고도 넓은 하늘의 덕을 펼치려고 공부하며 일하는 존재가 되었습니다. 그리하여 일'하'고 공부'하'는 천주님이기에 '하는님'이라고도 부를 수 있겠지요. 이 모든 근거가 다 하늘의 덕이니 어찌 하늘님이라 부르지 않으오리까?

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ - Kindle edition by Capes, David B., Reeves, Rodney, Richards, E. Randolph. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ - Kindle edition by Capes, David B., Reeves, Rodney, Richards, E. Randolph. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.






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Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ Kindle Edition
by David B. Capes (Author), Rodney Reeves (Author), & 1 more Format: Kindle Edition


4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

Who is your Jesus? Matthew's teacher? John's Word made flesh? Hebrews' great high priest? What if it turned out that your Jesus is a composite of your favorite selections from the New Testament buffet, garnished with some Hollywood and Americana?

Rediscovering Jesus takes us on a gallery tour of biblical portraits of Jesus, from Matthew through Revelation. Our expert guides point out the background and highlights of each New Testament image of Jesus. Then we hit the streets to visit other houses of worship and their scriptures, examining the Jesus of the Book of Mormon and the Qur'an. Popping into a bookstore, we browse the latest on the Gnostic and the historical Jesus. Then we're off on a walking tour of Jesus in America, followed by a film festival of Jesus movies.

All along the way our tour guides describe and interpret, but also raise questions: How is this Jesus different from other portraits? If this were our only portrait of Jesus, what would our faith be like?

Rediscovering Jesus is an enjoyable, informative and challenging look at how we encounter Jesus in Scripture and our culture. With ample sidebars exploring contexts and the "so what?" questions, it takes us beyond other surveys by probing how our understanding of Jesus can make a difference for faith and life. From the authors of Rediscovering Paul, this is a textbook introduction to Jesus that guides us in our pilgrimage toward seeing Jesus truly.

Editorial Reviews

Review


"(I) found myself deeply engaged in a beautifully written, biblically sound, and theologically informed book on the person of Jesus. . . . I highly recommend this book for audiences of all sorts. I can see myself using it as a supplementary textbook to a course on Jesus or the Gospels. I can also see this material being implemented in a local ministry setting at a book study or Bible study. Do yourself a favor and go order a copy."-- Mike Skinner, Cruciform Theology, September 12, 2015



"Although written as a textbook, this work will benefit pastors, church leaders, and all students―formal and informal―who wish to understand Jesus more deeply."-- Kelley Mathews, Bible Study Magazine, Jan/Feb 2016



"I recommend Rediscovering Jesus wholeheartedly. It was a phenomenally interesting read, and one which will challenge you to rethink how you have conceived of Jesus, while calling readers back to biblical portrayals. I can't really recommend it highly enough."-- J.W. Wartick, "Always Have a Reason", November 2, 2015 --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review


"The more Jesus we present the more gospel we present. Rediscovering Jesus is on that list of what I can enthusiastically recommend that is pure gospel! In this book you will encounter one description after another that is shaped by and focused on Jesus himself. What a gift this book is to the church and school!"-- Scot McKnight, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author


David B. Capes is professor of New Testament in the department of theology at Houston Baptist University. Rodney Reeves is dean of the Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry and professor of biblical studies, Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. E. Randolph Richards is dean of the School of Ministry and professor of biblical studies, Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. Together they have also written Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology (IVP Academic).



Rodney Reeves (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Southwest Baptist University, both in Bolivar, Missouri. Previously a pastor with churches in Arkansas and Texas, Reeves is author or coauthor of A Genuine Faith: How to Follow Jesus Today, Spirituality According to Paul: Imitating the Apostle of Christ and Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to his World, Letters and Theology. His articles have appeared in journals such as Perspectives in Religious Studies, Biblical Illustrator, Southwestern Journal of Theology and Preaching.



E. Randolph Richards (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean and professor of biblical studies in the School of Ministry at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is a popular speaker and has authored and coauthored dozens of books and articles including Rediscovering Jesus, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, Rediscovering Paul, The Story of Israel and Paul and First-Century Letter Writing. Early on in their ministry he and his wife Stacia were appointed as missionaries to east Indonesia, where he taught for eight years at an Indonesian seminary. Missions remain on the hearts of Randy and Stacia. Randy leads mission trips and conducts missionary training workshops and regularly leads tours of the Holy Land, Turkey, Greece and Italy. He has served as interim pastor of numerous churches and is currently a teaching pastor. He and Stacia reside in Palm Beach, Florida.--This text refers to the hardcover edition.
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B013U7NNWG
Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP Academic (August 8, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 8, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1812 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0830824723
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #1,403,555 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
#1,138 in Religious Studies - Comparative Religion
#1,280 in Christology (Kindle Store)
#1,298 in Jesus, the Gospels & Acts (Kindle Store)
Customer Reviews:
4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings





