This study is an analysis of research trends in theses on Youngsan. Research trend analysis is a type of meta-study that helps understand the current state of research and identify directions in which the research should go forward.
Despite the outstanding quantitative and qualitative development and accumulation of studies on Youngsan’s theology, a macroscopic perspective has not yet been conducted. Thus, this study tries to categorize a total of 182 topics from domestic journals which were KCI credited. Through categorization, an inductive research method was used to examine tendencies in the theses’ titles and abstracts without introducing an analysis criterion. Through this activity, a total of 31 categories were classified, including Pneumatology, Christology, Homiletics, Social Participation/Social Salvation, Fourth-Dimensional Spirituality, Anthropology, etc. The writer also mapped these topic categories back to subfields of theology and found that academic study on the theology of Youngsan can be divided into the following percentages by discipline: systematic theology (56%), practical theology (34%), biblical theology (9%), and historical theology (1%).
Based on the results of this analysis, the study suggests that there is a lack of contextual, comparative, and biographical studies along with a need for research on glossolalia. In addition, the writer proposes further broadening the scope of Youngsan theology and expanding its utility by revitalizing convergence research, the diversification of convergent academic fields, the introduction of more varied research methods, and the expansion of secondary research.
Key Words
영산 신학, 연구 동향, 주제 범주, 성령론, 기독론, 설교론, Youngsan theology, research trends, theme category, Pneumatology, Christology, Homiletics
Forgotten Pioneers: The Lives and Legacies of Gladys M. Parsons and Elfreeda Ofstead, Founders of the First Pentecostal Denomination in Korea 잊혀진 선구자들: 한국 최초의 오순절 교단 설립자 파슨스와 옵스테드의 삶과 유산
Forgotten Pioneers: The Lives and Legacies of Gladys M. Parsons and Elfreeda Ofstead, Founders of the First Pentecostal Denomination in Korea 잊혀진 선구자들: 한국 최초의 오순절 교단 설립자 파슨스와 옵스테드의 삶과 유산
This paper deals with the lives and legacies of two Pentecostal missionaries, Gladys M. Parsons and Elfreeda Ofstead, who founded the Christian Pentecostal Church of Joseon, the first Pentecostal denomination in Korea, during the Japanese rule. This paper sheds light on their lives, focusing on their missionary work in Korea and the process of establishing the first Korean Pentecostal denomination. Since the existing literature on Korean Pentecostalism provides limited resources and inaccurate data on Parsons and Ofstead, this paper instead makes efforts to detail their lives using primary sources that had not been used before. This paper offers a new perspective on Korean Christian history, particularly the history of Korean Pentecostal Christianity, and will raise awareness of the lives and achievements of these forgotten Pentecostal pioneers.
Key Words
한국 오순절 기독교, 기독교오순절교회, 오순절 내한 선교사, 글래디스 파슨스, 엘프리다 옵스테드, Korean Pentecostalism, Christian Pentecosal Church of Joseon, Pentecostal missionaries to Korea, Gladys Margaret Parsons, Elfreeda Ofstead
A Study on Racism through Public Theology 인종주의에 대한 공공신학적 조명
Racism is the basis of discrimination and exclusion that causes social conflicts. The concept of race that classifies human beings by prejudice is rooted in the sinful nature of humanity. Racism oppresses specific groups of human beings by using racial classifications that have no rational basis. The ideology of racism has been used by Western countries to further the ends of imperialism, and Korea’s own racial nationalism has also been influenced by racism since it arrived in Korea together with gospel messages preached by western missionaries. However, the salvific ministry of Jesus does not admit to racism since the gospel message breaks through all types of discrimination. Jesus’ negative view of racism is strengthened by the fact that four women who were mostly gentiles and committed adultery are included in Jesus’ genealogy. Public theology emphasizing both confessional parts of faith and social interactions enhances the rationality of civil society and contributes to social integration. Thus, Korean churches need to recognize racial discrimination by concrete examples and provide society with countermeasures from an integrative evangelical perspective to reduce harm. That is how Korean churches can enhance their social awareness and exercise publicity in an evangelical way.
