Madang Journal [Vol 14,  December 2010]

Institute for the Study of Theology, Sungkonghoe University

Publication

Madang Journal [Vol 14, December 2010]

Institute for the Study of Theology, Sungkonghoe University

Abstract

"Theological education aims to raise the ministers who may respond to the challenges and change of the world by obtaining intellectual, personal, and spiritual ability and to provide Christians the direction of christian life. The churches are now facing the challenges of the so-called globalization. Therefore, the most urgent mission task is to help those churches and Christians who are influenced by both positive and negative changes of globalization. Among many problems caused by globalization, the most serious challenges in theology and theological education are the problem of poverty due to the economic polarization and the problem of religious conflict and violence. The most serious victim of globalization is the poor and poor countries. They are exposed, with no protection, to the problems of restructuring processes, massive layoffs, long term unemployment, irregular employment, chronic farm debts, environmental disruption, disease, and etc. Globalization accelerates the migration of the international labor, which results in multi-cultural and multi-religious encounters. East Asia is a multireligious society for a long time. And if we include the middle east into Asia, Asia is a homeland of all the world religions, and a place of the most serious conflicts among religions and races. But the traditional theological education does not reflect on this situation and the most churches are exclusive toward other religions. Although the history of Asian theological education is short, no more than 200 years, it is a byproduct of western mission movement. The content, approach and goal is the product of Western missionaries' theology, built upon the development model of the colonial expansion of Europe and the U.S. However the paradigm of theological education went through massive changes. The characteristics of ecumenical theological education reveal its openness toward other theological tradition within Christianity and with other religions. At the same time, ecumenical theological education is characterized by its inclusive attitudes toward social problems and its commitment to deal with those problems. The openness also includes the participation of lay people to theological educational process. Ecumenical theology is not an area or a supplement in theology. Oikumene sets the norms for the direction and characteristics of theology. Theology is ecumenical or not ecumenical in its essence. Oikumene in a broad sense, means housekeeping/lifekeeping , that is, to bring life out of death in life, economy and environment. Ecumenical theology thus purports for the equality and life. Theology must not ignore the reality of life destruction, but witness to the God of life. It ought to move beyond traditional theological disciplines and refine them from the perspective of life-giving."(pg 4-5)

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2010-12-15

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With permission of the license/copyright holder

Madang Journal [Vol 14, December 2010]

Institute for the Study of Theology, Sungkonghoe University

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