• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.17-42
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• 2011

The purpose of the present study was to look deeply into the experience of self-exploration by providing song psychotherapy to the children of ministers. For this, three women, who were children of ministers and who were in their twenties, were provided with fifteen sessions of song psychotherapy at the Music Therapy Clinic of E University. The present study used Colaizzi's phenomenological method in order to observe and understand the self-exploring process of the participants in depth. Therefore, the present research found 164 meaning units, 38 themes and 14 theme groups, and 3 categorizations. As a result of this study, first, the participants recognized the features of environment while exploring themselves in song psychotherapy. Second, they found their affectedness by and reactions about surrounding environments. Third, they found an intrapersonal condition that was formed by their surrounding environment. With this as the basis, the result of the present study helps form an understanding of the phenomena that the children of ministers experience, and it may be utilized as groundwork in the application and development of music therapy methods for the self-exploration of the children of ministers.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.239-264
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• 2014

The study aims to study the user perception and satisfaction on the current church library services in Korea. 100 registered attendees and 10 priests, from three different groups were randomly selected for the survey. Three groups - the one with its own library, another with a community type library, and the other without church library - were compared. A literature review and survey were executed, and the questionnaires of the survey for analysis in this research contained demographic information, usage of church library, mission and function of the church library, library space, librarians, collection, community services of the church library, and perception on the effect of the library's community service on a specific religious activity (evangelism). The analysis revealed that the satisfaction level on church library service was relatively high (3.5 point on average, 5-point Likert scale), even though the frequency of using the church library service was relatively low. The study also found that users perceived the library as a community library or archives of the church, and study rooms and reading rooms as its major functions. It reveals that religious materials were preferred as the church library collection and the service of the church library to its community was perceived as being a effective and positive factor on evangelism. Applying church library service should be considered in order to enhance the understanding on the religion and effective results of evangelism.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.29-54
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• 2009

This study is intended to figure out determinants affecting the economic preparations for old age of pastors from major four protestant associations having a church ministerial pension system: the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea (GAPCK), the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK), the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK), and the Korean Methodist Church (KMC). Thereby, it conducted a survey to 452 pastors from the four religious associations in Korea. The followings sum up the results of this research. First, it was shown that the conventional idea that there is no need for pastors to prepare for their old age or their preparations for old age imply disbelief had been diminished. Second, there were few pastors who had made economic preparations for their old age privately. Third, associations adopting a compulsory church ministerial pension system were PCK, PROK, and KMC indicating a high occupation of more than 75% whereas GAPCK with an optional system showed a very low percentage of 11.5%. Fourth, with regard to the national pension system, the associations except for PROK (61.8%) had more non-enrolled pastors (53.3%), and they responded economic difficulty as the biggest reason for the unenrollment. Fourth, determinants affecting their economic preparations for old age were academic career, total income, church independency, church reserving, and national pension enrollment. Fifth, among the pastors from the four associations, the ones of PROK prepared for their old age best in consideration of GAPCK. According to the results of this paper, the most critical determinant affecting pastors' economic preparations for old age was total income. Pastors with higher income can make church ministerial pension, national pension, and private preparations while the ones with lower income cannot afford for public as well as private preparations; that is, there exists a polarization phenomenon in pastors' economic preparations for old age. Therefore, it is necessary to make devices to narrow the income gap between pastors in religious associations. Second, even in the associations having a compulsory church ministerial pension system, many pastors were not insured, so it is needed to reform or improve the pension system. Third, it is also required to better the national pension system and change the recognition on it.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.77
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• pp.63-84
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• 2024

