An interplay between God-images and the Korean traditional religions in a hermeneutics of pastoral care and counselling

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The purpose of this research was to determine what the influence of the God-image ofparishioners within the Korean Presbyterian Church is on their faith and ability to come to termsmeaningfully with the crisis of suffering. With the view to making a pastoral diagnosis and theprocess of assessment, a pastoral hermeneutics was applied.The basic hypothesis implemented is that inappropriate God-images, exacerbated by thereligious-cultural context of the Presbyterian Church in Korea, play an important role in theparishioners' inability to come to terms meaningfully with crises and suffering. In this respect, itwas found that Shamanism, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, amongst others, profile thedominant religious paradigm that functions among members. This cultural context gives rise toa concept of God that applies the theological presupposition of an almighty, fearful supremebeing who controls and is in command of everything - even death. In this regard, the conceptsof punishment and judgment play a decisive role. Within theodicy, God is viewed as theultimate cause of evil. Thus, a merciless God (Ch 'unbeol) is the inevitable cause of suffering.The research found that, in Korea, theodicy relates to the monotheistic concept of a supremegod (HanunumIHananim), as well as the punitive component in the category of omnipotence(Ch 'unbeoIIChunneung). Because of a causal paradigm (scheme of cause and effect),manipulation is a strong factor in the Koreans' concept of faith and coping with suffering. Thisgives rise to a form of pathology of faith: the manipulation of God with the view to materialand health benefits. This hampers maturity in faith. In order to understand the theological concepts of judgment and power, we present the exegesisof relevant biblical texts with the view to the development of a theology of compassion. In thisrespect, we discuss the theological theories of four theologians, that is the existential concept ofa theology of the cross (Luther); the ontological-trinitarian concept of a theology of the cross(Moltmann); the dialectic-emotional pain theology of Kitamori; and Louw's pastoralhermeneuticunderstanding of the cross within the framework of his promissio-therapy.This study suggests a paradigm shift away from a punitive judgmental paradigm to a sensitivecompassionate paradigm. This implies a radical transformation from a hierarchical concept ofpower to power as a category of sympathy and identification that demonstrates God'scompassion in suffering.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University