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MULTICULTURAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AT THE KAZAKHSTAN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN SEMINARY A Professional Project presented to the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Kong, Choon Taeck May 2002 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ©2002 Kong, Choon Taeck ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This professional Project, completed by _Kong, Choon Taeck______________________________ has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MINISTRY Faculty Committee Chttrpersqt * ~ t Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract Multicultural Theological Education at the Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary by Kong, Choon Taeck Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary (KECS) has been training leaders for the service of Christian churches since 1993. It has experienced some small ethnic conflicts during the course of its ministry that have made me consider ways of pacifying the school environment. In the course of research, however, it has been revealed that multiethnicity is the blessing whereby all the members in the community can be enriched rather than the hard question which might better be avoided. It has been ten years since the nation of Kazakhstan became independent from the Soviet Union, the communist system in which Russians chiefly dominated. The country tries to claim its ethnic pride and customs while other ethnic groups wonder if the Kazak people would become another Russian nation. Therefore, now is the right time for KECS to find ways to present models for the reconciliation of diverse ethnic groups by training students to become church leaders who can bear a multicultural vision so that an open community is the norm of their ministry. It is also a Biblical mandate to promote and sustain multiculturalism because that has been the ideal of the Old and New Testament -- to embrace and uphold the humanity of different ethnic origins and marginalized people. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Examining the total learning environment and trying to bring reform to that environment is the key to the success of the KECS ministry. It needs to reform the traditional ways of administrating schools and move forward to voice multicultural ideals to the community KECS serves. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my dear parents, Won Sok Kong and Pong Sun Kong, who have given me much encouragement and support to stand confidently before the leaders of Central Asia in the presentation of the Gospel. With deep and heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier and Dr. Stephen Kim for their academic guidance and scholarly encouragement. I also express a thankful heart to Ms. Elaine Walker, thesis secretary, who gave me wise counsel and excellent professional help. I would be remiss not to mention my co-workers of In Christ International: Jong Kwan Kim, Ui Choong Kim, Jonathan Chung, and Gun Oh Kim, who have labored to take the workload off me while I wrote this thesis. I am especially thankful to my wife, Kyung Hee, who has stood by me throughout not only the period in which I wrote this thesis, but my entire career as a missionary to Kazakhstan. And to my daughter Loro who proofread my work in its early stages. They have been patient and understanding as I have given myself to the preparation and publication of this thesis. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................1 Problem Statement..............................................................................................1 Importance of the Problem.................................................................................1 Thesis Statement ..............................................................................................3 Definitions of Major Terms...............................................................................3 Work Previously Done in the Field...................................................................5 Scope and Limitations of the Project.................................................................8 Procedure for Integration...................................................................................8 Chapter Outlines.................................................................................................8 2. Cultural Context.........................................................................................................10 Kazakhstan before the Russian Influence.........................................................12 Kazakhstan with the Russian Influence............................................................13 Russian Military Penetration.................................................................13 Russian Conquest and Its Colonization................................................14 Kazaks under the Soviet Union............................................................14 Major Policies and Events Affecting Kazakhstan............................................18 Nationality Policy of the Soviet Union................................................18 Language Policy of the Soviet Union...................................................19 Manifestations of National Identity in the Soviet Union....................20 Independence of Kazakhstan from the Soviet Union.........................20 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Interviews of Kazakhstan People on Language and Nationality Issues 21 Interviews...............................................................................................21 Interview Summary...............................................................................25 Additional Information and Statistics on Language.............................26 Theological Implications for Education at KECS.............................................27 Religious Aspects..................................................................................28 Cultural Aspects....................................................................................29 Educational Aspects.............................................................................30 3. Theories and Practices of Multicultural Education in the Western World: History, Definitions, Goals, Models and Issues of Multicultural Education...33 Brief History of Multicultural Movement in Western Countries......................35 Nativism and Education........................................................................35 Rise of Multiethnic Revival Movement............................... 36 Development of Multicultural Movement in United States................38 Development of the Multicultural Movement in Other Western Countries.................................................................38 Definitions of Multicultural Education.............................................................39 Goals of Multicultural Education......................................................................40 Models of Multicultural Education...................................................................43 Community.............................................................................................43 Curriculum.............................................................................................44 Power.....................................................................................................45 Teachers................................................................................................47 4. Theological and Scriptural Guidelines..................................................................49 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Multicultural Foundation 49 The Creation Narrative: Stewardship for the Multicultural World.. .49 List of Nations and the Story of Babel: God, the Originator of a Multicultural World.................................50 Multicultural Vision...........................................................................................52 Hosea’s Vision........................................................................................53 Micah’s Vision........................................................................................54 Isaiah’s Vision.........................................................................................55 Jesus’ Vision............................................................................................56 Multicultural Community....................................................................................57 The Story of Pentecost...........................................................................57 The Story of Cornelius...........................................................................58 Conclusion.............................................................................................60 5. Community Life at KECS for Multicultural Education..........................................61 Guiding Principles of Community Life..............................................................61 Person-Centered Community................................................................65 Equal Partnership Community...............................................................66 Open Community....................................................................................70 Strategies for Creating a Multicultural Learning Community..........................72 The Culture and Hidden Curriculum.....................................................72 Recruiting of Students: Residential Discipleship Course....................75 Curriculum.............................................................................................78 Teaching Style and Strategies...............................................................80 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Languages and Dialects of KECS........................................................81 Community Participation and Input.....................................................82 Counseling Program..............................................................................82 The KECS Staff: Attitudes, Perceptions, and Actions........................83 Curriculum Development.....................................................................83 School Policy and Politics....................................................................84 6. Summary and Conclusion........................................................................................85 Appendixes A. Information for Visiting Professors to KECS............................................94 B. KECS Directory..........................................................................................101 Bibliography.................................................................................................................113 vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.