• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• 제45집
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• pp.187-226
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• 2023

In contemporary society, digital media has become an integral part of daily life that shapes how people interact with the world around them. This phenomenon has also influenced religious activities and practices. Studies on digital religion and religious practices among digital natives in the Western world have indicated that traditional religious practices are on the decline. Instead, more accessible and flexible forms of religious activities and beliefs are emerging. Given this context, it is important to investigate whether similar trends are occurring in Korea. This study aims to explore the religious activities and expressions of Korean individuals in the online environment. Specifically, the study focuses on four main areas: ①the online religious activities of established religions such as Protestantism, Buddhism, and Catholicism; ②the online religious activities related to divination belief systems such as the Four Pillars of Destiny (四柱 saju) and Tarot; ③online holy sites and wish comments or chats; and ④popular religious neologisms such as jileumshin (지름神 a god with the power to justify consumption) and gatsaeng (갓[God]生 one's best life). Through this review, it can be ascertained that religious ideas and practices are restricted by the attributes of digital media. This implies that the emergence of simplistic forms of religious ideas and activities is associated with the features of digital media and the consumption of digital content.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.513-527
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• 2022

This study was conducted to examining the socio-cultural impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world around 2020, and the transformation of norms and social problems due to COVID-19. For this, the characteristics of changes in the socio-cultural norms of the 14th century European Black Death, a representative example of the pandemic, were derived, and based on this, the COVID-19 pandemic was analyzed. The Black Death served as an opportunity to change social norms based on the existing religious authority and the power of the feudal system to the Enlightenment. The population declination and labor shortage also promoted commercialization and mechanization. Printing, which spread during this period, led to the popularization of knowledge, which raised the level of thinking and led to epochal scientific development. This became the foundation of the Industrial Revolution. Like the recent Black Death, COVID-19 has triggered changes in social norms. The technological environment of metaverse, a mixture of virtual and reality, has changed the norm of a consistent identity into free and open identities exerting various potentials through alternate characters. In addition, meme, which are about people being friendly to those with the same worldview as him on the metaverse, weakened the sense of isolation in non-face-to-face situations. Artificial intelligence (AI), which developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has entered the stage of being used for creative activities beyond the function of assisting humans. Discussions were held on what new social problems would be created by the social norms changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• 제67권
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• pp.11-44
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• 2021

In the early 21st century, the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has arisen during the development of the technological science of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has been a great challenge in all fields including politics, economy, industry, education and religion in Korean society. To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Korean government announced 'social distancing guidelines,' focused on the 'prohibition of three conditions'(crowd, closeness, airtight) for safety reasons. These quarantine guidelines made it more difficult for Korean churches and Sunday schools to operate. In general, looking at the statistical data of the major denominations of the Korean Church in the second half of the 20th century, shows that the Church has entered a period of stagnant or declining growth. Data also show that the number of students attending Sunday School is decreasing. The researcher identified four causes of the crisis faced by the Korean church and Korean Sunday school entering the 21st century. These trends are influenced by the tendencies of postmodernism, the deconstruction of modern universalism, the certainty and objectivity of knowledge, and the grand narrative and worldview of diffusion. Moreover, it is a phenomenon in which the young population decreases in contrast to the increasing elderly population in the age of population cliff in Korean society. Sunday Schools are also facing a crisis, as the youth population, who will become the future heroes of the Korean church, is declining. Finally, constraints of Church and Sunday school education activities are due to COVID-19 Pandemic. As analysis shows the loss of the Church's educational vision and a decrease in the passion for education. Accordingly, the researcher suggests four new strategies for the next generation of Korean Sunday schools, whose ranges from 200 members or less; this range covers the majority of Sunday School program run by churches in Korea. First, in the age of postmodernism, a time of uncertainty and relativism, Christian Societies requires teachers who are certain of absolute Christian truth and faith. Second, in an era of declining population cliffs for younger generations, a shift to a home-friendly Sunday school paradigm is needed. Third, during the COVID-19 pandemic, educational activities must appropriately utilize face-to-face and non-face-to-face communication. Finally, even in difficult times, Korean Sunday school should nevertheless remember the Lord's great commandment(Matthew 28:18-20) and restore the vision and passion of education to announce and teach the gospel. The researcher hopes that this study will provide small, positive steps in rebuilding Korean Sunday school educational activities for future generations in difficult times.