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new testament religious and cultural rediscovering jesus outside the bible david capes randolph richards rodney reeves highly recommend jesus outside cultural perspectives picture of jesus biblical religious second section historical jesus portrait of jesus view of jesus copy of this book jesus presented composite jesus jesus made

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Sweetwater Larry
5.0 out of 5 stars 14 Different Views of Jesus in the New Testament and BeyondReviewed in the United States on November 14, 2016
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In the first section of the book, the three Bible-professor authors show the New Testament has eight distinctive portraits of Jesus as painted by a variety of first century writers. This enables the reader to see the individual perspectives of the author of each Gospel as well as that of St. Paul, those who wrote other epistles, and the author of Revelation. In the familiar analogy of several witnesses to an accident or other public event, we can see different understandings of Jesus as each reporter tells things a bit differently from the others. Each chapter includes a section that asks how we would think of Jesus if this one writing were the only interpretation we had of Him. The second section follows a similar pattern with six post-biblical pictures of Jesus: Gnostics in the early Christian centuries who saw Jesus either as not truly man or not truly God; Muslim, Mormons, Enlightenment scholars who seek the historical Jesus outside the pages of the Bible; the Jesus of movies, and the All-American Jesus. The writers of this book combine scholarship and wit in their high view of the inspiration of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Though written to answer questions their college students asked, thoughtful non-collegians can also read it with benefit.

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JR. Forasteros
5.0 out of 5 stars Like Meeting Jesus for the First Time, All Over AgainReviewed in the United States on November 17, 2015
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Everyone has a "composite Jesus". By reading each NT picture of Jesus separately, examining how this Jesus is unique, and then imagining how Christianity would be different if this were our only Jesus, the authors help us to see how we have constructed our own composite Jesuses (Jesi?).

The second section of the book is even more beautiful, as the authors examine non-Christian portraits of Jesus honestly and respectfully.

This is a great book that will cause you to reexamine your picture of Jesus, enrich your faith, and sharpen your ability to engage those whose belief differs from yours.

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dxrxkediri
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book full of insights, challenges and direction!! Highly recommend!Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2015
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Excellent book full of insights, challenges and direction. Thanks! I am giving this to our pastor so I expect some sermon insights in upcoming sermons.

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Lori
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on August 9, 2016
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Thoroughly enjoying the book.


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David Shaffer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on October 22, 2015
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Excellent and thought provoking!


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Deb Mc
5.0 out of 5 stars Reid preach at our church and this book is wonderful!! Highly recommend itReviewed in the United States on August 17, 2016
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We had the privilege of having Dr. Reid preach at our church and this book is wonderful!! Highly recommend it; the seller was quick to deliver and book was in great condition.

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sojotheo
5.0 out of 5 stars An inviting book that will make you ponder long and hard about your understanding of JesusReviewed in the United States on February 15, 2016

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious, and Cultural Perspectives on Christ by David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves, and E. Randolph Richards is a calculated investigation into nearly every corner of today’s Christological landscape. The perspectives presented in this book are numerous and the presentation is everything but boring. From the opening pages, the authors captivate the reader with illustrative narratives that are easily relatable and appropriately placed.

Each chapter of the book has three specific parts. First, the authors seek to clarify who Jesus is in relation to a particular perspective discussed. Second, the authors aim to articulate the more unique features of Jesus from within that perspective and how it is distinctive. Third, the authors attempt to discuss a hypothetical situation where that perspective of Jesus is the only perspective available to the conversation.

Rediscovering Jesus is divided into two major parts: (1) Jesus in the Bible and (2) Jesus outside the Bible. In the former, the authors guide the reader through the New Testament as they examine the portrait of Jesus painted in (1) Mark, (2) Matthew, (3) Luke-Acts, (4) John, (5) Pauline literature, (6) Hebrews, (7) James, Peter, and Jude, and (8) Revelation. In the latter, the reader is guided through various sketches of Jesus in (9) Gnostic literature, (10) the Quran, (11) history, (12) Mormonism, (13) America, and (14) the cinema.

The authors are sensitive to the fact that the majority understanding of Jesus is traceable back to either Paul, John, or some closely knit combination of both. I found the work shown on this observation to be accurate and important to the topic. The authors provide excellent guidance through each New Testament book. The discussion is informative and displays a keen eye of surveillance regarding the variegated portraits of Jesus presented therein—especially when one considers some of the more unusual books surveyed.

