• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.61
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• pp.131-164
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• 2020

This study analyzes the Trinitarian principles of Christian education through the neo-orthodox theology of Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich in the current era of postmodernism. Both neo-orthodoxy and postmodernism react against the epistemological ideals of modernity. Postmodernism is based on a limited human point of view, and thus becomes a captive to its own subjectivity, producing two main characteristics - pluralism and relativism. Since neo-orthodoxy appeared as a reaction against human-centered modernity, critical analysis of neo-orthodox theology can give insights to cope with the challenges of postmodernism in Christian education today. Thus, this study bases its argument critically on the thoughts of neo-orthodox theologians such as Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich, since they responded to the challenges of enlightenment through rediscovering fundamental theological principles. First of all, this study examined the meaning of God's creation and the fall and provided the principle of theistic relativism. Secondly, this study explored educational insights from Jesus' crucifixion, through His work of redemption, liberation, and restoration and suggests an incarnated relationship building. Thirdly, the study analyzed the caring and comforting work of the Holy Spirit and emphasized the power of the Holy Spirit that heals corrupted human reason and enables loving relationships.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.73
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• pp.55-72
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• 2023

Recently, religious communities have devised multiple practical training programs for spiritual formation and direction. In this study, we define Christian spiritual formation as a lifelong journey of growing, progressing, increasing and strengthening toward wholeness in the image of Christ. In dialogue with J. Edwards' theology of spiritual sense, this essay suggests three major points of holistic spiritual formation in depth: first, spiritual Formation is a process; second, spiritual formation should attend to the balance between God's Initiative and Human Agency; third, holistic spiritual formation is a process to seek God-self. Spiritual formation is not a static status acquired by several techniques, methods or programs. It is a formative process through which one prepares to comprehend divine love and purpose. Spiritual formation is a dynamic process to respond to the One who shapes our life path with increasing faithfulness. Holistic comprehension of Christian spiritual formation will assist postmodern people to find meaning, value, purpose, and identity through deeper experiences with God in the midst of the fragmented and troubled world, so that they could restore wholeness in the image of God.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.62
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• pp.161-186
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• 2020

This study was conducted with the aim of opening a new horizon in understanding the church, which is a community of faith, in the context of losing social credibility with selfishness and closedness, and spreading social distance due to the epidemic. First, the concept and meaning of 'Ecclesia', a representative term for the church, was studied historically, biblically, and theologically, and Paul's intention was frequently used. Second, we explored the new horizons of the community of faith through a discussion of Roberto Esposito's Communitas and Immunitas, which unraveled the relationship between community and individual with an immunological concept. Not only dis lose social trust for a variety of reasons, but it has been pointed out as a target of social distancing due to the spread of the epidemic virus and is facing a crisis of weakening or loss of the faith community of the "church". Since the second epidemic has been predicted since Covid-19, the partial loss of daily life and the weakening and loss of meeting worship and fellowship in the church are inevitable. The church in the future needs to transform and build a true community of faith that understands the concept of immunity and can lead the transformation of society while revealing the spirit and life scent of Jesus Christ. To this end, innovation and practice of the paradigm of the community of faith appropriate to the rapidly changing times and situations is required. In Chapter 1 of this paper, we propose innovation by pointing out the problems of the church and the faith community, which have lost social credibility, and which are the objects of social distance, with selfishness and closedness. Chapter 2 studies and analyzes the 'Ecclesia' used in ancient Greek to transform the paradigm of the faith community, and identifies the intention of the apostle Paul to apply the 'Ecclesia' to the church's faith community. Chapter 3-4 discusses the concept of immunity, summarizes the reinterpretation of Esposito, who looked at the relationship between the individual and the community through the concept of positive immunity beyond negative immunity. And It draws application points for transforming the faith community of various communities, individuals, and churches. In conclusion, Chapter 5 restores precious gatherings and participation that are weakened and lost through the meaning of 'Ecclesia' and suggests expansion to higher level public gatherings and democratic participation. In addition, based on the reinterpretation of the concept of immunity, we present unity in diversity and diversity in unity as alternatives to the church and community of faith.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2018

In the Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Judas, Greece, and Rome, Phoenix dactylifera was planted in gardens or orchards to signify life, blessing, and victory. Branches of Phoenix dactylifera, likened to high and precious, were referred to one of the gifts to the king in the second century BC and have been used in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they were engraved on the walls of the temple and along with cherub. Besides, Phoenix dactylifera is compared with a righteous person in the Bible since it grows straight despite strong winds. And, it was used as a symbol of honesty, justice, and right. Churches call the week before Easter Palm Sunday since the crowd laid the leaves of date palm trees on the road and shouted "Hosanna" while waving the date palm branches when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Moreover, pilgrim in the Middle Ages was called 'Palmer' in English due to custom of returning with the leaves and branches of date palm trees as a memorial of the Holy Land pilgrimage. This study analyzes naming issue of Phoenix dactylifera through the old literature and 27 versions of the most influential Bibles in History of Bible Translation in Korea, China, and Japan. Phoenix dactylifera is translated into Chinese as '棕櫚(Trachycarpus fortunei)', a native tree of China. 棕櫚 is similar to Phoenix dactylifera, but its fruit and leaf are quite distinct. This being so, translating Phoenix dactylifera as 棕櫚 has a limit to convey symbolic meaning adequately. In the Japanese Bible, on the other hand, Phoenix dactylifera is translated as 'なつめやし(Natsumeyashi)' meant date palm tree. Most of Protestant Bible in Korea use 'Jongryeo' like Chinese Bible while translation in Korean Catholic Bible(2005) varies from one scripture to another: 'Yaja Namu (Palm Tree)' - 38 times, 'Jongryeo Namu' - 5 times, and 'Daechu Yaja Namu (Date Palm Tree)' - 3 times. Date Palm Tree, 'Jongryeo Tree', and Palm Tree don't grow in Korea. However, they had long been recognized as Haejo(海棗), Jongryeo(?櫚), and Yaja(椰子) respectively through China and Japan. Each of them called by a distinct name correspond with its own characteristic and used separately in Korean Classics as Jongryeo and Haejo were identified in ancient Chinese literatures. It seems that more confusion was raised since 'Palm' was translated as 'Jongryeo' in several books including "?藤和英大辭典 (1915)", "Modern 朝鮮外來語辭典(1938)", and "Latin-Korean Dictionary(1995)". However, the Latin term 'Palmae' is translated into English as either palm tree or date palm. The results of this study suggest that more accurate translation of Phoenix dactylifera in the Bible would be 'Daechu Yaja Namu (Date Palm Tree)' and using different name fit for its own characteristic would be more appropriate.