• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.72
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• pp.25-48
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• 2022

This essay is a critical study of the three models of practical theology that emerged in the second half of the 20th century: the critical correlational model (Sherrill, Browning), the hermeneutical model (Groome, Gerkin), and the faith community formation model (Westerhoff, Campbell). This essay first explores the central ideas of practical theologians who adhere to each of the three models and focuses on Christian education, pastoral counseling, and homiletics. This essay then critically evaluates the three models in accordance to the following four themes: how practical theology has 1) responded to the challenges of postmodernity, 2) engaged in dialogue with different types of theology, 3) participated in interdisciplinary dialogue, and 4) understood Christian practice. In conclusion, this essay suggests that the essential tasks of contemporary Christian education as practical theology include: 1) providing an active response to many challenges of postmodern, postsecular, postdigital, and posthuman era, 2) engaging in interactive dialogue with diverse forms of theology, and 3) facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue based on transversal rationality, and 4) establishing of the concept of Christian practice at the individual, ecclesial, social, public, ecological, and digital levels.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.63
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• pp.91-120
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• 2020

This study suggests a spiritual education for the Christian family as a strategy to cope with the risky situation of the Korean Church during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, we live in a chaotic epoch since the rapid development of the science caused the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Covid-19 pandemic gave rise to a wide array of changes throughout the society. Korean Church in these circumstances is required to have relevant responses to the kaleidoscopic changes. Especially, not to mention the face-to-face public worship service, in the situation where the congregation members even find it difficult to meet one another in a small group, it becomes a crucial issue how Christians maintain their faith and community in the healthy spirituality. As such, viewing that Christian education within the family will become much more important, this study conducts research for familial-spiritual education. For the research, this paper, first of all, attempts to understand the era of Covid-19. It is to see what the Novel Corona Virus is and what the feature of the epoch of Covid-19 might be. Based upon the understanding, this research discusses what Christian spirituality is asked for and the orientation towards which Christian education should go on. It is particularly to say that a spiritual education for the family becomes integral. The education for the family might be possible through Bibliodrama so that this study establishes a specific model of Christian education employing Bibliodrama. The discussion above shows three academic significances. First, this paper, within the domain of Christian education, suggests an alternative research which is to solve Korean Church's diverse problems caused by Covid-19. Second, this research attempts an analytical understanding of the Covid-19 period within the Christian education area. Finally, when specific and practical research for the field of Christian education during the Covid-19 pandemic is required, this study considers that Christian education within the family is overarching, thus proposing a specific model for familial-spiritual education hiring Bibliodrama.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.68
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• pp.345-374
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• 2021

This study is a paper which studies the fact that autobiographical writing in Christian educational books is an important channel for studying the identity of Christian educators. The identity of Christian educators is the background and foundation of the study of Christian education theory. It was found through research that the scholar's identity is more evident in autobiographical writing from a first-person perspective experienced by the author than in argumentative writing with objective and cognitive limitations. This study examined the concept and characteristics of autobiographical writing research, the relationship of autobiographical writing research and self-identity, the relationship between autobiographical writing and Christian education, and discovered autobiographical writing in Christian educational scholars' books. Through the autobiographical writing of Maria Harris' Teaching and Religious Imagination, Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach, and Elizabeth Moore's Teaching as a Sacrament Act, we studied that the identity of Christian educators can meet, transform, and expand learners' identity as well. Through research, it has been confirmed that autobiographical writing takes the form of a story, but as a story distinct from the story, it becomes a place where the authors' identity and readers' identity can meet, wrestle and expand. Autobiographical writing has a relationship with story and self-identity. These characteristics are also linked to Christian educational goals that focus on the formation and transformation of self-identity. The autobiographical writing in Harris, Palmer, and Moore's writings shows the identity of a teacher, including scholars' theological perspectives and views on education. As the writing of Christian education books so far has become argumentative and objective writing, readers has felt a sense of disparity and disconnection. If autobiographical writing becomes educational books' style, it can invite readers to empathize with who the author is. Christian education will experience more fundamental changes with autobiographical writing.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.63
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• pp.183-219
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to find out what their professionalism is and how their expertise grows among Christian alternative school teachers. Professionalism refers to the broad expertise such as specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for a particular profession. The teacher expertise is also closely related to the life cycle of a teacher. The present study collected and analyzed the data using a mixed research method that combined a survey and interview. The survey, which involved 276 Christian alternative school teachers, asked about the current teacher's interest, the importance and retention of each element of professionalism, and, in addition, the level of external efforts and help in developing professionalism. The in-depth interview was conducted on 7 Christian alternative school teachers and identified the meaning of teacher professionalism, teacher quality and competencies, and environment for the professional growth. The results reveal that the professionalism recognized by Christian alternative school teachers is rather complex. It includes communication and relationship, calling and identity in addition to the curriculum and instruction expertise that reconstructs the curriculum from a Christian perspective. It is further found that teachers' decision to respond to the calling, subsequent continuous self-development, the teacher community that embodies such calling and efforts, and the school environment where autonomy and responsibility coexist, are equally important for their professional growth. Thus, in order to promote the professionalism of Christian alternative school teachers more effectively in the future, it would be necessary to provide programs that take the teacher's whole life cycle into account and are also directed to teachers themselves rather than to institutions. Considering the emphasis on the expertise in communication and relations, pre-service teacher education should focus not only on developing subject matter expertise, but also fostering communication and relational skills with students and other school community members.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.641-648
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• 2019

