Table Of ContentThe 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 University of New York Press
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
2001020007
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgment vii
Introduction
Why Do We Need Another Book on the Subject of Sin? 1
Chapter One
The Shrill Voice of the Wounded Party
Walter Brueggemann on The Old Testament 25
Chapter Two
The Bible and Han
Andrew Sung Park on The Bible and Asiatic theology 45
Chapter Three
The Alienation of Alienation
Justo L.González on church history 61
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 71
Chapter Five
Beyond “The Addict’s Excuse”:
Sin,Public Addiction,and Ecclesial Recovery
Ched Myers on christian activism 87
vi THE OTHER SIDE OF SIN
Chapter Six
Reconstructing the Doctrine of Sin
Theodore W.Jennings Jr.on theo-ethics 109
Chapter Seven
The Conundrum of Sin,Sex,Violence,and Theodicy
Marie M.Fortune on pastoral counseling 123
Chapter Eight
Teaching Justice and Reconciliation
in a Wounding World
Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore on Christian education 143
Chapter Nine
Hospitality to Victims:
A Challenge for Christian Worship
Ruth C.Duck on liturgical theology 165
Bibliography 181
Contributors 191
Index 193
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 in Horizons 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.
vii
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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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