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LOVE CHANGES: PEDAGOGY OF ACOLOGY— A CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL MODEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Sung Jacob Sohn May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ©2007 Sung Jacob Sohn May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. £+h CLAREMONT '$& ' SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY This Dissertation, written by Sung Jacob Sohn under the direction of his Faculty Committee and approved by its members, 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 Philosophy Faculty Committee: Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, Chairperson Philip Clayton Mary Poplin Dean: Susan L. Nelson May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Love Changes: Pedagogy of Acology— A Christian Educational Model For Young Adults by Sung Jacob Sohn Although love has been an essential part of human stories in Western Christianity, the issue of love seems outdated because of the assumption that love no longer challenges the intellect or contributes to academic discourses in the field of religious education. It is easier to state that human beings and communities have been changed by law enforcement, institutional authority, and intellectual accomplishment rather than by the power of love. Love is solely limited as a religious subject that scientific study avoids. However, the author contests that through love, wholeness is possible. This study argues that Love is a life renewing energy that changes people’s lives. Agape, referring to Christian love, especially, is distinct from other religious traditions. Agapic love is the fundamental mark of the Christian identity. Agapic love has also been the motivational center, foundation, and growth of the Christian community. Through Agapic love, various forms of life have been created on earth along with healing and renewal. Knowing and experiencing this love, young adults are able to grow and mature in wholeness. The world is falling into a more depressing situation due to war, terror and the effects of globalization. Environmental damages cause ecological imbalances and destruction; and the shifting cultural dynamics and growth of racial diversity have challenged both the local and faith communities. Young adults are exposed to a depressing global situation, ecological degradation, and cultural and racial division. The roles of young Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. adults, as agents of change, become crucial in both the local faith community and the global society. Young adults desire to find meaning in their lives and take responsibility in changing the current situation but their minds are filled with “why’s” and “how’s” because they feel hopeless and powerless. In a broad sense, this research mainly attempts to deal with two questions: (1) What makes a young adult change into a wholesome person? and (2) Which educational model is most effective and prominent for helping young adults become more whole? The former question was raised out of the author’s subjective interests and curiosities and the second question seeks to find the objective answers to the former question. In order to examine the above questions, the young adult generation was chosen as the focus of this study. This study proposes “A Pedagogy of Acology,” an educational model that integrates the distinctive features of Christian love and ecological principles. The word “Acology” is coined with a meaning of “Agapic love-centered-ecologically-grounded.” This model will not only guide young adults to grow into wholeness but will also enable them to become important members of a Christian community. Eventually, Christian community in the company of young adults will become a community of agents of peace, reconciliation, and transformation in today’s local and global world. The new model’s theological groundings, its pedagogy and educational method can be summed up in three loving activities: “Love God,” “Love one another,” and “Love the whole creation.” ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS One early morning on the way to my study, many doubts filled my mind and I began murmuring to my self: “Why are you doing this? You have no life except for this writing project, a so-called “dissertation. You haven’t seen your wife for over a month. You barely have a social life. Is the priority of your life to finish this project? Or something else? If this project gets successfully finished, will everything else you have ignored become justified?” Like a madman I have been driven only towards one aim: ‘finish the project.’ Then, a moment after the rain of doubts, there was a little voice: “all things have been given to you for free! Therefore you must give whatever you have back to the one who has freely given to you!” Although my project has been one of the main purposes of my life, I could not have accomplished it without the collective work and help of members in several communities. These are the communities which not only have been faithful to my work and me but also provide intellectual, spiritual and emotional support over the last six years. I am truly grateful for the Claremont academic community. Especially, Dr. John Jr. Cobb, Professor Philip Clayton, Kathleen Greider, Mary Poplin, and Frank Roger. Elaine Walker gave expert documentation help, and Robert Vincent and Connie Kimos provided invaluable editing help which added clarity to my writing. Elisabeth Conde-Fraizer has taught me how to be a holistic person who fulfills the multiple roles of minister, teacher, caretaker of family, faithful spouse and patient mentor. I’d like to thank the General Board of Global Ministries of UMC in New York for endowing me with the Crusade Scholarship for three years. The Myra House residents have also