South Korea and North Korea, which have been separated for 70 years, are getting closer and closer. This is very good news for Christians in South Korea who have long wanted to contact with the North Koreans. But it is not easy for Christianity to find contact points for North Koreans who have lived in a society that does not accept religion. First of all, it is necessary to grasp their ideological background, to find similarities with the message of Christianity, to search the Bible for cases of contact with Christianity in similar situations, and to appropriately contextualize them according to the present situation of North and South Korea. The ideological background of the North Korean people is the materialism which is the basic philosophy of communism, and the Juche idea based on materialism. Christianity is negative about the world view that spiritual things are good and material things are evil. Some contact points between Materialistic thinking and Christianity can be found in recognizing the material world as an important element of God's creation. The contact between materialism and Christianity also can be found in dialogue with the Greek philosophy in early Christian era, particularly in the conversation between Paul, who were at the forefront of non-Jewish contact, and Athenians.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.65
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• pp.163-187
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to find the implications of Christian education on the relationship between the formation of faith and digital literacy in the Korean society, which is rapidly changing within the fourth Industrial Revolution today through critical conversations on educational contexts. Over the past decade, Korean society has lived in an era of rapid and radical change more than any other time through a new way of life called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Korean church is also facing the reality that it must fulfill its urgent mission to deliver the unchanging truth in an ever-changing era. With this in mind, this study (1) identifies digital literacy as an essential competency requested in the era of the fourth industrial revolution by examining the relationship with congregation's life as well as its definition and contents, (2) discovers educational rationale for the relationship between faith formation and digital literacy by applying educational context of Christian education with attention to the educational efficiency of digital literacy, and (3) finds educational implications of digital literacy by re-conceptualizing the contents, context, role of teachers and students, and evaluation in the context of Christian education. I hope that this study will help Christian education serve for the spread of the Gospel of Christ and the realization of the kingdom of God on this earth through digital media in the future more time-responsively and mission-practically.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.71
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• pp.155-179
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• 2022

This study aims to apply Hannah Arendt's concept of 'collective responsibility' to the Christian education on environmental issues around the world, focusing on climate change. This study prepares the concept of 'collective responsibility' and the concept of 'collective guilt' and emphasizes the fact that the current climate change problem should be seen as a political task rather than a task of personal ethics. According to Arendt's theory, Christian education activities applying 'collective responsibility' for climate change can become action. This study has four suggestions for Christian learning to understand and recognize climate change. First, presenting and justifying the anxiety and anger toward climate change in the classroom. Second, transcending self-interest (egocentrism) through "Common Sense (enlarged mentality)" in Kantian terms. Third, building education communities through 'citizen participatory education,' running communication, and conversation. Fourth, encouraging experience and practice in every education community with "faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6)." Then, to be sure, this refers to not only love of neighbor in Christianity but also political friendship (philia politikē). The academic significance of this study is that it is the first interdisciplinary research paper in Korea which dealt with Arendt's political theory in relation to Christian education. Although it claims to be a theoretical work that applies Arendt's political theory from a systematic theological perspective to Christian education, the author is proud that it is accompanied by practical elements that can be actualized in the education field.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.70
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• pp.141-173
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to illuminate depersonalization in the flow of technological revolution and to present a Christian SARAMDAUM education that aims for a new human image. It represents the Christian SARAMDAUM education that adapts to, mediates, and offers alternatives to the technological and human evolutionary flow of the machine age. The purpose of education for this purpose is to aim for 'Homo Creators', creative human beings presented as a new human image in the age of technological revolution. The educational goal is to nurture creative human beings through creative interpretation, creative integration between disciplines, and personal dialogue in the post-mechanical/ post-conventional paradigm. The content of the education is a conversation with the SARAMDAUM that consiliences the characteristics of post-machine and post-convention. The educational method utilizes Edu-Tech and AIED(Artificial Intelligence in Education) to realize systemic thinking and SARAMDAUM dialogue of technology. In addition, the composition of teachers and learners, educational environment and educational evaluation is presented. The significance of this study is that from the point of view of Christian education, the identity of human beings in the era of the technological revolution has been identified, and research on the creative image of the human being is newly attempted, and the direction of Christian SARAMDAUM education aimed at this is presented. This can be said to be a Christian education that emphasizes the essential characteristics of human beings while accommodating the era of technological revolution.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.72
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• pp.147-164
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• 2022

