Park, Andrew Sung. The Wounded Heart of God; The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1993.

Abstract

Traditional doctrines of sin and salvation center primarily on the moral agency of the sinner. While this focus adequately describes the responsibility of individuals for their sinful attitudes and actions, it fails to deal adequately with the pervasive reality of the suffering of the victims of sin. Andrew Sung Park addresses this long-standing imbalance by drawing on the Korean concept of han. Han is the relational consequence of sin; it is the scar which results in victims from the sin of those who have wronged them. The author asserts that one cannot grasp the full meaning of the sin and guilt of sinners until one has looked at the han and shame of their victims. If reconciliation with God and with other humans is to take place, not only must one's sin repented and one's guilt forgiven, but the han of those who have been wronged must be healed, and the shame which results from that wrong be erased. The Wounded Heart of God draws constructively on ideas from Eastern and Western traditions to build a coherent doctrine of the origins and consequences of human evil. The work shows how global theological perspectives can help formulate Christian theology.