As the attention is directed to religious and cultural views of Jesus outside the Bible. I personally found the selection of perspectives for this section interesting and well-intended. Each of these perspectives could be encountered with some level of frequency by the average Christian in America, and the conversation and examination are all too appropriate. Still, I would have loved to have seen a chapter on the Jehovah Witnesses or Judaism. Of course, I am well aware that perspectives of Jesus outside the Bible could produce a volume much longer than that here.

There are a number of things about this book that I really enjoyed. First and foremost, it was extremely readable and highly engaging. I found myself unable to put it down as I became more familiar with the format and anticipated the outcome of each chapter. Second, I really thought the authors made an excellent choice to wrestle with the hypothetical of each perspective being our only source of information about Jesus. It was well-thought and interesting to ponder. Third, each chapter has a number of call-out boxes that provide additional content on the specific perspective that is both informationally and practically oriented.

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious, and Cultural Perspectives on Christ by David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves, and E. Randolph Richards is an easy candidate for a supplementary textbook for a seminary course. However, this does not mean that it is purely an academic work. In fact, you will find that it is quite the opposite. Rediscovering Jesus is an inviting book that will make you ponder long and hard about your understanding of Jesus—or lack thereof. If you are interested in a book that will challenge you to contemplate your answer to Jesus’ question—who do you say that I am?—then this is a book you will indeed not want to miss.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible - Kindle edition by Richards, E. Randolph, O'Brien, Brandon J.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible - Kindle edition by Richards, E. Randolph, O'Brien, Brandon J.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.



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What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:

When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty--that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.

Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himself."

Western individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.

Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.

Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

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Editorial Reviews

Review


"Whether rules over relationships or correctness over community, respective Western and non-Western worldviews may differ on appropriate conduct, discretion, and exceptions. Randolph and O'Brien write with grace and clarity. Though evangelical, they steer clear of moral or political agendas and give no hint of anti-Western sentiments; they even suggest someone write a complementary sequel: Misreading Scripture with Eastern Eyes. Their extensive range of biblical and contemporary samples makes this an excellent resource for confessional Bible study contexts or an entry-level textbook in undergraduate courses on biblical interpretation."-- Martin W. Mittelstadt, Religious Studies Review 39, no. 2, June 2013



"Written in engaging prose, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is a must-have for students of the Bible, and especially students of biblical apologetics. Any seasoned traveler knows that when someone visits a foreign country for the first time, he or she will be well served by a competent guide. When it comes to the social world of the Bible, Richards and O'Brien serve as tour guides par excellence."-- James Patrick Holding, Christian Research Journal 36, no. 5



"For many, [this] book will offer a dose of humility with hope. One is encouraged to admit, 'I don't know' while at the same time is spurred on to study the Bible more. Missionaries will be challenged to think more theologically and to listen respectfully to nationals who live around them. Theologians will be forced to consider how the adage 'context is king' applies to their own worldview. This is a perfect book to discuss within small groups at church or as teams on the mission field."-- Jackson Wu, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, July 2013



"This is an outstanding treatment of a complex and important topic. . . . This would make a good textbook for courses in hermeneutics or biblical interpretation, cultural studies, prolegomena, or theological method, as well as small-group studies in a local church. The book is written at a level that educated laypeople as well as pastors, teachers, and scholars will find helpful."-- Glenn Rl. Kreider, Bibliotheca Sacra, October–December 2013



"A politely confrontational book that bids you trade in your cultural spectacles and rethink how your worldview distorts your scriptural conclusions. Sex, money, food, self-focus, prejudices, and much more: developed with apt storytelling and enlightening examples."-- Worship Leader Magazine, May 2013



"A fascinating guide for any serious Bible reader! Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes reveals the 'habits of the mind' that might blind us to the Bible's intended message. Richards and O'Brien unpack the intricacies and nuances of cultural communication to help people better understand the Bible. To help you know--and live--the Christian life more faithfully."-- Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Urbana program director, coauthor of Partnering with the Global Church



"Richards and O'Brien open our eyes to the crosscultural nature of the Bible. Their book is a helpful resource in understanding Scripture on its own terms, without imposing our assumptions on the biblical authors and their first readers."-- Lindsay Olesberg, author, The Bible Study Handbook, and senior associate for Scripture engagement, Lausanne Movement



"The authors of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes make a convincing case that those who trust in the Bible should (for biblical reasons) be more self-conscious about themselves. Their demonstration of how unself-conscious mores influence the understanding of Scripture is as helpful as the many insights they draw from Scripture itself. This is a good book for better understanding ourselves, the Christian world as it now exists and the Bible."-- Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, coauthor, Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia



"Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is an important book that comes along at a critical moment in global evangelical history. Helpful examples reveal our cultural tendencies and biases that could hinder a deeper reading of Scripture. The authors help us to recognize our blind spots and offer insight that honors the intention of Scripture to be read in the context of community. I am grateful to the authors for their effort to be self-reflective and engage in a critical examination of our engagement with Scripture from within Western culture."-- Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary, author of The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity



"This is a revolutionary book for evangelical Bible-believers. If its readers end the book motivated to ask the questions it invites and even inspired to identify other possible misreadings because of Western cultural blinders that have not been discussed, they will be more ready to live out the kind of biblically faithful, Christ-honoring and God-fearing lives that they desire to and that the world needs."-- Amos Yong, J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia



"Randy Richards and Brandon O'Brien have written a useful and enjoyable book, which makes excellent use of good stories to illustrate the points they make. The reader will leave the book with plenty of challenging questions to ask about approaches to Scripture. Interesting, thoughtful, and user-friendly."-- Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history, co-director for the program on historical studies of religion, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, author of The Next Christendom --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About the Author


E. Randolph Richards (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is a coauthor of Rediscovering Paul and the author of Paul and First-Century Letter Writing.



Brandon J. O'Brien is editor-at-large for Leadership and an instructor of religion at the College of DuPage. He is completing his doctorate in theological studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. O'Brien is the author of The Strategically Small Church.--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BL3JXYE
Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP Books (July 31, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 31, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 629 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 241 pages

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James Veihdeffer
2.0 out of 5 stars Misreading Indonesian Culture with Western EyesReviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018
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While very earnest and well-meaning, this book would be more aptly titled: "Misreading Indonesian Culture with Western Eyes." This is because the book continually references Indonesian culture with Western culture in order to show how things — words, events, customs — can mean very different things in different parts of the world. This is certainly an admirable goal and the book makes a very strong case for multicultural understanding. But it’s basically Anthropology 101. This would be great if we were studying anthropology, but the book promises, and mainly fails to deliver, much in the way of understanding biblical scriptures in any meaningful way. (There is at least one notable exception…below). Lack of a subject index is particularly vexing, esp. considering there is an author index, a scripture index and footnotes.

The authors, both well-credentialed evangelistic theologians, have each spent significant time in various locales ranging from Arkansas (Brandon) to Indonesia (Randy) and use their experiences in far-flung stations to make good points about how an expression in one place is interpreted quite differently in others. “The most powerful cultural values are those that go without being said” (12). Unfortunately, most of the cross-cultural examples come from 21st century Indonesia (Randy), not 1st century Palestine. Arguably, the collectivist, family-oriented Indonesia of 2002 is a good place to make a case for not assuming that all people understand things the same way, but gives little insight into what may have been going on in Nazareth 2,000 years ago. Although there are hundreds of scriptural references, from Genesis to Revelations, very few of them actually provide any insight into how we moderns are supposedly misreading scripture based on our 21st century mores. And many of the putative insights are little more than minute, nitpicky differentiations, as in the discussion of 1st C “modesty” where they make a big deal out of the difference between “sexual modesty” and “public modesty” in the matter of women covering their heads (43). Another notable example is the discussion of what it means to be “first” (relating to Paul’s letter about Adam being born first and thus having authority over women in teaching). The authors claim that it’s our modern understanding of ‘first’ as meaning “better” which leads us astray, since in biblical times the rules of primogeniture simply meant the firstborn received the greater inheritance, the family title, assumed responsibility etc.….the authors say (13). But if that doesn’t somehow mean “better” or “preferred” it’s hard to know what would. In fact, its seems to the modern reader to be a rather dodgy apologetic for giving women 2nd-hand status.

That said, one excellent insight has to do with the use of the Greek word 'makarios' in the Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes), usually translated as “blessed” or “blessing.” But the Greek more properly translates as “a feeling of contentment” or “when one knows one’s place in the world and is satisfied with that place” (75). The English language prefers clear subjects for its verbs, so it goes without saying (for us) that God blesses people. So we interpret the verse at Matt 5:9 as “If you are a peacemaker, then God will bless you.” But what the Jesus figure really meant was: “If you are a peacemaker, then you are in your happy place.” In other words, you will experience the feeling of contentment with your life if you are a peacemaker. This is part of a discussion on the important Whorfian hypothesis (aka Sapir-Whorf) to account for how our language shapes our worldview and in turn filters what we notice and how we interpret reality (71). Unfortunately, having made the point about makarios, the book doesn’t then go ahead and relate this wonderful theme to the actual subject matter of the book. We do however get a delightful example of the many distinctions of the word ‘rice’ in Indonesia compared to Western society (73) — as well as the Indonesian ideas of “privacy” and “quiet time.”

