Preface
I
was delighted to discover that On Jesus
would be translated into Korean, especially since I have and esteemed Korean
colleague, Dr. Sun Wook Chung, and several beloved Korean students at Denver
Seminary, and because of the resurgence of Christianity in Korea in recent
decades. I hope that its translation will contribute to wise philosophical
discussion about Jesus and Christianity in Korea and among Korean readers
elsewhere, whether these readers are followers of Christ or not.
While
some of the cultural references employed may be unique to American culture, the
essential issues that are raised in On
Jesus are not uniquely American, but timeless. Jesus addressed issues that
are perennial for human beings, and which have been categorized by philosophers
as matters of metaphysics, epistemology, and morality. One thing that
distinguishes Jesus from most philosophers is the metaphysics of his own
identity. The Bible, Christian creeds, and orthodoxy through the ages have confessed
and defended [SG1]
the claim that this prophet from Nazareth was both human and divine: one person
with two natures. Therefore, this book discusses this significant claim in some
detail. However, I discuss this topic in much more depth in chapter 21 my book,
Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive
Case for Christian Faith (InterVarsity Press, 2011).
If
I had originally written this small book for a Korean audience, I would have
added more comparison and contrasts between the teachings of Jesus with those
of Buddhism and Confucianism. However, I hope that the attentive Korean reader
will supply this analysis and bring the philosophy and identity of Jesus into a
uniquely Korean context. Although On
Jesus does consider some of the differences between Jesus and the teachings
of other religions, Christian Apologetics
deals with this important topic in more detail, especially in chapters 19-24. (This
book is now being translated into Korean and should appear in 2014.)
Perhaps
many Koreans will also be intellectually provoked by my chapter, “Jesus’ View
of Women,” given the influence of the Confucianism view of women and the
assumption of male leadership in the church.
I
further hope that this small volume challenges more Korean Christians to
confidently enter the philosophical calling, with Jesus are their model and
inspiration. As he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
soul, strength, and mind” (Matthew 22:37-38; see also Isaiah 1:18).
Douglas
Groothuis, Ph.D., September 12, 2012
Professor
of Philosophy
Denver
Seminary
Denver,
Colorado, USA
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