• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.62
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• pp.161-186
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• 2020

This study was conducted with the aim of opening a new horizon in understanding the church, which is a community of faith, in the context of losing social credibility with selfishness and closedness, and spreading social distance due to the epidemic. First, the concept and meaning of 'Ecclesia', a representative term for the church, was studied historically, biblically, and theologically, and Paul's intention was frequently used. Second, we explored the new horizons of the community of faith through a discussion of Roberto Esposito's Communitas and Immunitas, which unraveled the relationship between community and individual with an immunological concept. Not only dis lose social trust for a variety of reasons, but it has been pointed out as a target of social distancing due to the spread of the epidemic virus and is facing a crisis of weakening or loss of the faith community of the "church". Since the second epidemic has been predicted since Covid-19, the partial loss of daily life and the weakening and loss of meeting worship and fellowship in the church are inevitable. The church in the future needs to transform and build a true community of faith that understands the concept of immunity and can lead the transformation of society while revealing the spirit and life scent of Jesus Christ. To this end, innovation and practice of the paradigm of the community of faith appropriate to the rapidly changing times and situations is required. In Chapter 1 of this paper, we propose innovation by pointing out the problems of the church and the faith community, which have lost social credibility, and which are the objects of social distance, with selfishness and closedness. Chapter 2 studies and analyzes the 'Ecclesia' used in ancient Greek to transform the paradigm of the faith community, and identifies the intention of the apostle Paul to apply the 'Ecclesia' to the church's faith community. Chapter 3-4 discusses the concept of immunity, summarizes the reinterpretation of Esposito, who looked at the relationship between the individual and the community through the concept of positive immunity beyond negative immunity. And It draws application points for transforming the faith community of various communities, individuals, and churches. In conclusion, Chapter 5 restores precious gatherings and participation that are weakened and lost through the meaning of 'Ecclesia' and suggests expansion to higher level public gatherings and democratic participation. In addition, based on the reinterpretation of the concept of immunity, we present unity in diversity and diversity in unity as alternatives to the church and community of faith.