Interestingly, we also learn that the term 'Galatae' (as in the epistle to the Galatians) was used by the Greeks to denote Celtic tribes in the 270s BCE. The "Land of the Celts" is the Latin transliteration of the Greek 'celtica.' However, the authors don’t even get this quite right, calling the Roman term for Galatia a “mispronunciation of the word Celts” (57).

Alas, along the way the authors make what we might politely call “rookie mistakes,” considering that one (Randy) is a Ph.D. and dean of the School of Ministry at Palm Beach Atlantic University and the other (Brandon) is completing his doctorate in theology. For example, they try to introduce a point saying, “assuming the first gospel was written by the disciple Matthew” (79) — yet most biblical scholars acknowledge, and have for decades, that Mark was the first gospel composed (despite the conventional order presented in the N.T.) . Furthermore, Matt is usually dated toward the last quarter of the 1st C, attributed to a Greek-speaking anonymous Jew in Syria, not an Aramaic-speaking contemporary of Jesus. This is first-year theology school stuff.

Another oddity has to do with the question of whether there were female apostles in the early church. The authors bring up Junia and co-laborer (or husband?) Andronicus, whom the authors say are “both called apostles” in Rom 16:7. The effort to show how our modern culture clings to “rules” rather than “relationships” is laudable but once again their scholarship is lacking. They do acknowledge that scholars hotly debate about Junia/Junias, but then make the wild claim that “scholarship has now shown conclusively that Junia is a feminine name” (172). But that’s either a red herring or simple lack of awareness of the debate since the question has never been whether ‘Junia’ is feminine, but whether the Greek word Paul uses is <I>᾿Ιουνιᾶν</I> or <i>᾿Ιουνίαν</i> [‘iounia(s)] and is therefore best translated as Junia or Junias. Further, the real debate questions whether Paul was saying “of note among the apostles” to mean “prominent among” or “well known to the apostles.”

This IVP publication is full of gross over-generalizations (“In the West, rules must apply to everyone and they must apply all the time”) (168) and, many people thought the world was going to end in 2000…so we called it Y2K (145); and Westerners think mainly in terms of 'chronos' (like clock time) whereas ancients thought in terms of 'kairos' (seasons, situations) (142). Of course we get an excellent Indonesian example of the difference there (139).

Nevertheless, while the concept of this book is excellent — because the Middle Eastern bible was written in terms of collectivism, honor and shame, and family expectations, we need to be sensitive to the differences in cultural outlooks — there are much better treatments of the theme like Spong’s <i>Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy</i> or his <i>Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes.</i> or Scott Korb's <i>Life in Year One</i>. These (and others) address the “misreading” issues in a much more scholarly and on-topic way with fewer diversions into well-meaning but generic Intro to Anthropology discussions.

Finally, a style note. Because there are two authors with different missionary experiences, the authors chose to write incessantly in first person mode with “I (Randy) was often struck that telling stories for Indonesians…” (147) or “My (Brandon’s) acting career…” (100). This was fine for a while but after about a hundred instances, we yearn for a simple 3rd-person style: “Brandon’s acting career…”

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M.A. Singa
1.0 out of 5 stars Completely ridiculous, a major disappointmentReviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
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I was really excited to get this book, but the absolute best part is the Introduction. As the book progressed, I found myself wondering how on earth people who so seriously misunderstand basic gospel principles ended up teaching at a Bible college (one of the authors) or teaching world religions at a secular college (the other author). For example, they try to say that the reason anyone mentioned where someone was from in the Bible is because they were racist - I’m sorry, but Rebecca does not bring up the place Esau’s wife is from because she’s racist, she brings it up because it means they are not the same religion, and Esau has therefore married outside of the covenant! They twist things in scriptural passages so intensely (both in what they think most people understand them to say and in what they claim the passages “really” say) in their effort to make a point, that I could barely finish the book. There are so many missed opportunities to point out differences in Eastern and Western thought, it’s almost absurd that the authors focused on what they did. This book is completely ridiculous, a major disappointment, and ultimately a waste of money. Definitely do NOT recommend.

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Browning
1.0 out of 5 stars About Indonesia and not Ancient Near EastReviewed in the United States on August 17, 2018
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I thought this would give a good new prospective on the themes surrounding the writings of the New Testament instead, I got The West is wrong in pretty much everything and other cultures got it right. Plus, they go very near total multicultural PC hating on the West. They do not actually prove that other cultures are correct instead it is inferred. Heck they even brought up how they were "Both White Males" and therefore couldn't understand other cultures. It appeared more of a "you are wrong and therefore should just shutup and listen to how others do it" vibe. Not what the title presents this book as. Beware.