Research Objective : The study aimed to investigate the satisfaction with the operation of theological university curricula from the perspective of learners experiencing the theological education curriculum in the field. The goal is to provide a basis for reflective introspection on the current theological education curriculum and for restructuring it to have influential impacts within the church and society. Content and Methodology : A survey was conducted with 80 learners currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, master's, and doctoral programs at a theological university to analyze satisfaction with current theological education programs. To interpret the survey results progressively, in-depth interviews were conducted with a randomly selected group of 6 participants. Survey Results : First, the satisfaction with the current theological education programs was found to be 60%, indicating a high level of satisfaction. Second, while 77.5% recognized the need for practical pastoral education, only 45.5% reported that practical pastoral education is currently provided in theological education programs, indicating a lower percentage than the perceived need. Third, 73.7% responded negatively regarding whether the current theological education programs can enhance pastoral competence for future society. Lastly, the areas identified as urgently requiring change for the restructuring of theological education programs were theological education content, methodology, and objectives, in that order. Conclusion and Recommendations : In an era of great transformation, our society is changing rapidly. In the face of this wave of change, the theological education curriculum also requires adaptation to suit the new era. Traditional theological education courses have primarily focused on imparting theory-centered knowledge. However, theological education in the new era necessitates a curriculum that enhances the pastoral capacity of churches and pastors to dynamically navigate through this era of significant transition. To achieve this, it is imperative to restructure the curriculum to one that is more closely related to the pastoral field. This involves offering a variety of constructivist-based, learner-centered teaching and learning methods within a theory-centered curriculum and methodology. Additionally, it entails establishing a practice-oriented theological school that can actively address the evolving pastoral landscape in this era of great transition. Restructuring of the process is essential to meet these goals.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.66
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• pp.209-241
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide Christian educational implications for young adult ministry by analyzing the reasons why young people move to church and give up their faith. In this study, data from ARRC research in 2021 were used, and 1017 youths(male: 409, female:608) nationwide were used as analysis targets. Through this study, the reasons for the intention of young people to move to church and give up their religious life were identified. Through this study, it was investigated that young people in Korean churches left the church or gave up their faith due to the factor of pastor, the factor of youth community, the factor of personal faith, the factor of church culture, and the factor of compulsory devotion. Based on these results, five important Christian educational implications for youth ministry were suggested.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.66
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• pp.273-307
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to explore the inner perceptions and dilemmas of young people about the church. To achieve the purpose of the study, this study sampled the research subjects, and conducted in-depth interviews and FGI. The sample in this study was 21 young adults who met the study criteria. Some of these people are not currently attending church or have thought of moving to another church. In this study, research was conducted based on the analysis procedure of Riessman (1993). Focusing on the procedures of 'telling,' 'recording,' and 'analyzing,' the experience and life situation of the study participants are to be grasped. Through this process, we analyzed the situation and context of why young people leave the church. It consisted of 5 areas and 15 sub-themes. Based on the research results, it was found that young adults need a church and are looking for a church. The church is a mystical space, but from an pedagogical point of view, the church is a space for teaching and learning faith. As experts in theology and education, the minister must create a space so that the church can become a space of transcendence, a space of intimacy, a space of understanding, a space of change, a space of service, and a space of reflection.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.73
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• pp.139-157
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• 2023

In Korean Protestantism, interest in Christian spirituality has grown significantly since the 1980s. Spirituality is now studied and used as a crucial term and topic in theology and ministry. As research on spirituality expanded to various areas of study and ministry and various topics related to spirituality were dealt with, research on spiritual direction also began. Oe-Shik Kim and Hae-Yong Yoo, who studied in North America, are the early scholars who began to study spiritual direction in Korean Protestantism in the 1990s. Their research has influenced Korean Protestant scholars and pastors to understand spiritual direction and apply it to seminary education and the Korean Protestant churches. Spiritual direction has been practiced in the Korean church in the form and content of faith education, spiritual training, devotional training, discipleship training, small groups, and pastoral counseling. The spiritual direction practiced by Eastern, Western, and monastic traditions throughout Christian history is not shared by Korean Protestants. Because Korean Protestantism has developed a unique spiritual tradition in the Korean context, its contents and forms of spiritual direction reflect the Korean context. Korean Protestants are more familiar with Tongsung Kido, early morning prayer, Bible study or Bible meditation, and small groups than contemplative traditions and individual spiritual direction. Thirty years have passed since research on spiritual direction began. The Korean Protestant academia needs to critically reflect on its research and practice. Spiritual direction is a term and tradition of different Christian cultures around the world and is part of Christian history and tradition. Korean Protestant scholars and church ministers need to accept the concept and application of spiritual direction considering the context and spiritual tradition of Korean Protestant churches, a flexible understanding, perspective, and attitude toward the concept and application of spiritual direction in Korean Protestant churches are needed.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.67-78
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• 2020

Honesty is an attribute of God, and the Bible says that God is pleased, praises, and blesses honest people. However, false and hypocrisy is overflowing and honesty is being weakened in Korean society and the church. In this regard, we need to understand the level of honesty and ethical consciousness of youth and adults (workers) in Korea, and how to spread honesty in Korean society in order for the Korean church to restore its essence and play the role of light and salt in the world. To this end, We analyzed the honest ethical consciousness of Korean youth and adults (workers) by using the results of the Korean Honest Index survey conducted by the researchers at the Ethics Center of the Transparent Society Movement Headquarters of the Heungsadan in 2019. In addition, through Focus Group Interview (FGI) of 12 pastors who are practicing the honesty movement in the Korean church, we analyzed pastors' opinions on what the Korean church should do and what role it should play in order to raise the honesty ethical consciousness of Korean society. We hope that it will be an opportunity to recognize the seriousness of the honest and ethical consciousness of Korean society, and to take an active role in helping the Korean church return to the spirit of Koramdeo and spread the honest kingdom and righteousness of God in Korean society through this study.

