• 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.221-253
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to define the key competency as Christian(in another word: Christian key competency) and to interpret the six key competencies of the 2015 revised curriculum in a Christian educational way. Also as an alternative to the key competencies model of the 2015 revised curriculum, this study aims to materialize the formation of a Christian key competencies model based on Christian faith. This study derived 'faith' from the key competencies as Christian throughout preceding research analysis. The 'faith' of the key competencies as Christian means the ability to know oneself, and to know the world and God within the knowledge of the Bible (knowledge of God) in the personal relationship with God, and also it is the ability to think, judge, and act with biblical values, Christian world view, and Christian self-identity. The key competency 'faith' could be the basis (standard) of motivation, attitude and the value of all competencies in cultivation and exercise. The model of Christian key competencies has the structure in which each six key competencies become to be cultivated based on the Christian key competency called "faith." Based on the structure, the six key competencies of the 2015 revised curriculum were interpreted and explained from the perspective of Christian education. In the self-management competency, self-identity can be correctly formed in relations with transcendent God. In aesthetic emotional competency, the empathic understanding of human beings comes from the understanding of the image of God, the supreme beauty, the source of beauty. About the community competency, human community is the source of God who created the universe, human and all of things. It is because a Christian community is a community within the relationship of Trinity God, Nature and others. Therefore regions, countries, and the world become one community. Communication competency first stem from good attitudes toward yourself and others with respectful mind. It comes from an understanding of Christian human beings. Also, there is a need of having a common language for communications. The common language is the Bible that given to us for our communicative companionship. Through the language of the Bible, God made us to know about God, human being and the creative world, and also made us to continue to communicate with God, others and the world. For having the knowledge-information processing competency, a standard of value for the processing and utilization of knowledge and information is required. The standard should be the basis of moral and ethical values for human respect. About creative thinking competency, the source of creativity is God who created the world. Human beings who have the image of God own creative potential. As well as, creativity has different expression forms depending on individual preferences and interests, and different approaches will be made depending on each individual's importance and achievement. Individual creativity can be found through education, and it can be embodied by converging knowledge, skills and experience.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.66
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• pp.75-112
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• 2021

This study is purposed to prepare students in theological universities so that they contribute to their faith community as well as the broader social community in future through developing a practical course model for education of character formation. Facing the challenge of a high-tech revolution being progressed globally in this period, theological seminaries as the Christian-affiliated institute of higher education see the necessity to nurture their learners' competency of holistic personality comprehending cognitive, affective, behavioral, and more spiritual maturity as well as specialty in each subject matter. The holistic character capability of seminarians is closely related not only to their own self-realization, but also social community's well-being. This research had the following content and results. Chapter 1 brought up a subject to educational needs of the holistic character formation in the theological seminaries to meet the rapidly changing times. Chapter 2 considered the importance of character formation in the curriculum of the universities and theological seminaries in the times of high-tech revolution through the literature reviews related to. Chapter 3 clarified the elements of character education to be placed emphasis on theological seminaries and established the way of course planning. Chapter 4, using a course of Christian social education for illustration, described in order the whole process of course planning comprehending the need of planning, description of course concept, establishment and definition of learning outcomes, organization of learning experience(course content), teaching-learning activities, evaluation of learning outcome, and course improvement, which was visualized with the chart of the process of course design. Also, it provided a practical illustration of the conceptual map, an outline of content and an organization of units, and scope-sequence chart. Finally, chapter 5 gave an syllabus example in an integrative and digestive form as the course plan to be distributed to the students, which is the final result produced through the whole process of course planning. This research is intended not to present a overall curriculum planning of the university-level in the theological seminaries, but to develop a course-level curriculum focused on the formation of character. The author hope that this study would be used as a guideline in developing a course model to nurture the capability of the learners' holistic character.