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James M. Brennan
1.0 out of 5 stars The Title is a Lie.Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
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My men's group was excited to dig into this one, but quickly grew disappointed and annoyed. The title is a misnomer. While there are a few examples of how folks with a Western way of thinking sometimes misunderstand specific passages of the Bible, that's not what this book is about. These authors have a very clear agenda of how they think Christianity should be more collectivist, and it's cultural relativism gone too far. Over and over, they talk about how other cultures do things (most prominently Indonesia), and infer that the Western way is not just different, but wrong. They're welcome to think that. And some of it is interesting. But it doesn't support the premise of the book. It's really too bad, because we were looking forward to being challenged and shown how some passages can be read in a new (old) light. But there's actually very little scripture quoted in the book. More often, the authors make a claim that scripture says 'such and such', but then don't back it up, or they quote some verses that clearly don't mean what they are inferring. Instead, they give more examples of how other cultures do things, as if that backs up their premise of what they claim the Bible says. If anyone is misreading, it's the authors. They should read the title of their book.

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Mr R J Madeley
5.0 out of 5 stars An essential book for real biblical studyReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2019
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This is a superb book for anyone who is seriously interested in studying the bible to discover what it really teaches. It looks at all the context elements that can lead us to misread biblical passages. It addresses the elements that "go without being said", either for the historical writers but not us (which mean we are missing vital pieces of the jigsaw to help our understanding) or for us (which means we layer our own world view on top, distorting the meaning). In the course we also see how our western world view and assumptions are not the same as those held by the many non-western christians - leading to differences in our understanding of scripture. Particularly informative are the sections on Honour / Shame cultures, which characterised biblical times but which are mostly misunderstood by modern western readers. The explanation of the story of David and Bathsheba in these terms is like scales falling from your eyes.

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LunarE
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book! Of course it cannot cover every verse ...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
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Excellent book! Of course it cannot cover every verse in Scripture that Western eyes may misread, but it encourages the reader to think again when he reads the Bible and not just adopt the "obvious" view. Some parts are truly eye-opening when one realizes how far removed the Biblical culture is to ours today. Recommended read to anyone, not just Bible scholars, teachers and students!

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stefanus
4.0 out of 5 stars good for the laymanReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2020
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it was fine, great for the layman or someone with little or no knowledge of scriptural back ground, i would recommend it anyone starting out. But there is nothing new in there that i snot readily available elsewhere. I would however highly recommend the books by Kenneth Bailey which are excellent even for the more mature Scripture reader

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D. C. Bowen


5.0 out of 5 stars A transformationalReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2019
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If you are interested in understanding how the world you grow up in influences how we interpret the bible, how their society affected how and what the disciples wrote: and how to understand it then this is the book for you.
Well written, engaging and thought provoking this is the book that can ignite a real voyage of discovery.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars An important development in Social Science Biblical CriticismReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2019
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Although mainly writeen for a United States audience, this is an important book and developes and balances the work of the Context Group by widenning the scope to include social reality as well as cultural trends.
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Jesus, Paul, and the Gospels - Kindle edition by Dunn, James D. G.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Jesus, Paul, and the Gospels - Kindle edition by Dunn, James D. G.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.







4.6 out of 5 stars 23 ratings


Print length ‏ : ‎ 329 pages
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Stevie Jake
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Primer on the Gospels and PaulReviewed in the United States on June 25, 2012
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Unfortunately, this is the first book I have read by New Testament scholar James Dunn. However, after reading this quick and informative book I have no doubt I will be visiting Dunn's scholarship in the future. So what exactly is this book about? Well the title sums it up rather well; it's about Jesus, Paul and the canonical Gospels. I believe what Dunn does in this book (quickly but not superficially) is he takes the reader from the life of Jesus to the writings of Paul and illuminates the continuity between said events. Dunn shows wonderfully how Jesus' life connects to the early Christian oral traditions/communities; how the communities led to the written Gospels; how Paul became affiliated with the Christian communities; and how Paul's letters continued the tradition of Christianity. In the book Dunn sheds scholarly light on the following questions (and many more):

-Are the Gospels reliable?
-What are some characteristics of Jesus we can be relatively certain about?
-Were the Gospel's sources written, oral, or both?
-How orally dependent were the earliest Christian communities and how does this factor into the genre and nature of the Gospels?
-What can be said of the Gospel of John? Is there any historicity contained in it?
-Is there any continuity between what Jesus preached and what Paul proclaimed?
-Are Jesus' proclamations at odds with Paul's?
-How did Paul identify himself?
-Was Paul an apostate?
-To what was Paul converted?

