Description: This study brings insights from character ethics in addition to the much discussed biblical scholarship on social justice in order to elucidate the concept of righteousness present in the book of Proverbs. Sun Myung Lyu's study finds Proverbs to be very distinctive in emphasizing the ideal human character as the paradigm of moral life. What this ideal person embodies is righteousness, the character in toto, which encompasses yet transcends specific virtues and moral actions. After presenting a comparative study of Proverbs with the Psalms and the ancient Egyptian wisdom texts, the author concludes that despite many similarities and parallels, Proverbs still stands out in its strong emphasis on character formation and internalization of virtues as foundations of morality in general and righteousness in particular.
Brief description: Sun Myung Lyu, Born 1963; currently senior pastor of the Korean Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor (PCA) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.