Key Words
인종, 인종주의, 차별, 공공신학, 신앙적 합리성, 신앙과 사회, race, racism, discrimination, Public theology, rationality of faith, faith and society
Youngsan’s Blessing Theory and God’s Blessing in the First Creation Story: Focusing on the First Creation Story (Gn 1:1-2:4) 첫 번째 창조 이야기에서의 하나님의 축복과 영산의 축복론: 창세기 1:1-2:4를 중심으로
Youngsan’s Blessing Theory and God’s Blessing in the First Creation Story: Focusing on the First Creation Story (Gn 1:1-2:4) 첫 번째 창조 이야기에서의 하나님의 축복과 영산의 축복론: 창세기 1:1-2:4를 중심으로
The core ideology of Youngsan is the “Fivefold Gospel” and the “Threefold Blessing.” The “Fivefold Gospel” consists of five elements: regeneration, divine healing, the filling of the Holy Spirit, blessing, and the Second Coming. The practical way to experience the Fivefold Gospel in life is the “Threefold Blessing.” The uniqueness of Youngsan, which distinguishes it from the doctrines of other denominations in the Fivefold Gospel, is its theory of blessing. In addition, among his sermons and ministries, his theory of blessing is one of the most influential elements in the Korean church and the world church.
In several of his sermons and books, Youngsan presents the Old Testament’s first creation story as the biblical basis for his blessing theory. Until recently, however, no studies have addressed the relationship between the first creation story and his blessing theory.
Therefore, this study first attempts to understand the content and meaning of God’s blessing in the Bible’s first creation narrative by exegeting the three passages in which the verb “to bless” is used in the first creation narrative. In addition, this paper seeks to examine the ways in which Youngsan understood the first creation story, and then to observe how he connected that understanding to his own theology of blessing.
Through such a step-by-step process, the present study confirms the validity and contribution of Youngsan’s interpretation of the first creation story in relation to his theology of blessing. His contribution is to demonstrate that blessing theology is not a secondary element in Christian faith and theology, but an important theme depicted from the very beginning of the Bible. Another contribution of Youngsan that is often overlooked is that he clearly lays out the ethical and religious standards as he develops his theory of blessing.
Key Words
영산의 축복론, 창세기, 첫 번째 창조 이야기, 하나님의 축복, 영산 신학, Youngsan’s blessing theory, Genesis, the first creation story, God’s blessing, Youngsan theology
Expansion of Markan Narrative Prologue 마가 내러티브 프롤로그의 확장
Mark’s relative marginalization compared to the other Gospels has made it a fertile ground for experimentation with various exegetical methodologies. Given that Mark’s genre is narrative, narrative analysis can provide new solutions to the much-debated problem of finding the prologue to Mark’s gospel. W. Labov and J. Waletzky, who analyzed the structure of the narrative through linguistic and sociological methods, proposed a minimal structure for the narrative: Orientierung － Komplikation － Evaluation － Auflosung － Koda. The beginning of the narrative progresses through the stages of Orientierung by experience and statistics. During this stage, the speaker/author or listener/reader of the narrative potentially exchange information about the person, place, time, and subject matter of the narrative. Therefore, the prologue of Mark’s narrative has the mandate to foreshadow the theme of discipleship that is forthcoming. Actually, the “narrative clauses” at the beginning of the Markan narrative indicate that Mark’s narrative, unlike the narratives of Matthew and Luke, begins with the story of the disciples, not only that of Jesus. Moreover, it is emphasized by the repeated use of the terminus technicus “to call” (καλεῖν) and “to follow” (ἀκολουθεῖν), which imply the discipleship that Mark is to develop in a significant way. Traditionally, studies that determine the prologue of Mark’s Gospel have tended to extend the length of Mark’s narrative by applying and experimenting with various methodologies. The prologue of Mark’s narrative has been extended from 1:8 to 1:13 and then again to 1:15. However, the prologue can also be extended to verse 1:20 if we take into account the significance of the theme and motive of the ‘disciple’ that permeates all of Jesus’ narratives.
Key Words
마가 내러티브 프롤로그, 마가의 기독론, 마가의 제자, 언어-사회학적 방법, 내러티브 기본문장, 독립문장, prologue of Markan narrative, Christology in the Gospel of Mark, disciples in the Gospel of Mark, linguistic-sociological method, narrative clauses, free clause
A Study on the Powerful Ones in Ephesians 에베소서에서 권세를 가진 자에 관한 연구
The objective of this thesis is to investigate the dominant subject associated with authority in the book of Ephesians. To accomplish this goal, I conducted an analysis of the spiritual authority portrayed in the text. The subjects of these spiritual authorities can be identified as Artemis, the central figure of faith in Ephesus during that period, and Magic, which was believed to govern the dark world. Additionally, I examined the Roman Empire, the actual governing authority over the people of Ephesus at that time.