Dunn does an absolute wonderful job of bringing his scholarship to the level of the layperson in this book. This is probably the best introductory book on Jesus, Paul and the canonical Gospels because (as I mentioned above) Dunn does a fine job of following the line of continuity from Jesus to Paul. It gives readers vivid insight into how the Gospels and Paul's letters were formed from the impression left by Jesus. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick (but scholarly) treatment of New Testament studies.

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S. E. Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking The BarriersReviewed in the United States on February 5, 2013
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James Dunn is a breath of fresh air from the stale mantras being spewed out by modern liberal New Testament scholarship. It seems as if modern Jesus-questers win points in the academic community and in the popular media for trying to debunk the Christian faith. In their zeal to outdo eachother they ignore the truth and create their own facts to support their agenda. In order to debunk the Christian faith, Jesus has to be isolated from the New Testament and particularly from the Apostle Paul. They dare not attack Jesus but they have to redefine him into the new politically correct messiah who everyone can agree on. Paul, on the other hand, becomes the whipping boy for everything that they feel is wrong with the Christian faith. It's not enough that Paul was whipped and beaten in his lifetime, now he is being whipped up on by pseudo-scholars who want to make a name for themselves. It takes a real scholar like James D. G. Dunn to set the record straight and knock down the bogus walls that modern liberal scholarship has erected between Jesus, the New Testament, and the Apostle Paul.

Much of the material in regard to the historical Jesus can be found in Dunn's superb book, Jesus Remembered. The major theme of Jesus' ministry was the Kingdom of God which was soon to come yet was being manifested in Jesus miracles and exorcisms which demonstrated that his generation was living in the end times. Jesus saw his role as a prophetic calling to prepare Israel for this cataclysmic event by gathering the twelve tribes and reaching out to the marginal members of his society known as "the lost sheep of Israel". Dunn explains how Paul's missionary activities among the gentiles was a logical continuation and extension of this prophetic calling.

Dunn explains how the earliest traditions of Jesus were preserved and passed down orally due to the fact that most of his disciples were illiterate. Dunn challenges the theory of a so-called Q document. The Q verses were not necesarily a single document but common oral and written sources which both Matthew and Luke had independent access to.

Dunn sheds new light on the Gospel of John which is practically ignored as completely unhistorical by modern Jesus-questers. Dunn admits that the Gospel of John is written from a post resurrection perspective of the Spirit or Paraclete, yet it preserves unique historical information which cannot be found in the synoptic gospels. While Jesus' ministry starts after the imprisonment of John the Baptist and is mostly confined to Galilee, John's Gospel retains the memory of Jesus emerging from the circle of John the Baptist and commencing his ministry in Judea which was concurrent with and complemented John the Baptist's ministry. It reveals how Jesus had a following in and around Jerusalem who played prominent roles at the very end of Jesus' life and for the start of the earliest followers in Jerusalem.

Dunn explains how the Gospel of John has striking parallels in Jewish apocalyptic writings and shares ideas found in Merkabah mysticism. However, instead of ascending to Heaven, Jesus came down from Heaven to reveal the mysteries of God. To Johannine Jewish Christians, Jesus was the personification and incarnation of God's Wisdom. To the sages of Israel, God's Wisdom was inscripturated into the Torah.

Dunn refutes the idea that there was any considerable gulf between the gospel of Jesus and the gospel which Paul preached. Paul neither departed from nor corrupted the gospel of Jesus.

Paul believed in the imminent arrival of God's Kingdom and believed that it was already being manifested by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Like Jesus, Paul believed that his generation was the generation of the end-times.

Paul's outreach to the gentiles was not only a prophetic calling, but was a crucial step to bring about the Kingdom by Israel fulfilling its role as a light to the gentiles. It was a logical continuation of Jesus proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom to the marginal members of Israel. Like the lost sheep of Israel, gentiles were considered sinners living outside of God's grace.

Like Jesus, Paul was more concerned with the spirit of the law which he referred to as being led by the Spirit. This same emphasis of following the spirit and not the letter of the law is found in the Sermon on the Mount. It can be found in the prophetic announcement that the law would one day be written in the heart. Paul did not teach a lawless gospel devoid of morality. Paul was opposed to those "works of the law" which segregated Jews from gentiles. To Paul, these barriers had to be surmounted in order to fulfil God's plan of salvation. To Paul, only the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection allowed this to happen. This extension of God's grace to the gentiles made it possible for them to recognize and worship the God of Israel.

