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.
Created by: Yonsei University
Taught by: Soo-Young Kwon, Professor
College of Theology
| Level | Beginner |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Korean |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
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, 1 reading
- Video: Orientation
- Video: Why Images?
- Video: Theology, as a Work of the Imagination
- Video: Concept of God vs. Image of God
- Reading: Recommended Readings for Module 1
- Video: The Image of God: A Psychoanalytic Understanding
Graded: Module 1 Quiz
WEEK 2
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, 1 reading
- Video: God is Our Father, Is He Good Enough?
- Video: Freud, a Theologian
- Video: Imago: Psychoanalysis and Religion
- Video: Why did Freud Reject God the Father?
- Reading: Recommended Readings for Module 2
Graded: Module 2 Quiz
WEEK 3
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, 1 reading
- Video: Understanding Self (and God) in the West and East
- Video: Mental and Collective Representations of God
- Video: Hanunim: The Korean Term for God
- Video: The Heaven in Korean Confucianism
- Reading: Recommended Readings for Module 3
Graded: Module 3 Quiz
WEEK 4
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, 1 reading
- Video: A Way of Dialogical Imagination
- Video: Minjung Theology and Its Creative Imagination
- Video: Chang Il-dam: A Social Biography of Minjung
- Video: God is Rice
- Reading: Recommended Readings for Module 4
Graded: Module 4 Quiz
WEEK 5
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, 1 reading
- Video: Where Korean Liberation Theology and Pentecostalism Meet
- Video: Korean Spirits Live Together in this World
- Video: How God Heals Korean Han
- Video: How 'God as Spirit' Transforms Us
- Reading: Recommended Readings for Module 5
Graded: Module 5 Quiz
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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.
Ratings and Reviews
Concise, completely on topic, lots of excellent references for future study. Very interesting and thought provoking.
Excellent!
Very interesting course. However, it focused too much on westernized religion is a organized religion in particular. In fact, spirituality, and there's a whole myriad of beliefs blurry and you.
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RT
The course content is interesting, the instructor is engaging, and the course is well organized overall. The reflection questions at the end of each unit are especially helpful. If you're interested in comparative theology or religious history, this is a worthwhile course to take that won't require too much time to complete.