"Fools for the Sake of Christ": Missional Hermeneutics and Praxis in the Corinthian Correspondence

SMC Author

Michael Barram

SMC Affiliated Work

1

Status

Faculty

School

School of Liberal Arts

Department

Theology and Religious Studies

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2015

Publication / Conference / Sponsorship

Missiology: An International Review

Description/Abstract

Paul’s rhetoric in the Corinthian correspondence suggests that at least some of the Corinthians understood wisdom, power, freedom, and knowledge as being at the heart of Christian identity and practice in the world. Paul counters each of those terms hermeneutically, missionally—underscoring the import of foolishness, weakness, slavery, and love—with respect to his mission in the world and their own. Love, as explicated by Paul, helps to clarify why foolishness, weakness, and slavery trump wisdom, power, freedom, and knowledge. Apart from love, focusing on wisdom, power, freedom, or knowledge can become self-referential. Only in love can those characteristics move beyond themselves for the good—the building up—of others. Paul’s corrective metaphors for missional hermeneutics and praxis—foolishness, weakness, slavery, and love—represent concrete and counter-intuitive ways in which the mission Dei has been and must be manifested. In the process of exploring these issues, the article offers extended reflections on the implications of Paul’s hermeneutical reasoning for contemporary mission today.

Scholarly

yes

DOI

10.1177/0091829614563060

Volume

43

Issue

2

First Page

195

Last Page

207

Disciplines

Religion

Original Citation

Barram, Michael. "Fools for the Sake of Chris"’: Missional Hermeneutics and Praxis in the Corinthian Correspondence.” Missiology: An International Review 43 (2015): 195-207. doi:10.1177/0091829614563060

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