Mormino, Amy E.

2018-05-22T12:45:55Z

2018-05-22T12:45:55Z

2007

The modern South Korean Protestant Church, widely seen as the second largest sender of Christian missionaries in the world, has reached an important point in its development as a global missionary power. While there has been rapid growth in missionary numbers and some encouraging results, critics of South Korea mission (including those within and outside of the movement) are more aware than ever of the problems facing Korean missionaries on the field in areas like cultural adaptation and building effective relationships. This thesis proposes that South Korean mission can be analysed through two elements that are clearly seen through written and oral sources: the "Victorian" and the "Intercultural."

On the "Victorian" side, clear similarities connect Korean mission and that of the West, especially the United States, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This resemblance can be seen in several facets. Imbued with a high sense of purpose and ambition, Korean missionaries are unencumbered by historical baggage. They also face some of the same difficulties in areas like cultural adaptation and the use of money. Moreover, some view Korean missionaries as heirs to the "Golden Age" of mission who can complete the task of evangelisation.

By "Intercultural," I am referring both to the way that the word epitomises a sense of giving and taking within mission and the fact that it is currently the most fashionable of the terms used for cultural adaptation within mission. Furthermore, the term ties into the hope of Korean mission to act as an intermediary between Western and non-Western cultures. Aware of their problems with cultural adaptation, Korean missionaries are attempting to embrace the newest ideas about culture in mission, particularly through training. However, much remains to be done before the desired deeper relationships and reciprocity that interculturation suggests are brought about within Korean mission. The challenge for the Korean Church is to integrate the intercultural ideals of modern mission while maintaining the enthusiasm and purpose that has drive Korean mission forward.

http://hdl.handle.net/1842/30541

The University of Edinburgh

Annexe Thesis Digitisation Project 2018 Block 19

Already catalogued

Intercultural Victorians: the challenge of modern South Korean Protestant mission

Thesis or Dissertation

Doctoral

PhD Doctor of Philosophy