It is Thanksgiving day on the third Sunday of November celebrated in most Korean Churches. But they have raised questions of the meaning of Thanksgiving day because of incongruent time, losing the meaning of service and so on. The purpose of this thesis is what Thanksgiving day is appropriate in Korean context. Appropriate contextualization is balanced between the text and the social context. First, we think if Korean Thanksgiving is based on the Biblical text, Korean Thanksgiving is the response of Koreans who God gave grace the same way as Israelites. Having a thankful mind is as biblical as Israel people in the Bible. Second, they wonder if Korean Thanksgiving is appropriative in Korean context. The Korean Thanksgiving is less appropriate. Charles Kraft explained the appropriate contextualization in three crucial dimensions; Relationship, understanding, and freedom. The relationship dimension is that Korean Thanksgiving has cultivated the relationship with God, however, it is less developed than the relationship of neighborhood. The understanding dimension is that Korean Thanksgiving must be established by Korean knowledge through North American’s missiology. The freedom dimension is that Korean Thanksgiving is not enough to show spiritual power as healing and witness. Korean Thanksgiving has had a history of 100 years so it indicates that it is time to move forward to a new direction. We think about Missional works through Korean Thanksgiving. We will respond to God and share with our neighbors in relationship dimension. They will establish Korean Thanksgiving Theology in the understanding dimension; foreign missionaries work, liberation from Japan colonization and economic development after the Korean war. We should expand thankful power for the sick people and societies in the freedom dimension. The history of Korean Christianity is very short compared with Western history. Western mission work has been giving negative effects in Asian context because of forcing western culture and thoughts. In spite of lacking understanding the Korean cultural aspect, western missionaries devoted Korean evangelism. Korean Christianity has developed wonderfully. Koreans worship the creator God and the saver God. I suggest that Korean Thanksgiving should be more appropriate in the Korean context and also establish thanksgiving missiology and develop methodology for Korean Protestant.

• 이선이(장로회신학대학교, 선교학) | Seonyi Lee