Re-imaging God in Korean Context

Yonsei University

About this Course

This course will be an overview of a development of the theological methods in relation to Korea’s cultural context. Completing the course, the learners can understand cultural influences on the dynamic development of Korean churches and indigenous theology; they can also gain an insight into their own image of God and theological imagination in their own cultural context.

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

Suggested: 4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

Suggested: 4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section

1 hour to complete

Image Matters to Theology (and You)

The chief goal of the course will be to understand a rapid growth and dynamic development of the Korean Protestant churches and indigenous theology by exploring various images of God in Korea. The first module will focus on an important methodological shift in contemporary theology from conceptual intellect to the human imagination. ...

6 videos (Total 48 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

6 videos

Who is This Course For?4m

Orientation4m

Why Images?7m

Theology, as a Work of the Imagination7m

Concept of God vs. Image of God8m

The Image of God: A Psychoanalytic Understanding16m

1 readings

2

Section

1 hour to complete

God as Father: Psychoanalytic Approaches to God-Image

The second module will discuss one’s formation of God-image as a Father with a comprehensive understanding of Freud’s psychoanalysis since many psychoanalytic theorists have argued that one’s early experience of parental relationship has an unavoidable, unconscious impact upon the formation of one’s own God-images....

5 videos (Total 55 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

5 videos

Introduction2m

God is Our Father, Is He Good Enough?10m

Freud, a Theologian12m

Imago: Psychoanalysis and Religion10m

Why did Freud Reject God the Father?18m

1 readings

3

Section

1 hour to complete

God as Heaven: Korean Confucian Culture and God-Image

The module 3 will examine the image of a heavenly God in the cultural context of Korea with the emphasis on Korean Confucian understanding of the "Chon" (heaven). Noting the collective (cultural) representations of the "Chon" (heaven), the interplay among transcendental and immanent images of God in the formation of the Korean Protestant churches will be discussed. ...

5 videos (Total 50 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

5 videos

Introduction5m

Understanding Self (and God) in the West and East11m

Mental and Collective Representations of God10m

Hanunim: The Korean Term for God7m

The Heaven in Korean Confucianism15m

1 readings

4

Section

1 hour to complete

God as Rice: A Dialectical Imagination of Minjung Theologians

The module 4 will focus on Kwok Pui-lan’s proposal of biblical interpretation as “Dialogical Imagination” in which the Korean Minjung theology strengthens the power of theological imagination. This module will demonstrate how the immanent image of God as rice to the Korean Minjung theology became the central theme of the Christian social movement in Korea. ...

5 videos (Total 44 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

5 videos

Introduction5m

A Way of Dialogical Imagination5m

Minjung Theology and Its Creative Imagination6m

Chang Il-dam: A Social Biography of Minjung10m

God is Rice15m

1 readings

5

Section

1 hour to complete

God as Spirit: Where Pentecostal Spirituality and Liberationist Spirituality Meet

The last module will first examine how shamanistic beliefs affected the healing ministry of Christianity through the Pentecostal movement in Korea. The module will show that both the Korean Pentecostal group and the liberationist group can commonly interpret God as Spirit to be a fundamental base for their theological imagination....

5 videos (Total 55 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

5 videos

Introduction7m

Where Korean Liberation Theology and Pentecostalism Meet10m

Korean Spirits Live Together in this World9m

How God Heals Korean Han9m

How 'God as Spirit' Transforms Us17m

1 readings

Instructor

Soo-Young Kwon

Professor

About Yonsei University

Yonsei University was established in 1885 and is the oldest private university in Korea. Yonsei’s main campus is situated minutes away from the economic, political, and cultural centers of Seoul’s metropolitan downtown. Yonsei has 3,500 eminent faculty members who are conducting cutting-edge research across all academic disciplines. There are 18 graduate schools, 22 colleges and 133 subsidiary institutions hosting a selective pool of students from around the world. Yonsei is proud of its history and reputation as a leading institution of higher education and research in Asia....

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I pay for this course?
If you pay for this course, you will have access to all of the features and content you need to earn a Course Certificate. If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. Note that the Course Certificate does not represent official academic credit from the partner institution offering the course.
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Is financial aid available?
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Re-imaging God in Korean Context