• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.67
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• pp.339-375
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• 2021

The author considers that contemporary society has entered the era of 'life on earth in peril' as a very serious situation in comparison with the past, and assumes that this life-in-peril situation, known as 'life crisis,' is one of the most urgent and important issues in Christian education as well as in public education. This urgency and importance is mainly based on the belief that Christianity is the religion of life that values all living beings' life and all Christians have the sacred vocation to cope with this crisis of life on earth, given by the life-giving God. For this reason, this study aims at identifying some tasks that Christian education should perform in the era of imperiled life, premising that diverse life-threatening situations and circumstances in today's world are closely related to the Christian Sabbath. More specifically, first of all, this article analyzes some notable phenomena of the life crisis in the contemporary world, such as deaths from intentional self-harm (suicides), deaths from industrial accidents and disasters, the real-life situation of vulnerable populations, people's indifference and insensitivity to the situation, and natural environmental degradation, by reflecting on current global issues as well as issues in Korea. This paper also criticizes neoliberalism, productivism, consumerism, economic materialism, egotism, and anthropocentrism as ideologies for causing these phenomena. After the criticism, the author interprets, from biblical and theological perspectives on the Christian Sabbath, main purposes and meanings of the Sabbath for contemporary society that are deeply connected with the crisis of life on earth: confessing that God takes the initiative to govern every creature's living and being; building the relationship with the God who has given the power of life to all living beings; practicing the Sabbath rest by living a holy life; and participating in the Sabbath rest as 'life-giving ministry.' In conclusion, this article suggests Christian educational practices that confront the life crisis, rooted in the purposes and meanings of the Christian Sabbath: reminding participants of the belief that God is the source of life on earth; cultivating 'life literacy'; helping people to resist the crisis of life; and encouraging humans to pursue the well-being and peace of both humanity and the earth.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.131-142
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• 2020

This article explored how the introduction of the Gregorian calendar transformed the Buddhist traditional practices of a noble class family who lost power in the royal court during the emergence of the British in Upper Myanmar. It examined in micro-level, the said changes by way of Wekmasuk Wundauk U Latt's diary, which recorded the social and economic conditions of Mandalay, then the capital of the Myanmar kingdom, from 1886 to 1898. When Burmese kings reigned in Mandalay, the court closed on Sabbath day, when the Buddhist Burmese went to monasteries to fulfill religious obligations. The introduction of the Gregorian calendar turned Sunday into a regular day off, which left Sabbath day to be used for more work. This prevented the then noblemen to attend to monastic duties as they had to use the day, for example to go to the bank to draw their pension. This research reveals that the Gregorian calendar has transformed the day off from "holy day" to "holiday."

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.70
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• pp.107-140
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• 2022

This study is a review of the role of Christian education in the face of ecological crisis and the task of its recovery from the perspective of Moltmann's creation theory. Mankind has achieved epoch-making industrial development through several industrial revolutions. However, as a result, the ecosystem has suffered severe physical aches and has reached the point of revealing anomalies. In the face of such destruction and suffering of the ecosystem, Christian education needs to approach the ecological sensitivity toward the natural world more holistically and present a practical alternative. Moltmann reminds us that today's growing exploitation of nature by humans stems from a human-centered ecological consciousness that the world belongs to humans. At the same time, it suggests a transition to a God-centered ecological world consciousness. 'A community of creation', 'the fellowship of the Triune God', and 'eschatological new creation through the Sabbath' are key concepts that integrate God-centered ecological world consciousness. Based on Moltmann's creation theory, this article examines the ecological sensibility that Christian education should pursue from the point of view of the sacramental creative community, and reviews the role and practical alternatives of Christian education. Through this, it was derived that the world, including humans, is not owned by humans, but is a sacramental community that is built together toward the end as a part of nature and reveals the glory of God. In addition, it was suggested that Christian education need to be recognized as a suffering subject which mediates humanity and the nature of the mutual fellowship of reconciliation. in the fellowship of God. Sabbath keeping education, which celebrates God's creation and aims for the completion of the eschatological creation, will become a practical area for Christian education to practice for the restoration of the collapsed ecosystem. Moltmann's creation theory is significant in that it provides a meaningful Christian educational insight to restore the ecological environment as well as interest in the ecological environment that has been overlooked or ignored by Christian education.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.67
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• pp.415-447
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to explore the direction that Christian education should take as an ecological education in the crisis of climate change. What climate change shows is that it is impossible to survive even if the Earth's temperature rises by only 2-3 degrees. However, our current appearance is concerned about the crisis of climate change as long as we do not change our lives. First, the meaning of climate change and its causes were examined. The anthropocentric worldview, modern industrial, scientific and technological growth, and consumption-oriented social structure can be cited as the causes. An anthropocentric worldview justifies everything from the human point of view, and nature is the subject of human domination, but one regarded as a tool. In addition, as the scale of human economic activity increases, energy consumption increases, and the threat of ecosystem destruction increases with the increase in energy consumption. Individual affluence and increased consumption are exacerbating ecosystem tensions. In order to solve the problem of climate change, ecological education clues were found in the Bible. Through creation, the relationship between humans and nature was identified as coexistence and coexistence. Through the principle of sabbath, it is possible to bring about the restoration of humans and nature, and from the point of view of the incarnation, the world was understood as the 'body' of God. Based on these clues, the direction of Christian ecological education was explored by suggesting a transition to an ecological paradigm, restoration of creative spirituality, and cultivation of ecological imagination. In the crisis of climate change, it is hoped that the recovery of the earth will take place and that we will be able to stand again as a responsible being through the Christian ecological educational approach.