Henry Gates and James Crowley: How do we know what we know? What is a lesson?

Henry Gates and James Crowley: How do we know what we know? What is a lesson?

The following is my own response to an incident that happened at Cambridge, Massachusetts a few days ago. I was not on the scene when Henry Gates, a Harvard professor, was arrested by a policeman named James Crowley at his home. What I hear from the media is roughly like this: Gates returned from a trip to Indonesia and found his front door jammed. So he tried to break in by breaking the door. Neighbors found this and reported to the police for concerns about a vulgarly case. A policeman came to the scene. Apparently, I suppose there were some questions and answers between them. Supposedly there were unhappy feelings or reactions (or overreactions) from both sides for whatever motives. Well, depending on a position, each man’s action or reaction could be legitimate or humanly possible. One person is an African American professor and the other is a policeman (Caucasian-descent if this label is acceptable). Race could be a matter of dispute here but I am not sure in this particular case. Both have different life experiences and perspectives in their social locations. The policeman’s job is to protect civilians’ lives and properties. The professor’s job is to educate students by showing examples of life not just in classroom but also in a real world. The bottom line is that we are humans and could misunderstand each other. But what I regret is that the policeman on the scene should not have arrested him for a charge of disorderly conduct once he found out that Gates is a legal resident of that house. The primary task of policeman is not to escalate the situation but to deescalate it. Lessons could be many depending on how we look at this incident or how we tell the story: learning from personal issues to political ones. Among others, there might be some interpersonal issues between them, as we all are faced by similar situations day by day. One may not need to overreact under any circumstances. Of course, any personal issues do not merely stop on a personal level only; our lives are indeed interdependent with each other in a larger world that we all inhabit. So the real issue of today's complex social political world is "how to live well together."

The First Paul

The First Paul is a very readable, easy-to-follow book. Borg and Crossan are great minds. I agree that there are three "Pauls" in three different groups of letters: his own seven letters, Deutero-Pauline, and Pastoral letters. I always lament that Paul's theology has not been well understood by many people. One of such attempts was made by me as I wrote Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Paul in Critical Contexts). There I argued that Christ's body in 1 Cor is not used as a metaphorical organism but a metaphor of living. So for example, "you are to live like Christ -- Christic body" (1 Cor 12:27). For Paul, Christ's body is not equal to the church. He never used these two side by side in his own letters. Only in Ephesian and Colossians, we see "church is his body, whose head is Christ." Why is this important? For Paul, it is Christ's body (his life and death, sacrifice) that we have to embody. I think therefore reclaiming Paul's radical theology is very important for our life today.

Paul comes alive

Garry Wills, in his book, What Paul Meant? did a great job by writing complex Paul with easy-to-follow style of writing and related information. This book begins with the misunderstood Paul, constructed by both Christians and non-Christians. By distinguishing Paul from later epistles such as Deutero-Pauline and Pastoral Letters, Wills places Paul in very lively context of his ministry rooted in continuation of Jesus tradition. I agree that Paul's teaching or theology is not deviated from Jesus. That common ground can be a theology of sacrifice or other-centered life. I think reclaiming Paul's life and theology today is very important especially when he is greatly misunderstood. To re-appreciate his radical theology, I re-read Paul's metaphor in 1 Cor, "body of Christ" which traditionally was read as a metaphorical organism. But I read it as a metaphor for "a way of living" -- this becomes an attributive genitive (Christlike body: Christic body). In Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Paul in Critical Contexts), Christ's body in 1 Cor is not used as a metaphorical organism but a metaphor of living. So for example, "you are to live like Christ -- Christic body" (1 Cor 12:27). For Paul, Christ's body is not equal to the church. He never used these two side by side in his own letters. Only in Ephesian and Colossians, we see "church is his body, whose head is Christ." Why is this important? For Paul, it is Christ's body (his life and death, sacrifice) that we have to embody. I think therefore reclaiming Paul's radical theology is very important for our life today.

