A Theological Assessment Of Reconciliation For Missiology In The Korean Context

In the discourse of mission as reconciliation, in spite of existing consensus about God as the author of reconciliation, and the inseparableness of the dimensions of reconciliation, there is a disagreement on the issue of to what extent the vertical dimension of reconciliation should be addressed and sought in pursuing the horizontal dimension of reconciliation. After engaging the theologies of four Christian thinkers and practitioners of reconciliation, Karl Barth, Miroslav Volf, Son Yang-won, and Desmond Tutu, this dissertation argues that the vertical and horizontal dimensions of reconciliation are in mutually promoting relationship, direct and indirect promotion respectively. This study evaluates that the vertical dimension of reconciliation should be reinforced in Robert Schreiter’s theology of reconciliation. Schreiter notes that the church has traditionally tended to focus on the vertical dimension, overlooking its responsibility in the horizontal dimension. The indivisible dimensions of reconciliation have mistakenly been separated. However, as a reflective reaction, if the church concentrates on the horizontal reconciliation, merely assuming the vertical reconciliation, the church runs the risk of making the same mistake conversely. The vertical reconciliation should be the foundation on which the horizontal reconciliation is based and should continuously guide all the aspects of the church’s work of reconciliation. The vertical reconciliation enables horizontal reconciliation. Also, the alpha and omega of the Christian understanding of reconciliation is the vertical reconciliation between God and humanity. Grounding South Korean churches’ missiology in reconciliation regarding the North Korea mission is an urgently needed job. A more wholesome and robust theology of reconciliation should be presented for the missiology in the Korean context. The national division between South and North Korea has resulted in the South-South conflicts and the issue of North Korean refugees. South Korean churches should exert themselves in the ministry of reconciliation, concentrating on justice, hospitality, and renewed spirituality.

Any Christian who lives in such a broken world may ask God what their role would be as the person who is reconciled with God, and about the implications of the vertical dimension of reconciliation. Many would agree that the vertical and horizontal dimensions of reconciliation should not be separated. It is, however, still necessary to examine further. For instance, what does the inseparableness of the two dimensions actually mean—in theory and practice? How does the vertical dimension of reconciliation become the source and foundation of the horizontal dimension? How should the church maintain its theology of reconciliation, which includes both dimensions? All these questions point to an underlying question: what is the relationship between the vertical and horizontal dimensions of reconciliation? This book explores this question, interacting with the four thinkers and practitioners of reconciliation, Karl Barth, Miroslav Volf, Son Yang-Won, and Desmond Tutu, and assessing the theology of a leading theologian in the discourse of mission as reconciliation, Robert Schreiter. Based on the discussions, it presents a proposal for a more wholesome and robust understanding of reconciliation for the discourse in mission studies, which can be applied to any broken context, including the Korean peninsula.

In U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050, Pew Research Center reported that "The nation's population will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, and fully 82% of the growth during this period will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their descendants." This shows that it is essential to study and understand how our mission, especially in the context of the USA, called the nation of immigrants, will respond to this huge mobility of immigrant diaspora. So far, there has been emphasis on doing diaspora missiology; however, there is no practical implications and application in local church setting. Now mission is next door, which implies that the ministry of the local church should be emphasized for 21st contemporary mission. This book provides detailed frameworks and methods of diaspora missiology within local churches, called 'diaspora mission church.' According to the Bible, all human beings are theologically and spiritually diaspora, irrespective of ethnicity, because they were banished from the Garden of Eden, and scattered around the world in God's judgment. Now, they walk toward the encounter with Jesus Christ, preach the gospel as the seed of Kingdom, and finally move toward heaven.

Asia Pacific Pentecostalism, edited by Denise A. Austin, Jacqueline Grey, and Paul W. Lewis, yields previously untold stories and interdisciplinary analysis of pioneer foundations, denominational growth, leadership training, contextualisation, and community development across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.

Secularization, as a movement away from a religious orientation to life, is strong in Canada and has influence worldwide. In this volume, missiologists and practitioners across Canada consider how an agenda of Christian mission and evangelism can be advanced in a secularizing environment. How can believers be “curious and engaged rather than defensive and fearful”? What changes are required from the evangelical community so that there is productive dialogue and action in ways that maintain faithfulness to the cause of Christ? What should the approach of mission be to a new generation steeped in secular narratives? How do we answer negative caricatures of Christian mission in light of the history of Residential Schools? What examples from the past teach us about developing an irenic approach? What positive trends are currently evident in Canada and around the world that counter the secularizing narrative? These questions and more are considered in this volume by Canadian scholars who recognize the importance of being relevant to society while maintaining integrity with the Gospel message. The essays address secularism in Canadian and worldwide contexts with seriousness, insight, and an underlying theme of hope, recognizing that “God’s mission has been accomplished, is being accomplished, and will be accomplished.”