A study of the encounter between Gospel and local culture in Korea
This thesis is review on a study for the relation Gospel and local culture in Korea. There were theological efforts to searching for the relation between Gospel and traditional culture since transmitting christianity to Korea. I call the discussion of the relation between Gospel and traditional culture theology of inculturation. The notion of inculturation is a term that is mainly discussed in the context of encounter between the Christian Gospel and the local culture. Inculturation also means that Christianity takes root within a particular culture, bears fruit and continues to thrive. It is to be lived and evangelized in the life of korean people. Thus when the local culture of Korea have received the evangelical values of Christianity, it had undergone the process of being renewed and perfected. The inculturation of Christianity brings about mutual progress and renewal. When the Gospel meets the culture of Korea, it renews and perfects local culture. In turn, the Gospel gains the richness of the proper value of the local culture. The objective of inculturation is to embody the spirit of Gospel in hope that its Christian message permeate the lives of the people. IncuIturation needs to undergo the process of local and historical adaptation. This presentation will examine the literature on inculturation and focus on the reality of inculturation, what contemporary Koreans desire concerning the inculturation of the Christianity, and the direction that Inculturation needs to take at this time in history. Inculturational theology in Korea is a result of searching for the relation between Gospel and korean traditional culture. In this Thesis I also share putting the question of inculturational theology in Korea. At first I will review the styles of inculturational theologies by korean theologians. An next I will also look upon theological duties which we should have take. There are much studies on the progress of inculturation in Korea. I am proud of that. In conclusion, I will propose some tasks for the theology of inculturation in korean Christianity. At first, there must be relevance of context in the inculturation. And We must study christian culture which has been inculturated since the first age of mission to Korea. I think that the Korean Church is expected to take root in Korean society as Korean Christianity is always being inculturated according to time and place.