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This study aims to clarify the problem of meritocracy and to show a way to overcome it, which can be discovered in Wolfgang Huber’s legal ethics. In the meritocratic structure, where distribution by merit is important, the social background of the individual is disregarded. Therefore, substantive equality of opportunity is necessary to mitigate the effects of poor starting conditions. The law contributes to its realization. Huber explains the purpose and function of law and emphasizes the need for theological reflection. He further argues that education promotes the realization of substantive equality of opportunity. On this basis, the church must endeavor to implement the right to development. This legal-ethical effort contributes to overcoming the meritocracy problem and the development of society.

Meritocracy professes an equal society that respects individual merit. However, Meritocracy has contributed to the mechanism to justify the social hierarchy of classes. Sociologists concerned about the polarization of class structure in capitalism criticize that Meritocracy has promoted social inequality with conflict and division in society. This article discloses that Meritocracy consists of contemporary aristocratic inheritance, justification of democracy, and collusion with Elitism. This research presents how the term ‘Meritocracy’ is used in various contexts of Korean society. It also shows how ‘Merit competency-hierarchy’ and Neoliberalism have separated Korean middleclass women. This study offers the position and perspectives in political-economical-social geomorphology of Korean Society to access and interpret the phenomena through democratic Ideas and ethical-theological thoughts.

In modernization, Western society conceives an idea of justice as distributing advantages and disadvantages to individuals by individual’s share. In capitalism, the idea of justice has become a universal belief that the distribution should accord with each individual’s merit. This belief is called meritocracy which in today’s society is believed to be an idea of achieving distributive justice upon which all can agree. However, modern meritocracy conceals an unequal structure. This paper shows the meritocratic unfairness and the necessity of forgiveness and consolation for the concept of distributive justice as the righteousness of God. To this end, first, this research shows that there is an unequal structure in meritocratic ideology, which evolves into sentiments of hatred and discrimination in Korean society. Second, according to Thomas Picketty, hereditary middle class and succession of wealth have always existed in meritocracy. Third, I will confirm that the similarity between the spirit of capitalism and Protestant ethics is no longer valid within financial capitalism.

“Squid Game” received worldwide attention. Various interpretations exist as to the cause and content of this immense popularity. In this context, it also makes sense to keep the theological, especially the interpretation of Christian ethics. It is meaningful to examine the reason for the international attention from the perspective of fairness, and to identify the norm of fairness in Korean society. In this sense, the content of the “Squid Game” is described, and it becomes clear that meritocracy can not replace fairness from a philosophical perspective. In the theological sense, the norm of solidarity is emphasized by the arrangement of the concept of justification and labor. In a philosophical and theological dimension, more value is placed on solidarity than meritocracy. Labor of the biblical statement empowers solidarity. According to justification, the righteousness of humans is not achieved by his merit. Therefore, people should have a deep interest in solidarity. It has ethical significance when the ability that God has given to humans contributes to the common good and when it makes the lives of the socially disadvantaged more lively.

This article primarily examines the existence of the posthuman as a human being enhanced by cuttingedge technologies through the prefix ‘post’, and through the same terminological analysis, investigates the aspects of the post-modern/post-Corona era in which posthumans live. Based on this background study, what it intends to focus on is that the conflict structure between the first and third worlds exists not only in the modern era, but also in the postmodern/post-Corona era. With this awareness, this article attempts to find a clue for resolving the first world/third world conflict structure in the 21st century through three precedents in the 20th century. The first attempt is through the eclectic position of John C. Bennett. The second is through James H. Cone’s mediating position. The third is through the preparation of the way for the Lord, which Bonhoeffer suggested. Throughout this research process, it conclusively proposes that whether in the 20th or in the 21st centuries, the persistent subordinate structure can be realistically dismantled only when humans with power in the first world voluntarily recognize and act on problems.

This study explores the historical exclusion and inclusion of social welfare practices for non-human animals, and ethical issues related to animal-assisted activities. With animals proving that they can provide a wide range of benefits to humans, animals are increasingly being used in various social welfare practices. However, caution should be exercised against the indiscriminate spread of animal-mediated therapy driven solely by human interests and demands. In social welfare practice, which has traditionally been developed based on human welfare, all kinds of animal-assisted activities must start with recognizing animals in the social welfare code of ethics and make more apparent ethical positions. This article introduces the history and types of animal-assisted activities after examining various ethical perspectives on how humans treat animals. Then, the meaning of animal-assisted activities in the social welfare practice is discussed. To present the rationale for establishing a code of ethics for animal-assisted activities in social welfare practice, the necessity for ethical operation, the theoretical basis for ethical operation, and ethical issues related to animal-assisted activities, including animal theology or Christian ethical perspective, are considered.

This study offers reflective walking as a practice that restores spirituality and transcendence of cities secularized in contemporary contexts. I will explore the meaning of Michel de Certeau’s ‘tactical walking’ and investigate reflective walking as a transformational practice of space in connection with Christian pilgrimage. Certeau understands walking as a self-reflective act that can overcome the city’s oppressive system and social order. Pedestrians can be creative interpreters and practitioners of urban space. Their reflective walking aims for a life separate from secular values and leads to a ