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Religion Teacher Training in Christian Education

Hwa Seon Chang(Anyang University)

This article attempts to explore the issue of religion teacher training in Christian education of Korea. In order to delineate the issue of religion teacher training, this writing firstly searches Christian institutes which offer the religion teacher ertificate of secondary schools. Five departments of Christian education and four graduate schools of education among 25 Christian universities in Korea manage the teacher education program. They offer religion teacher certificate to all students majoring in Christian education. The institutes which are offering the religion teacher certificate in Christian education are expected to follow the guideline given by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. The system requires students to take courses in liberal arts, major subjects related to religion and teaching profession curriculum. Students who are enrolled in the department of Christian education are required to take above 50 credits in major. Pre-teacher should take at least 7 courses among religion courses. In this article, I shall discuss the curriculum of department of Christian education, A University as a case of religion teacher training. This article discusses three core directions of religion teacher teaching: improving religion teacher qualifications, clarifying the definition of teaching religion, and continuing religion teacher training. This study is concluded with ideas of inter-relationship college or university with Christian mission schools, the Bible class or Christianity class in Christian mission schools, teaching Christian faith and lives, and authentic and power teaching religion in Christian mission schools.

Spiritual Transformation by Ritualization in Christian Education

Sung Joo Oh(Methodist Theological University)

This paper begins with a question, “Today, who is a Christian?” This question implicatively addresses the loss of the aim of Christian education. It also indicates that today’s Christian education in Korea has been much focused on bringing up “Sunday Christians” or “nominal Christians,” but not on “authentic Christians” who practice moral conscience and the ethical Christian life as a Christian in the world. From this perspective, I point out the importance of Christian formation in the church educational settings. Especially in this paper, Christian formation is understood as a process of becoming a Christian “being formed in Christ.” More emphasized in Christian formation is the process of transforming both being (belief) and doing (action). Therefore, my attempt for this is integrally to approach to a Christian formation bringing both the psychological, philosophical dimension of moral and religious transformation. In particular, my argument is the question of how to be able to bring out the formation of the moral self and that of public life all together by the spiritual transformation. Accordingly, as a powerful mode for Christian formation, I deal with the subject matter of ritualization, suggesting the various theories of spiritual transformation. Representing several scholars’ discussion of ritual meaning and its relation to efficacy, I focus on our developing

relationship with God and our transformation made possible by the Holy Spirit when our lives are oriented toward a life of liturgy. Therefore, the sacramental experience of the Words and liturgy is suggested as very efficacious means to be formed in Christ. As a conclusion, it is in a liturgical process that we must try to reflect the traits with three dimensions which characterize participants’ behavior, I suggest.

Multiple Roles of the Bible Women in the Early Korean Church

Hyun Sun Oh (Honam Theological University)

The Bible Women had done very important works in the early Korean mission field. In this paper, I considered the role of the Bible Women in the early Korean Christianity according to three categories: the church, baptism, and Christian education based upon the missionaires’ journal The Korea Mission Field. The Bible Women were people who helped missionaries in the early period of mission in Korea. The expansion of Korean Christianity from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century based upon their great roles of the Bible Women. Missionaries had influenced on Korean women’s lives that had been marginalized from the male, upper-middle class focused socio-cultural system in the early 19th century. Learning and practicing Christian gospel with the missionaries, the uneducated and marginalized women could have an opportunity to be human beings. The opportunity to be a Bible Woman was the opportunity to transform one’s life. Numerous women were liberated from the traditional patriarchal oppression through their new occupation as Bible Women. They served as preachers, Christian teachers, leaders and evangelists in the early Korean church community. Overcoming the limitations of the Contemporary Korean protestant churches, such as materialism, individualism, and expansionism, we need to look closely at the works and roles of the Bible Women in the early Korean Christian era. As evangelists, ministers, national leaders, and Christian educators, the Bible Women should be remembered in the Christian educational community.

Resolving Conflict in a Church Educational Ministry

Cheol-Hyun Cho(Kosin University)

 

Christians who participate in church educational ministry may be involved in conflict. Many problems in church context take place because of unresolved conflict. Leaders of church educational ministry are to prevent and manage conflicts based on the biblical principles. This essay presented biblical principles, factors, and skills for preventing and resolving church conflict creatively to help church educational ministry leaders. The definition of conflict is as follows: “church conflict is an uncomfortable situation among people or groups in a church in which people realize that they cannot truly achieve what they wish.” This essay suggested five positive factors for preventing and resolving conflict in church educational ministry. First is shared vision. It is also impossible to draw followers’ devotion if church leaders fail to share their ministry vision effectively. The second is communication. It is a method of connecting people’s thoughts and actions in church ministry groups. The third is participation. Most people want to be regarded as important beings in churches and organizations by participating in the shaping of visions and activities. The fourth is trust building. When there is a low trust in the church, conflict may come to pass. The fifth is understanding cultural difference. If a church leader does not understand cultural differences, church conflicts will arise among people. This essay also suggested seven biblical principles of conflict resolution for helping churches. First, conflict must be properly resolved. Second, Christians are to see conflict positively because they can glorify God if they resolve it in a biblical way. Third, Christians also have to confront conflict situation based on Matthew 18:15-17, if necessary. Fourth, Christians try to seek mutual benefit in resolving conflict. Fifth, Christians should take the role of a peace maker based on Eph. 4:3. Sixth, Church leaders are to train church congregation for conflict management. Seventh, love is one of the most important keys for conflict resolution.