• The Critical Review of Religion and Culture
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• no.31
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• pp.255-287
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• 2017

This paper analyzes the religious circuit of suicidal concept based on verbal expression and ritual acts, which are found in the suicide discourse of Korean Catholic Church and Protestant Church. In the relationship of suicide and religion, it is easily overlooked the religious circuit and its construction that forms the concept of suicide among the religious laymen. It is assumed that the belief system of traditional religions prohibits suicide and the laymen accordingly construct a perception or concept of suicide along with this belief system. Various studies on this subject have proved it. However, in order to understand the religious way of constructing the concept of suicide on a personal level, it is necessary to pay attention to the religious environment in which the concepts and emotions of suicide circulate. The laymen do not passively and perfectly accept the finely established suicide concept provided by the doctrine or the theology. Rather, the laymen tend to collect the pieces of concept over the suicide that are drifting in the religious environment of his/her daily routine life and to make an concept of suicide in an incomplete form. We can find the unstable and imperfect traits of such a suicide concept through the experience of suicide survivors who have a religious background. For the suicide survivors with religious beliefs, they resist the formal doctrinal and theological provisions to suicide, or try to understand the notion of suicide in their own contexts. In terms of linguistic expressions and ritual acts relating to suicide, the attentions are differently directed in the public and the private domain among the religious groups. Considering on the high rates of suicide in Korean society, the Korean Catholic Churches are increasingly tolerant over the suicide and accept it in the public sphere. It is unlikely when comparing to the negative attitudes of the suicide in the past. However, such tolerance does not go beyond the doctrinal and ethical judgment that defines suicide as a serious sin. The once-committed lay believer's speech and gestures usually contain the various emotions, such as sadness, grief, anxiety, regretfulness, eagerness, and pain in the private spheres. The language and gestures with these emotions have been activated in the religious circuits of suicide, being extended to the religious apparatus for the person who died of suicide. In case of Protestantism, the institutional organizations, such as the particular denominations and the individual-churchism of the Korean Protestant Churches, and their own interpretations of the Bible have in the private sphere strongly effected on the linguistic expressions and the rituals related to the suicide. The religious-ethical judgment of the suicide is varied how the suicide is interpreted by the theologians and the pastors. And the ritual acts for healing the complex feelings and the psychological wounds of the suicide survivors are not actively explored and adopted yet. It makes harder to approach and heal the protestant followers since they emphasize the innermost belief and the salvation assurance faith.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.76
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• pp.51-71
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• 2023

Purpose of study: Recognizing the importance of securing professionalism in church education in the context of the serious problem of church eucation in the Korean church today, this study aims to reveal the problems of current church education and suggest alternatives for solving the problems. Research content and method: The Korean church is facing crises. One of the crises is the decline in church membership and worship attendance. Another, more fundamental problem is the crisis of church education, where the number of students in Sunday schools is plummeting, and many young people are leaving the church. Many of them are questioning the quality of church education leaders. The decline and demise of Sunday schools does not bode well for the future of the Korean church. What the church needs to do to address these issues is to build up educational professionals. Leadership and professionalism are critical issues. Until now, the needs of church education in the Korean church have relied on dedication and life mission rather than professionalism. And these criteria were enough. It has been 34 years since the October 1989 resolution of the General Assembly of the Christian Church in Korea to establish a system of educators. However, little progress has been made and the system has not been changed to a system of educators. One of the ways to solve this problem is for the Korean church to prepare for the future of the Korean church by utilizing educators for church growth and the restoration of Sunday schools. Conclusions and Suggestions: For the function, mission, and purpose of the church, the system of educators is requested to be established in the Korean church as soon as possible to fulfill the professional church education and educational pastoral mission. In response to this call, current Korean church education needs to change and innovate. The direction of innovation is professional education, which means that there is a need and urgency for professional educators qs church education leaders.