Park - Theology Of Hospitality And Ne

2013·6.1 MB·Korean

by  Park, Jang Kyu

THEOLOGY OF HOSPITALITY AND NEW MEMBER RECEPTION
IN DONGTAN KOREAN METHODIST CHURCH
A Professional Project
presented to
the Faculty of
Claremont School of Theology
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Ministry
by
Jang Kyu Park
May 2013
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This professional project completed by
Jang Kyu Park
has been presented to and accepted by the
faculty of Claremont School of Theology in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the
D octor of M inistry
Faculty Committee
Andrew Sung Park, Chairperson
Kathy Black
Dean of the Faculty
Philip Clayton
May 2013
ABSTRACT
Theology of Hospitality and New Member Reception
in Dongtan Korean Methodist Church
by
Jang Kyu Park
Up until 1990s Korean church has grown rapidly as the whole world watches, but
after then the growth has slowed down, become stagnant or even reversed. This trend
aroused a sense of crisis among Korean churches and resulted in conflict between the
congregation and its pastor as to who was responsible for this. I argue that we should find
the main reason, not either in the pastor or in the laity but in the failure of new member
reception. It is due to a lack of concern and program that new comers have a hard time
settling down. Even with a good program, churches have usually tried to utilize it simply
on the level of copying it as a program of a growing church or focused on church growth.
Especially the lack of theology of hospitality for new comers explains the neglect of
practical spirituality in church and the spirit of hospitality of Jesus. This thesis will be a
foundation for the qualitative and quantitative revival of church and new member
program through the establishment of a theology of hospitality for new comers.
Hospitality is a positive mindset and attitude of welcoming others into his or her space.
Philosophers such as Levinas and Derrida view those living in this postmodern age in
terms of ethics/philosophy of hospitality. This understanding of hospitality as envisioned
by Levinas and Derrida an provide a philosophical foundation for understanding new
comers. From the Biblical perspective, the hospitality of Abraham (Genesis 18)
represents an unconditional acceptance of travelers as a gift of God and an occasion of
blessing. In the New Testament, Jesus extends his hospitality to the socially weak and
identifies himself with them. Luke and Paul also promote hospitality in the context of the
table and the house church community, and the early Christian community continues to
practice the hospitality of Jesus. We find in the Bible important elements of a theology of
hospitality, of which prominent is the hospitality of God. God accepted us sinners by
saving us and welcomed us into His space through worship. God gave us the
unconditional grace of salvation，love, forgiveness and blessing, and tells us to
unconditionally accept the strangers, the traveler, the alienated, the poor, the sick, etc. If
we identify such people with Jesus and the angel of God, we come to view new comers as
Jesus and God. Our church should welcome new comers with the hospitality of Jesus and
the hospitality of God. This thesis is based on the qualitative interview of eight new
members who experienced our new member reception program New Life, and their
topics were found to be very hospitable. They experienced change and restoration
through fellowship with God, church and fellow members, and this experience led them
to extending hospitality to others, thereby helping them settling down. Therefore, I
believe that as the Korean churches are interested in new member reception, we should
see it not simply as an occasion of borrowing a good program of a growing church or a
program for church growth but as an approach based on the theology of hospitality.
Furthermore, I expect that as Korean churches regard hospitality basically as the
hospitality of God and the hospitality of Jesus and see it as spiritual reality, the crisis and
conflict of Korean churches will be resolved by a good system of new member reception.
SUMMARY
Up until 1990s Korean church has grown rapidly as the whole world watches, but after
then the growth has slowed down, become stagnant or even regressed as the national economy
has gradually declined. This trend aroused a sense of crisis among Korean churches and resulted
in conflicts between the congregation and its pastor as to who was responsible for this. My
judgment is that we should find the main reason, not either in the pastor or in the laity but in the
failure Of new member reception.
It is due to a lack of concern and program that new comers have a hard time settling down
Even as a program, churches have usually tried to utilize it simply on the level of copying it from
a growing church or focused on church growth. Especially the lack of theology of hospitality for
new comers explains the neglect of practical spirituality in the church and the spirit of hospitality
of Jesus. This thesis will provide a foundation for the qualitative and quantitative revival of
church and new member program through the establishment of a theology of hospitality for new
comers.
The traits of the postmodern age which include a sense of alienation, deprivation, and fast
mobility adversely affect new believers. But modem people, though suffering from those traits of
postmodernism, desire to be free from them and seek a love of community, sense of belonging,
and security and peace. If those who are like travelers and strangers come to the church and
receive hospitality, they will more easily settle down. Hospitality is a positive attitude to welcome
and receive others into his or her own space. With this understanding, I propose to approach
hospitality philosophically and theologically.
To understand the traits of those living in the postmodern agc^ Levinas h<»d special
interest in the other and speaks for unconditional hospitality for the multicultural, migrants, and
aliens. He sees the other as the weak, the poor, orphans and widows, travelers, foreigners,
strangers, the minority, and the new comers in the context of the church. On the other hand,
Derrida speaks of his philosophy of hospitality which is characterized by the balance
