• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.61
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• pp.131-164
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• 2020

This study analyzes the Trinitarian principles of Christian education through the neo-orthodox theology of Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich in the current era of postmodernism. Both neo-orthodoxy and postmodernism react against the epistemological ideals of modernity. Postmodernism is based on a limited human point of view, and thus becomes a captive to its own subjectivity, producing two main characteristics - pluralism and relativism. Since neo-orthodoxy appeared as a reaction against human-centered modernity, critical analysis of neo-orthodox theology can give insights to cope with the challenges of postmodernism in Christian education today. Thus, this study bases its argument critically on the thoughts of neo-orthodox theologians such as Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich, since they responded to the challenges of enlightenment through rediscovering fundamental theological principles. First of all, this study examined the meaning of God's creation and the fall and provided the principle of theistic relativism. Secondly, this study explored educational insights from Jesus' crucifixion, through His work of redemption, liberation, and restoration and suggests an incarnated relationship building. Thirdly, the study analyzed the caring and comforting work of the Holy Spirit and emphasized the power of the Holy Spirit that heals corrupted human reason and enables loving relationships.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.87-108
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• 2023

From the time it was propagated to Vietnam until it was forced to relinquish its leadership position in both politics and philosophy, Confucianism in Vietnam was never orthodox Confucianism. This study employs the theory of invented tradition to examine how Confucianism penetrated the ethnic Vietnamese community at the turn of the first millennium and points out its vital requirement: the construction of a Chinese-style centralized administrative government based on Neo-Confucianism. This requirement unfolded during the Le So Dynasty in the fifteenth century. Moreover, the theory of invented tradition can also be applied to discover the motivation behind Neo-Confucianism's process of manufacturing orthodoxy to speed up the goal of Sinicization. Somehow, the launching of the imperial examination system, meant to fulfill a system of bureaucracy, ended up resolving one of the greatest challenges of medieval times. It is to seek the ruler's uncritical submission to the ruled. This article applies hauntology to analyze two forms of Confucianism discourse in Vietnam. In doing so, this study determined that Confucianism evolved into its own unique system of thought in Vietnam and in the end, was not even recognizable as Confucianism. Throughout Vietnam's turbulent history, Confucianism shifted from a symbol of progress to one of backwardness. This culminated Vietnam's preoccupation with the de-Sinicization during the early twenty-first century.