Integrative Understanding of
Emotion and Holistic Approach to Christian Education

Yun Soo Joo(Busan Presbyterian University)

Christian education should promote holistic growth of believers integrating multiple

dimensions of the experience of faith including the domains of the intellect, emotion, and behavior. However, traditional emotion-reason dualism has denigrated its holistic task into the fragmented act of narrow intellectualism, overly emphasizing the acquisition of doctrinal concepts and the memorization of biblical facts. However, learning how to respond emotionally to God and to others in a way consistent with Christian beliefs and values is as important as attaining an intellectual understanding of God. The integrative understanding of emotion in recent philosophy, neuroscience and cognitive psychology suggests that emotion is inextricably linked with cognition and conation. This demonstrates their complex and complicated interaction and cooperation in multiple dimensions of various regions of the brain. Such studies lead us to a renewed appreciation of emotion not only in anthropology, but also in theology, challenging the traditional notion of an “unmoved mover” or “divine apathy.” With the renewed construal of emotion, this article argues that the Christian education process should include emotional dimensions. The adequate cultivation and discipline of emotional responses on the basis of Christian belief will promote believers toward holistic progression by assisting them in making a right judgment, vividly responding to God, and motivating them to carry out Christian values in daily life.

A Study on the Role of Religion on Adolescent Development

Seung Beom Shin(Seoul Theological Seminary, Lecturer)

Adolescence is a time of significant transition and major life changes. This study is designed to present how religion can be related to adolescent development. For the last several decades, the role of religion has been widely ignored by social scientists. However, it is still believed that religion remains an important influence in the lives of adolescents. In order to explain the role of religion in adolescent development, first, two theories will be discussed: Piaget’s adolescent cognitive development and Erikson and Marcia’s psychosocial perspectives. Second, studies that were conducted to investigate the relationship between religion and adolescent outcomes such as identity, maturity, educational achievement, volunteerism, and risk behavior will be reviewed. Lastly, the theological and educational implications for educational ministry will be discussed.

Teaching and Learning Theory and Practice based on Trinitarianism

Ho Sook Sung(Chongshin University)

 

God the Trinity is one God who exists as three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. His immanent essences are the mutual indwelling, the mutual penetration and the mutual participation and his economic work is based on the immanent essence. Church was established in Jesus Christ by the works of God the Trinity. Therefore, church must form the mutual communication and agreement and unity that are the immanent essences of God the Trinity. The field of education which carried out teaching and learning must also form agreement and unity through the mutual communication. The unity in teaching and learning is built assuming the triune form in which it can be found the triune elements of education from three aspects of relation, content, and result. The triune teaching and learning has the ultimate aim to recovery the image of God deformed and broken by sin. Teaching and learning for this ‘recovery’ must form the unity and agreement with love, obedience, and unity.

Abendmahl mit Kindern

Eun Ju Kim(Seoul Theological University)

In der koreanischen Kirchenpraxis können die (getauften) Kinder am Abendmahl kirchenrechtlich nicht teilnehmen. Wir warfen noch keinen Blick auf das Thema “Abendmahl mit Kindern”. Dagegen ist diese Praxis in Deutschland seit den 70er Jahren des 20. Jahrhunderts gängig. Aber das Problem in Deutschland liegt darin, dass die Praxis des Abendmahls uneinheitlich in den Ortsgemeinden durchgeführt wird. Das Thema “Abendmahl mit Kindern” ist noch umstritten. Dieser Aufsatz handelt über die theologischen und religionspädagogischen Überlegungen für die Zustimmung des Kinderabendmahls. Zuerst wird der historische Prozess des Ausschlusses der Kinder aus dem Abendmahl durch einen Überblick der kirchgeschichtlichen Entwicklung beobachtet. Dann kommt eine Studie über die Kindertaufe und des Abendmahlsverständnisses. Das Abendmahl steht mit der Taufe in enger Verbindung. Daher ist die Untersuchung der Taufe unerlässlich. Anschließend wird eine neue Interpretation von 1 Kor. 11 beleuchtet. Zuletzt wird das Abendmahl mit Kindern auf der pädagogischen und psychologischen Ebene befürwortet. Die ganze Studie widmet sich der Berechtigung der Teilnahme der Kinder bei der Abendmahlsfeier.