between conditional and unconditional hospitality. These two understandings of hospitality
provide a philosophical basis for understanding new believers.
From the Biblical perspective, the hospitality of Abraham (Genesis 18) represents an
unconditional acceptance of travelers as a gift of God and an occasion of blessing. Just as God
welcomed the Israelite people when they were travelers, God commanded them to welcome other
travelers. In the New Testament, Jesus extends his hospitality to the socially weak and identifies
himself with them.
And Jesus practices the heavenly hospitality in which the host and the guests share meal at
the table like the feast in the kingdom of God. Luke welcomes traveling evangelists and practices
hospitality at the house church and the communion of repentance. The early community is
generous towards new people, and the workers of hospitality such as Barnabas and Lydia build up
the church community. Paul spreads Gospel by way of hospitality at the table and experiences
hospitality through house church. The Bible is full of a theology of hospitality.
What is central in the theology of hospitality is God’s hospitality. God accepted us sinners
by saving us and welcomed us into His space through worship. God gave us the unconditional
grace of salvation, love, forgiveness and blessing, and tells us to unconditionally accept strangers,
travelers, the alienated, the poor, the sick, etc. He tells us, “whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’’(Matt. 25:40) The Incarnate God who has loved the
mankind and come among us identifies himself with the least who are to be welcomed. Thus we
the church should accept new comers with Father’s heart and his hospitality. When we identify
such people with Jesus and the angel of God, they really turn out to be our Jesus and God.
The early community accepted and welcomed not only those already within but also those
new members in faith regardless of class, status, nationality and sex, and entered into deep
fellowship with them, shared the gospel, prayed together, voluntarily let go of their vested
interests, shared food and possessions, and thereby formed a community of hospitality.
목차
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. 서론
Introduction.............................................................................................................1
A. 본 논문에서 제기하고자 하는 문제
Raising Questions................ 1
B. 제기된 문제의 논의
Discussion of the Questions......................................... 3
C. 논지의 토론
Discussion of the Thesis..................................... 5
D. 기존연구에 대한 평가
History of Research............................................................................................7
E. 방법론과 방법들
Methodology ............... 12
1. 질적 연구 방법론과 면담
Qualitative Research Method and Interview.............................. 12
2. 연구의 윤리성 확보
Research Ethics.............................................................................. 13
F. 주요 용어의 정의
Main Terminology............................................................................... 13
1. 새신자
New member........................................................................................ 13
2. 정착
Reception...................................................................................................14
3. 환대
Hospitality................................................................................. 15
a. 성서적 용어
Biblical Term.................................................... 15
b. 신학적 용어
Theological Term ..............................
c 철학, 윤리적 개념
Philosophical，Ethical Concept ...........
4. 소그룹
Small Group...............................................
G. 연구의 범위와 제한성
Scope and Limitation of Research.....................
1. 연구범위
Scope of Research.....................................
2. 제한성
Limitation..................................................
H. 각장의 개요
Synopsis of Each Chapter..................................
n. 새신자 정착에 대한 이해
Understanding New Member Reception. ......
A. 포스트모던 시대의 새신자 이해
Understanding Postmodern Believers.................
1. 포스트 모던 시대의 특징
Traits of Postmodern Age ..................
a. 개인주의
Individualism ..............................
b. 소외감
Alienation...........................................
c. 박탈감
Deprivation ............................
d. 이동성
Mobility. ......................................
2. 포스트 모던 시대의 새신자 특징
Traits of Postmodern Believers ........
B. 새신자 정착에 대한 새로운 이해
Fresh Understanding of New Member Reception
1. 새신자 정착의 특징
Traits of New Member Reception...............
2. 새신자 정착을 위한 환대
Hospitality for New Member Reception.....
III. 새신자에 대한 윤리적, 철학적 이해
Ethical and Philosophical Understanding of New Members
A. 레비나스의 환대 윤리
Levinas’s Ethics of Hospitality...................................................................
B. 데리다의 환대 철학
Derrida’s Philosophy of Hospitality............................................................
C. 새신자 환대에 대한 윤리적, 철학적 해석
Ethical and Philosophical Understanding of New Member Hospitality.........
1. 수단으로서 초대와 새신자 환대
New Member Invitation and Hospitality as a Means .............................
2. 조건적 환대와 상호적 새신자 환대
Conditional Hospitality and Mutual Hospitality for New Members..........
3- 무조건적 환대와 대속적 새신자 환대
Unconditional Hospitality and Redemptive Hospitality for New Members
IV. 새신자 정착을 위한 환대신학적 접근
Approach of Theology of Hospitality for New Member Reception.....................
A. 구약성서적 이해
Examples in the Old Testament ............................................................
1. 아브라함의 환대
Hospitality of Abraham......................................................................
2. 나그네 환대
Hospitality of Travelers ..............................................................
3. 선지자들의 환대
Hospitality of Prophets..........................................................................
B. 신약성서적 이해
Examples in the New Testament.................................................................
i. 예수의 환대
Hospitality of Jesus..............................................................................
a. 환대 관계의 확장성
Extension of the Scope of Hospitality...............................................
b. 환대 받는 자들과의 동일시성
Identification with those Accepted .......................................
c. 하나님 나라 축제로서의 환대
Hospitality as a Feast at the Kingdom of God. ...........................