To Paul, the spirit which empowered Jesus was the same spirit which would empower his followers. However, it had to be tested to conform to what Jesus lived and taught. Paul obviously knew more about Jesus' actions and words than his letters reveal.

Dunn effectively refutes the tired old mantra that Paul created his own Christology which was out of sync with James and the disciples. It was Saul of Tarsus' zeal for the law as he perceived it which motivated him to persecute the followers of Jesus prior to his conversion. Few modern scholars other than Larry Hurtado broach the subject of what Saul found so offensive about the message of Jesus which he was radically converted to. Dunn suggests that the Hellenist faction identified with the views of Stephen were perceived as a threat to Israel's identity as a holy and separate nation.

Dunn makes the brilliant observation that "without Paul, the messianic sect of the Nazarenes may have remained a renewal sect within Judaism destined to fade fade away or be reabsorbed into Rabbinic Judiasm some generations later." Dunn goes on to say that Paul can be characterized as one of the truest disciples of Jesus - not simply the exalted Lord Jesus Christ, but also of Jesus of Nazareth.

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TBF
5.0 out of 5 stars Proverbs 15:7Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2014
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This was informative for me in both personal Bible reading and as a part of lifelong study. It helps me know a few, initial aspects of how the "Jesus tradition", it's development into what we have as the Gospel's (text), and how these four accounts shaped the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Learning from our elders of the faith is a part to living out our faith. Learning about the world and words of Scripture, be that OT or NT, and gaining insight from centuries removed is invaluable. We can do so by reading books such as this one from James Dunn whose scholarship is exemplary.

Jesus is LORD! (Rom 10:9)


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thepoetnmotion
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money and the read.Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2014
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I've made it through most of this book. Dunn does a good job of answering some questions I've always had regarding the Gospels. He brings the oral tradition of Jesus in to the discussion. The book is worth the money and the read. And you don't have to be a biblical scholar to follow Dunn's reasoning.


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Craig A. Robertson
5.0 out of 5 stars Entree to James D. G. Dunn's contribution to our understanding of the Gospel Tradition, Jesus and PaulReviewed in the United States on January 23, 2014
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These essays, edited from several series of his public lectures in various venues, offer an accessible entree to the multi-faceted body of work of this major British New Testament scholar. Readable, honest and carefully reasoned throughout. You will find yourself tempted to dig further into the issues he addresses.

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Irving
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Companion to Dunn's book The New Perspective on PaulReviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
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I believe James D. G. Dunn has written more works on St Paul and his Theology than any other Author I know of. It was not as hard to read as some of his works, but if you like Dunn as an author and theologian, Jesus, Paul and the Gospels is a good addition to one's Dunn collection and is an excellent reference source.

I. L. Brittle Jr.

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P Dyer
4.0 out of 5 stars ... slightly more conservative view than mine but what I delighted in was the easy readable style of his writingReviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014
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Dunn comes fro a slightly more conservative view than mine but what I delighted in was the easy readable style of his writing. For anyone interested in exploring the impact Paul had on the emerging Christian movement this is a worthwhile read.

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Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars "Jesus, Paul, and the Gospels", James D. G. Dunn. Short review by Dr Chris Girvan.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2013
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This is a really excellent book written by an expert theologian who is able to express himself in language that is easily understood not only by professors and lecturers in divinity but also by any member of the laity in any Christian Church who wants to be well informed about what lies behind what came to be recorded in what we call the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters that make up the New Testament. Professor Dunn decided to write this book in order to share the contents of a series of lectures that he gave at an International Seminar on Saint Paul organised by the Society Sao Paulo at its centre on Ariccia on Lake Alban and other events arranged as a result of Pope Benedict XVI's decision to celebrate the year 2008-9 as the bimillennial year of Paul.

In his preface to his book, Professor Dunn expresses his hope that his book will enable those who read it will more fully appreciate Jesus, Paul and the Gospels, their relation to one another and of their continuing importance for Christian self-understanding and for the growth of mutual understanding and respect between Jew and Christian.

One reviewer of the book, Professor Michael J Gorman of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland expressed himself thus: "Anyone seeking an introduction to Jesus, Paul and the Gospels, and their interconnections will find no better book than this.''
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Roy J Squires
5.0 out of 5 stars History of Christianity in the making - in brillian brevityReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2016
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A brilliant summary of his 3 volume work on the making of Christianity

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Juan Cahis Llugany
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buenoReviewed in Spain on March 14, 2019
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Extraordinario, como todo lo de James D. G. Dunn
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