Stories have been studied as an important educational method in Christian education. In recent discussions on religious education, stories are positively evaluated in terms of stimulating children's unique fantasy, as opposed to visual media, and in terms of face-to-face direct communication. Our most profound and passionate orientation to the world is shaped by stories. This is because stories move us by moving us and shape our unconscious to act accordingly. However, the subjects that supply stories to children now are various mass media and consumer culture. The story it tells instills a secular worldview and makes us dream of a world completely different from the kingdom of God. Our children need a story to imagine the kingdom of God. This paper focuses on story-style sermons in children's worship and tries to deal with the Christian educational implications of story-style sermons. To this end, first of all, I would like to treat the Bible as a story according to the approximate concept of the story and the position of literary criticism who approached the Bible as a story. The second will deal with narrative preaching. First, we will look at narrative sermons for adults, and then deal with narrative sermons for children. The two narrative sermons were treated separately in the sense of considering the characteristics of children rather than being separated. Lastly, I would like to draw out the Christian educational implications of narrative preaching.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.71
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• pp.305-340
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• 2022

This study was started to suggest the direction of Christian educational development to revitalize North Korea's 'education' research. Since the two Koreas have experienced heterogeneity in almost all elements of society, such as politics, economy, society, culture, and education, during the period of division in 1977, true unification depends on laying the foundation for social integration that can overcome the sense of heterogeneity between the two Koreas. This is why North Korea's "education" research is needed. Education is the foundation for transferring culture and history, and for bringing about the survival, transformation, and community of society and since it is the mission of Korean churches and Christian educators to establish the direction of North Korean "education" research, North Korean "education" research is very important. Despite this importance, 'North Korean research' in the field of Christian education has not been properly conducted. Research on the "Christian Unification Education Program" that can be used in churches is actively taking place, but research on the macro level of presenting post-unification education blueprints is rare. This study was started to suggest the direction of Christian educational development to revitalize North Korea's 'education' research. For the study, the characteristics of 'North Korea Research' were analyzed according to generational classification. As a result of the study, recent research on North Korea has been expanding in research topics and methodologies, and recent studies have been differentiated into microscopic studies that deviate from existing research trends at a macro level and view North Korea's daily life. The characteristics of 'North Korean education research' are summarized by period. The research on North Korean education, which began in earnest in the 1970s, was divided into the period of start(70s), transition(80s), leap(90s), expansion(2000s), and development(2010s~). and research characteristics for each period were analyzed. Through this, early North Korean education research was also conducted in the policy aspect of the country, and the characteristics of political and social studies were strong, but recent studies have confirmed that the subjects and contents are diversifying. Based on these studies, the pending issues and issues of North Korean education research in the field of Christian education were analyzed. The study of North Korea in the field of Christian education, which began in the 1980s, has been conducted in the engineering aspect of 'development of unification education programs for churches'. However, studies on Christian unification education and North Korean education itself, which can be used in public education sites including Christian schools, have yet to be sufficient. Nevertheless, the diversification of research in the field of Christian education can be evaluated as a positive change. Based on these studies, it was proposed to establish a de-ideological research foundation, secure primary research data(Raw Data), activate research topics and research methodologies, and strengthen research capabilities in the direction of development to revitalize North Korean research in the field of Christian education. I hope this study will trigger various follow-up studies and help Korean churches that must achieve unification.