Doctoral Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology)
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology) by Subject "Art -- Korea"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemRevisiting the use of art, imagery and symbolism in the Presbyterian Liturgical tradition in Korea : a practical-theological research(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013., 2013-12) Lee, Keonsoo; Cilliers, Johan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Aesthetics has a theological calling: The beauty (or ugliness) in the world and art incites us to long for the divine eternal beauty. The earthly beauty is revelatory and analogous to the beauty of God. Imagination, i.e. making an image, whether mental or physical, is an inherent faculty of human beings who were created in the image of God. It is an insuppressible human activity. Besides, the search for meaning, which is a universal human quest for the purpose in life, is a concern common in both religion and art. Aesthetics (art and beauty) thereby should be a theological locus, a graceful partner of theological dialogue. But how much are aesthetic dimensions incorporated in the Korean Presbyterian theological/liturgical context? Visual art, imagery and symbolism are considered marginal or even dangerous in the Korean Presbyterian churches while preaching is given a dominant position in their worship services. As a result, they are losing sight of the essential implications that aesthetic, embodied experiences of art, imagery and symbolism have for liturgical richness. Art, imagery and symbolism are fundamental components in Christian life and worship as demonstrated with numerous evidences throughout the Christian history. They are never discordant with the tradition of the Word, but rather, have critical importance to theology for five reasons – the human as embodied being, a manifestation of imago Dei, the integrative characteristic of our thinking and perceiving, the Bible as book of images, and the contemporary culture of images. Against this backdrop, aesthetic expressions of art, imagery and symbolism are claimed to have five features significant to Christian worship: The revelatory power of the beauty in nature or works of art displays something of God; aesthetic expressions of art, imagery and symbolism speak to the human totality as an intelligent-affective-sensate-corporeal being; people necessarily become participants in the performative nature of art and its claim of truth; the beauty, truth and goodness manifested in works of art may be a reminder of our responsibility to work for the transformation of the world; an artwork can serve an eloquent mode of hoping for the present absent reality of the Kingdom of God. In terms of these qualities, an implication that aesthetic experiences in worship have the power to reframe, taking us to the encounter with the divine beauty, goodness and truth, is drawn, and a fusion of the verbal and non-verbal is claimed conclusively.