Reading Jesus’ Parables with Dao De Jing: Appendix: A New Translation of the Dao De Jing - Softcover

Kim, Yung Suk

Softcover

ISBN 10: 153265491X ISBN 13: 9781532654916

Publisher: Resource Publications, 2018

Synopsis

Dao De Jing is an ancient wisdom book, purportedly written by Laozi, who flourished in the sixth century BCE according to the Chinese tradition. It is comprised of eighty-one short poems of which the source is diverse, ranging from personal life to communal and political life. It uses abundant metaphors taken from nature such as water, dust, river, wood, and valley. Laozi reminds his readers to rethink their worldview and purpose of life. Parables of Jesus also are stories about life, ranging from personal identity to social justice. Laozi and Jesus lived in different places at different times. Yet they share a passion and vision to make a better world, full of mercy, justice, and peace. Laozi asks his audience to appreciate the power of smallness in their perspectives. Likewise, in the Mustard Seed, Jesus also helps his audience to see the potential of a small seed that may grow miraculously to several feet tall. This book reads Jesus’ parables from the perspective of the Dao De Jing. There is a new translation of the Dao De Jing in the Appendix.

About this title

About the Author

Yung Suk Kim is Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University. Kim is the author of numerous books, including Christ's Body in Corinth (2008), Biblical Interpretation (Pickwick, 2013), Resurrecting Jesus (Cascade, 2015), and Messiah in Weakness (Cascade, 2016).

Review

"In this deceptively slim volume, Kim explores powerful ancient wisdom in the teachings of both Laozi and Jesus. Drawn from natural metaphors about many aspects of life, Kim reveals their abiding common themes such as humility, the value of lowliness and smallness, or maintaining a balanced perspective on life. He unpacks the potential laden in humble beginnings and things forsaken. Kim succeeds in communicating compelling readings of life's experiential knowledge". --Robert Wafawanaka, Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University
"Yung Suk Kim's uncanny ability to read the New Testament from the insights of ancient Asian wisdom equips him to do an innovative exercise in biblical interpretation. Once again, Kim presents newly provocative reflections on the parables of Jesus in this creative work. Here the exemplary teacher cordially invites readers to the hermeneutical excitement and rewards of understanding biblical texts cross-culturally. A new translation of the Dao De Jing is an additional boon." 
--Chan Sok Park, The College of Wooster

Edition details

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 153265491X
• ISBN 13: 9781532654916
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 76