Following the Roman rule in Ephesus, the introduction of Roman culture led to a phenomenon of cultural transformation within the city. In other words, as the authorities of the Roman Empire compelled the Ephesian population to worship the Roman emperor, the previously existing spiritual authority in Ephesus merged with the authority of the Roman Empire, symbolized by the Roman emperor. Consequently, the members of the Ephesian church faced a significant threat to their religious life due to the Roman emperor and the Roman authorities represented by him. Given that the members of the church in Ephesus could not conform to the values and systems pursued by Rome, the Roman authorities, possessing immense power and enforcing emperor worship, became an insurmountable fear. Paul’s personal experience of imprisonment and the circumstances surrounding it made him acutely aware of the formidable and daunting power of Rome.
In this context, Paul draws a comparison between the authority of Rome and the authority of God. At that time, the saints of the Ephesian church lived in great fear of the governing authority of Rome. However, the authority of God surpasses that of Rome and possesses the power to guide the saints towards salvation. Therefore, just as the Roman soldiers armed themselves and constructed the mighty Roman Empire, the members of the Ephesian church must also equip themselves with faith and the word of God to attain salvation.
The Disagreement of the Corinthian Church and Paul’s Two-Sided Persuasion: Focusing on 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:1-11 고린도 교회의 분열과 바울의 양면적 설득: 고린도전서 1:12; 3:1-11을 중심으로
The Disagreement of the Corinthian Church and Paul’s Two-Sided Persuasion: Focusing on 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:1-11 고린도 교회의 분열과 바울의 양면적 설득: 고린도전서 1:12; 3:1-11을 중심으로
First Corinthians contains Paul’s call to the Corinthian Church, and specifically, 1 Corinthians 1:10-4:21 delves into the divisions caused by the emergence of factions within the church, along with Paul's advice to address these issues. This article focuses on identifying the factions that arose within the Corinthian Church, particularly those mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:12, namely Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. It also analyzes 1 Corinthians 3:1-11, which presents Paul's rhetorical statements aimed at resolving the divisions and conflicts among these factions. Within this passage, Paul utilizes three metaphors (3:1-2, 5-9, 10-11) to establish his superiority in his relationship with the Corinthians, while emphasizing equality among himself and other leaders. In these indirect messages, Paul highlights his superiority over the Corinthians and the other two leaders. However, the direct message conveyed is that all leaders, including Paul himself, are equal ministers working under God, with Christ serving as the foundation of the church.
Jonathan Edwards, an 18th century Enlightenment theologian, argued God’s existence and transcendent providence objectively and rationally with a God-centered view of history, as the Enlightenment thinkers did. Just as the Enlightenment people sought to find rational and objective principles of historic development, Edwards sought to find principles of historic development based on the theology of redemption. For Edwards, history is a field of ministry where God works for redemption, and in particular, from the perspective of redemptive ministry, the contents of the Bible are framed to secure objective rationality of redemptive history. He held a view of Christian enlightenment history. On the other hand, Edwards criticized the limitations of the Enlightenment view of history, pointing out that the Enlightenment argues that history has been developed by the enlightenment of humanity, resulting in the denial of God’s providence and sovereignty in history. As such, Edwards tried to validate the legitimacy of the Christian view of history in the Age of Enlightenment. He adapted the Enlightenment’s studies on history with objectivity and rationality in the light of an integrated view of secular and redemptive history, while confirming his God-centered view of history.
Key Words
조나단 에드워즈, 계몽주의, 역사, 구속, 청교도, 모형론, 천년왕국 사상, Jonathan Edwards, Enlightenment, history, redemption, Puritan, typology, Millennialism
A Critical Reflection on Nygren’s Theory of Self-Love: Focusing on Wolterstorff and Outka 니그렌의 자기사랑론에 대한 비평적 성찰: 월터스토프와 아웃카를 중심으로
For Anders Nygren, self-love is the antithesis of God’s love as true love. According to Nygren, all forms of love, other than the love of God, cannot be true because their root motive is self-love. Is Nygren’s understanding of self-love justified? What effect does the total denial of self-love have on the actual life of love? The purpose of this paper is to explore, describe, and critically reflect on Nygren’s theory of self-love. For critical reflection, the writer mainly focuses on Nicholas Wolterstorff and Gene Outka. The former respects Christian altruism but seeks to secure room for self-love beyond it, and the latter stands in the stream of altruism but insists that self-love is a legitimate moral imperative. Nygren’s, Wolterstorff’s, and Outka’s theories of self-love will be discussed, and Nygren’s will be criticized from the perspectives of Wolterstorff and Outka.
Key Words
자기 사랑, 아가페, 안더스 니그렌, 니콜라스 월터스토프, 진 아웃카, 기독교 윤리, self-love, agape, Anders Nygren, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Gene Outka, Christian ethics
