Browsing by Author "Park, Sungwhan"
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- ItemEthical preaching in contemporary Korean Protestantism : a critical reflection(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010-12) Park, Sungwhan; Cilliers, Johan; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of our study was not merely to recount the ethical problems of the Korean Protestant Church and its members, but to suggest a new ethical preaching mode for resolving these problems. Thus, in order to research the subject of our study, we used two methodologies: Dingemans’s practical theological methodology and the Heidelberg method of sermon analysis. In chapter one, we stated the question why the Korean Protestant Church’s growth is declining, and described the current social situation in which the Korean people are starting to turn their backs on the Korean Protestant Church, and also mistrusting the morality of this Church as its members do not seem to act in accordance with their stated beliefs. Their ethical behaviour does not correspond with the content of their confession. In order to show exactly the practical and problematic phenomenon of the Korean Protestant Church and its members, we used the results of six surveys conducted recently by several institutes. Furthermore, in order to expose exactly the Korean Protestant Christian’s ethical problems in terms of homiletics, we suggested that our study focuses on the following three issues: political, triumphal and narrative, as these three sermon patterns flow like rivers into the Korean Protestant Church and its American theological connection. By doing so, our study hoped to contribute ultimately towards the rediscovery and revalidation of ethical preaching in contemporary Korea. From chapter two to chapter seven, we thus strived to explain the content of, and relationship between, the three preaching modes as described above (political, triumphal, and experiential), and we analysed the sermons of three representative Korean Protestant preachers in detail, by using the framework of the Heidelberg method. In chapter eight, we evaluated the ethical situation of the Korean Protestant Church and its members in contemporary Korea as follows: “Consequently, in contemporary Korea, the Koreans no longer believe and trust the Korean Protestant Church. Thus, since the 1990s, the present Korean Protestant Church is experiencing a decline in the attendance of its members because the present Korean Protestant Church has lost its dignity due to its ethical problems. In our opinion, it is true that the Korean Protestant Church needs to discover Christian ethics; thus, the Church must especially focus on its lack of social ethics and political responsibility in the Reformed theological views. In order to promote the public’s trust in the Korean Protestant Church and its members, it is inevitable that Korean Protestant ministers must focus more on Christian ethics than on the outward development of the Church in contemporary Korea. Thus, in order to establish Christian ethics in Korea, the Korean Protestant preachers must consider ethical preaching, through which naturally, Christians will try to follow Jesus’ life and teachings before God by faith in the world.” In chapter nine, we explained in detail what ethical preaching is, i.e. we introduced the necessity for ethical preaching, and defined it as well as components thereof. In particular, we emphasized that the world’s position and function are unique, as evil controls the world in terms of ethical preaching because human beings have been captured by the multiplicity of the powers or related them to contemporary social realities, and they cannot but produce Christian ethical problems in the world. Furthermore, we suggested the following: “We obviously need the harmony of Campbell and Long’s homiletical views in order to create the best framework for ethical preaching for contemporary Korea.” In chapter ten, we critically compared and reflected on the homiletical views of Campbell and Long in terms of ethical preaching. Furthermore, we created a new ethical preaching mode for contemporary Korea. In chapter eleven, we introduced some suggestions as regards the way ethical preaching could be done in contemporary Korea, i.e. we strived to compose a sermon’s synopsis of ethical preaching with the newly formed framework. Thus, with Luke 8:22-39, we dealt with “the division of Korea into North and South” and, with Luke 10:25-37, “racial prejudice toward coloured foreign workers” by using the newly formed ethical preaching mode. In chapter twelve, we summarized and concluded our dissertation. As regards the homiletical field of Korea, we introduced four benefits our study can offer. On the other hand, we pointed out the shortcomings of our study as follows: “Jesus Christ and ethical issues from the Old Testament” and “the relationship between our ethical preaching mode and Christian worship, especially liturgy.” In this chapter, thus, we emphasized the abovementioned points as suggestions for future research.