오페라 작곡가 베르디의 『레퀴엠』은 대규모 관현악의 다양한 악기들과 8성부에 이르는 극적 인 종교적 합창곡이며 동시에 음악회를 위한 예술적 가치를 높이 평가 받고있는 작품이다. 다양 한 극적인 요소로써 금관악기를 비롯한 장엄한 음향과 가사처리, 모방적이고 반복적인 작곡기법 등이 있다. 본 논문은 종교적 합창곡에서 찾아볼 수 있는 대중적인 요소들을 베르디의 종교적 진혼곡『레퀴엠』을 통해 살펴보고자 한다. 우선 합창에서의 대중성은 가사를 편집하고 합창에 있어서 극적인 성부의 효과적으로 배치하고 있다. 가사 처리에 대한 작곡가의 의도는 장례 미사에 쓰여 지는 기능성을 가진 음악이라기보다는 예술적인 차원을 강조하여 대중성을 높인다고 할 수 있다. 두 번째, 연주회장에서 금관악기 등의 공간적 배치는 청중에게 현장감과 몰입감을 높인다. 소리의 공간감 과 입체감은 음악회에 대한 보다 만족스러운 결과를 가져다주며 실제 연주회장에서 작곡가에 의해 창출 된 음향적 의도가 효과적으로 실현될 수 있다. 마지막으로 합창음악에서의 대중성을 가지기 위해서는 선율이 단순하고 명확하며 합창 성부들을 수직적으로 화음의 구성 및 배치하며 또한 극단적인 셈여림 등으로 대중성을 높이고 있다.

The article is to describe the recent phenomena in the area of American culture and religion such as multiculturalism, popular religion, and civil religion. It is also to evaluate those phenomena from the viewpoint of a missiological perspective. Multiculturalism is defined as all kinds of activities which try to support the various cultures and heritages of ethnic people groups and to overcome ethnocentrism. It is criticized by the conservatives as a political theory which tends to lose its truth, universality, and objectivity. From the missiological point of view, it can be used for developing the multicultural strategies for Christian missions. Popular religion exists outside the official religious institutions and it is related to the folk beliefs such as dream, charisma, trans meditation, channeling, angels, faith healing, and etc. It is criticized by Neoorthodox theologians that it tends to neglect the historical and political aspects of the social phenomena. Even though it is criticized by them as syncretism, it can be helpful for Christian missions to understand people's popular lives. Civil Religion is to respect the virtues and values of American citizens which are traced to Christian values such as temperance, private assets, individual responsibility, and patriotism. It is criticized as an ecumenical Protestant tribalism which tends to be misused by the imperialistic expansionism to destroy the cultures of minority. From the perspective of Christian missions, it should transform its selfishness into the world brotherhood in the 21 st century of the universal and multicultural world.

This paper examines a distinctive Christian slogan, “What would Jesus do?” which was emerged from Charles Sheldon’s social gospel novel, In His Steps (1897). This book eventually became one of the most influential bestseller during the last century. It is known that In His Steps has sold more than thirty million copies. However, this important Christian legacy has generally been ignored by the academic scholarship. The goal of this research is to rediscover a popular old evangelical heritage. How has this “sappy” “popular” novel received such a massive response from the ordinary readers generation by generation. I examine the history of the birth and reception of In His Steps, examining the Christian literary culture in author’s time. Also, I analyze and evaluate the contents and messages in this novel. What could be the author wanted to tell through this fictional narrative? Which portraits of Jesus are described in this book and in the slogan, “What would Jesus do?” Is it really possible for today’s Christians to follow in Jesus’ steps through asking this question, as the author suggested in the story? I discuss theological and ethical validity of Sheldon’s “imitation ethics.” I define that Sheldon’s message was an evangelical social gospel influenced by the holiness evangelicalism of his era. Sheldon believed that Jesus’ teaching should be applied to government and that the church has a definite responsibility for social reform. However, evangelical readers in the 20th century ignored the “social gospel” spirit in this book, only accepting his emphasis of personal morality and piety. However, in both Sheldon’s social gospel message and the recent evangelical movement, popular media are actively used to embrace the question, “What would Jesus do?” Sheldon aimed to “make religion interesting.” His writing of religious fiction was only for presenting and spreading gospel message, not creating interesting plots nor producing literary masterpiece. Scholars has criticized that Sheldon’s novels are too naive and sentimental with the lack of realistic anthropology. Surely his optimistic idealism overlooked the gray part of complex human life, simply dividing a (good) christian way from a (evil) secular way. However, his suggestion does not primarily aim for the possibility of following in Jesus’ steps, but for the motif of Christian life. It is a spiritual technique for devoted Christians with seriously asking what Jesus would do in one’s context. It is not for the “right” decisionmaking but for a disciplinary method, expecting the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is appropriate that Stanley Grenz expressed Sheldon’s imitation ethics as an “evangelical autonomy.” His imitation ethics observe that devotion to Christ unifies faithful Christians with their cosmic Master in the deepest aspect of their personhood. Sheldon strived for “social reform” through individual transformation, which is the very message of his religious fiction.