Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

This paper is a part of one entitled “Preaching and the Church’s Public Life in Korean Society: Toward Prophetic Preaching as the Call for the Church’s Faithful Practice.” The full paper begins with my hypothesis that one significant reason for the Korean church’s current problems in the public space is the focus of Korean sermons on personal blessings and perspectives which lack the present embodiment of the Word in our lives, on pre-millennial eschatology that tends to ignore social concern and involvement, and on numerical church growth. Therefore, throughout the paper, I argue on three points as follows. First, the theology in Korean sermons must formulate a revised eschatology which stresses on today’s salvation. Second, Korean preaching must recognize individuals as integral parts of society and reflect their personal faith and relationship with God in the context of the community by understanding that their suffering is not merely in relation to personal faith but also the result of structural sociocultural problems. Third, the Korean sermon must be free from numerical growth so that it seeks solidarity for the world’s salvation, with future-oriented communal and holistic blessings, and a prophetic vision of a better society based on God’s intention. Hence, in the original complete paper, I offer and investigate prophetic preaching that encourages the church toward more faithful practices and response to social issues shaped by the church’s responsibility and its eschatological engagement in the divine work for the Korean church. And the paper entitled “Prophetic Preaching for the Faithful Life” as a portion of the original is my homiletical investigation on prophetic preaching. Because of the space limit, I will summarize each chapter.

Comments

Originally published in Asian American Theological Forum, vol. 1, no.2 (July, 2014).

https://aatfweb.org/2014/07/28/450/

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