Pedagogy of the Bible

Dale Martin is a great scholar, who writes clearly and passionately about theological education and the Bible. His book Pedagogy of the Bible shows such an excellent move toward his passionate search for it. It is a welcome addition to my bookshelf and to my own research. Martin proposes that teaching of the Bible come back to premodern interpretation in which readers take central stage. The Bible (texts) doesn't mean something objectively clear to everybody -- a kind of once-and-for-all. It is, ultimately, the reader who decides final meaning of the text. Historical-critical methods are not different; historians also choose their meaning in their interpretation. So if somebody says "the Bible says ..." it shouldn't be understood that the Bible says only one thing. In fact, the reader who says it means with texts in such a way. In this regard, all readings are subject to investigation and criticism. Actually, it is an irony that this important part of "reader" in the process of interpretation is not given much due attention. I highly recommend this book to all who teach and study the Bible. My hope is that all levels of readers faithfully and critically engage the Bible in their diversity of life contexts. In this way I believe that lively meaning of the text might be ever-coming back for us today. In fact, I share with Martin the same passion for theological education, for which I wrote this book Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Paul in Critical Contexts).

The Heart of Christianity and the Heart of Paul's Theology

Marcus Borg, the author of The Heart of Christianity, is committed to making Christianity viable and authentic for modern people by making distinction between the "old" paradigm and the "emerging" paradigm of Christianity. Borg is passionate about the authentic Christian message rooted in Jesus and Paul, which is basically about living the transformative life. This book is a must read for all who ask what is Christianity about. This book not only deconstructs the old paradigm but reconstructs a more healthy way of living Christian life today without losing faith, hope and love of God. "Salvation is about the transformation of life, individually together, here and now. And the Bible speaks of these two transformations as an experience now, and as a hope for history, and as a hope that leads beyond history" (p.183). As seen here, his reading is balanced between various aspects of time and life. In my own book, Christ's Body in Corinth, I continue the spirit of this kind of authentic faith and Christian experience which I find in Paul's letters, especially in 1 Corinthians. As for Paul, the heart of his theology is "embodiment" of Christ. It is "Christic body" as I articulated in my book. If we read Rom 8:1-11 for example, what is essential for Paul is to live the faithful life of Christ, not a mere belief in Jesus but a life of faithful action, modeled after Christ crucified. The central message here (Rom 8) is not something like "Jesus died instead of me or for sin; so I don't die." The opposite is true. Jesus died and I should die too. In other words, again in Rom 8:1-11, those who walk according to the Spirit are the ones who submit their will to God's law, which aims at "life and peace." I believe that Borg's sketch of authentic Christian faith aiming at transformation of our life is very important to our re-envisioning of a new community for all.

wild flowers and cultivated flowers

Did I do wrong when I planted wild flowers in a little garden at our home? Walking on neighborhood streets, I found a bunch of beautiful wildflowers, all different by shape and color. I transplanted some of them in our garden. First of all, I am not sure whether these flowers will survive in our garden, away from their original place. Second, I am not sure whether these flowers get along with other cultivated flowers. However, there is no question that these wild flowers are also flowers – beautiful and unique. I will keep vigilant eyes on this garden to see what happens next.

Actually, the above episode or reflection of mine has much to do with my theology or worldview. When I wrote Christ's Body in Corinth, one of the largest concerns was the issue of diversity. How do we live in this wild and cultivated world? How do we treat others? How do we examine ourselves in the presence of others? What is an ideal state that we seek to achieve when we live in one world?

"texts don't mean; but we mean with texts"

Dale Martin, in his book Pedagogy of the Bible, reiterates the importance of readers in reading the Bible. So he says: "texts don't mean but we mean with texts." I agree. The Bible (texts) doesn't say something objectively clear to everybody -- a kind of once-and-for-all. It is, ultimately, the reader who decides final meaning of the text. Historical-critical methods are not different; historians also choose their meaning in their interpretation. So if somebody says "the Bible says ..." it shouldn't be understood that the Bible says only one thing. In fact, the reader who says it means with texts in such a way. In this regard, all readings are subject to investigation and criticism. Actually, it is an irony that this important part of "reader" in the process of interpretation is not given much due attention. I would say it is a scandal. So in my class, I always emphasize the reader's role in interpretation. Meaning is readers'. Having said this, I don't think, of course, all readings are equally good or legitimate. There must be some discussion about criteria of good interpretation. That would be my next book project's topic.