Paul S Chung

Spanning the continents, three internationally respected theologians demonstrate how the thought and legacy of Martin Luther can serve in an ecumenical and interfaith context as a resource for a radical critique of global economics and culture.Lutheran Christianity originated in its own era of economic and cultural crisis. One of the great misinterpretations of Martin Luther has considered his heritage as fundamentally reactionary, seeking to preserve the political status quo. Instead, set free by the biblical message of liberation, this book wields Luther's theology to engage the reality of poverty, hunger, oppression, and ecological degradation caused by an imperial capitalism as the most urgent theological issues in the contemporary world. The volume demonstrates the liberating possibilities of theology done out of a biblical and Lutheran perspective for the economic and cultural crises facing the church in the present century.

Description: Martin Luther and Buddhism: Aesthetics of Suffering carefully traces the historical and theological context of Luther's breakthrough in terms of articulating justification and justice in connection to the Word of God and divine suffering. Chung critically and constructively engages in dialogue with Luther and with later interpreters of Luther such as Barth and Moltmann, placing the Reformer in dialogue not only with Asian spirituality and religions but also with emerging global theology of religions. Endorsements: "After reading I put this book down with great surprise and decided to encourage students and anyone interested in theology in Europe, America and Asia to urgently and repeatedly read it." --Jurgen Moltmann, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tubingen. ""Dr. Chung is engaged in a deeply theological reflection about Buddhism and Protestantism. His work is original and profound."" --John B. Cobb, Jr., Ingraham Professor Emeritus at the Claremont School of Theology ""Of all the 'turns' in Luther studies, the turn to Asia, so eloquently and powerfully heralded by Paul Chung, might end up being the most significant one both ecumenically and theologically. As a scholar fully conversant with both the best of Western and Asian traditions, Dr. Chung is uniquely qualified for helping us read not only in Buddhist context but also in a wider contextual and global horizon. This is the direction of international systematic-hermeneutical theology for the third millennium "" --Veli-Matti K rkk inen, Professor of Systematic Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Docent of Ecumenics, University of Helsinki. ""The primary goal of interreligious dialogue is mutual creative transformation. For this reason alone, Martin Luther and Buddhism deserves the attention of both Christians and Buddhists."" --Paul O. Ingram, Professor Emeritus, Pacific Lutheran University ""The book on Martin Luther and Buddhism by Paul Chung is a fascinating attempt to develop an emancipation theology of religions in the Asian context of poverty and suffering as well as of religious plurality."" --Ulrich Duchrow, Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Heidelberg ""Paul S. Chung's response to the challenge of religious pluralism is bold, timely, and provocative, as he engages Buddhism in Asia--with its notion of dukkha (suffering)--Luther's theology of the cross, and Karl Barth's accent on the universal reign of Jesus Christ."" --Winston D. Persaud, Professor of Systematic Theology, Wartburg Theological Seminary ""Bringing together Luther's theology with Buddhist understanding as embedded in Asian culture is a huge challenge. Dr. Chung takes on this challenge with a far-ranging breadth of knowledge and creative insight, especially for interfaith dialogue."" --Karen L. Bloomquist, Director for Theology and Studies at the Lutheran World Federation and Adjunct Professor of Theological Ethics, Wartburg Theological Seminary About the Contributor(s): Paul S. Chung is Assistant Professor of Lutheran Witness and World Christianity at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.