supported me by maintaining the rhythm of our communal life. They have also taken care of the garden and helped with iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. other house chores. For a two-year period, these and other friends and extended family members have supported me through providing meals, prayers, and financial contributions. I cannot help but acknowledging the blessings of the Mt. Baldi mountains, creeks and trails. They have sustained my life with renewing energy and led me to the mystery of the nature. My precious daughter Lydia and son, David, not only have supported me with primary proofreading and endearing questions on contemporary issues through their love. Their questions helped me to gain a deeper knowledge, faith, and meaning of life. I give special thanks to my lover and life partner, Myra, who has poured out her sacrificial love for me. Her love was my source of overcoming all the difficult circumstances. Therefore, my dissertation is for those who have freely given to me! And I dedicate it to my beloved wife Myra! iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page GOALS AND METHOLOGICAL APPROACH 1 INTRODUCTION 4 PART I: Young Adults and Human Development Introduction 14 CHAPTER 1: Young Adults and Developmental Consideration-A 16 CHAPTER 2: Young Adults and Developmental Consideration-B 28 CHAPTER 3: Young Adults and Community 37 Conclusion 44 PART II: Young Adults and Emerging Communities Introduction 46 CHAPTER 4: Take 49 CHAPTER 5: L'Abri 64 CHAPTER 6: Mosaic 77 Conclusion 93 PART III: Theological Foundation of Acology Introduction 99 CHAPTER 7: Agape and Young Adults 103 CHAPTER 8: Agape and Christian Community 115 CHAPTER 9: Agape and Environmental Care 126 Conclusion 139 PART IV: Toward Pedagogy of Acology Introduction 141 CHAPTER 10: Eco-Religious Educational Theory 146 CHAPTER 11: Eco-Religious Educational Practice 161 CHAPTER 12: Pedagogy of Acology 180 Conclusion 193 APPENDIXES A. Diagrams 195 B. Letters and Pamphlet of Communities 200 BIBLIOGRAPHY 209 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. GOALS AND METHOLOGICAL APPROACH The focus of this paper is an integrated model of religious education. This model envisions a world that bridges the gaps between culture, race, religious beliefs, and human/ non-human beings. The project consists of four stages: First, I review the characteristics of young adulthood’s formation and transformation in terms of identity, meaning making and spiritual formation. Second, I examine the developmental aspects of the young adult’s identity and faith formation with the purpose of critically reconstructing psycho-social, intellectual, ethical and spiritual dimensions of young adulthood. Third, in order to identify the components of the socializing process and cultural value systems of young adults, I engage in empirical field research. I particularly use the analytic tools from Max Weber’s sociological approach and Clifford Geertz’s cultural anthropological perspective. Fourth, I identify epistemological components that lay the theological foundation of a new educational model in order to reconstruct an educational theory based on ecological theology and spirituality. The project incorporates multiple methods of research tools. First, it examines and clarifies statistics and reports that describe young adults’ mental health, behavioral problems and other related symptoms. In addition, I review literature regarding identity formation, faith development, and the process of meaning making from a psychological, cultural and anthropological study. The project analyzes written materials of conventional ecological study such as human and social ecology, environmental ecology and spiritual ecology. I explore the components of agapic love from an ecological approach. The project also incorporates empirical research by investigating three contemporary Christian 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. communities: The Taize community in France, the L ’Abri community in Europe and the United States and the Mosaic community in Los Angeles. It will include interviews and journal reports with the young adults, mentors and community leaders I encountered during my visits. This PART incorporates multiple methods with empirical research tools. It includes interviews, journal reports and my own reflection from my personal encounters with young adults, mentors and community leaders. As objective study criteria I utilize the tools that are based on three methods: Max Weber’s sociological frame work, Clifford Geertz’s cultural anthropological outline and the analytic method of the Christian history by Daniel Day Williams. Weber’s approach is sociological, which is marked by the “verstehen” method, referring to the system of meaning that weaves together into a community motive.1 However, it will incorporate my subjective inputs. According to Weber, the “subjective point of view” is critical in order to investigate people’s actions and aspects of community. Geertz’s approach is from a cultural anthropologist’s perspective, which is marked by the method of “program.” This provides a template or blueprint for the organization of organic process. For Geertz, religion is a system of symbols through which psychological attitudes and cultural concepts transmit as a pattern of meanings and forms the general order of existence. Both methodological tools from Weber and Geertz well clarify basic assumptions as to why people act the way they do. However, both methods tend to place Christianity as just one religious tradition that influences human actions and community 1 Max Weber, The Sociology of Religion. Trans. Ephraim Fischoff (Boston: Beacon Press, 1963), 59. 2 Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays (New York: Basic Books, 1973), 90. 2 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.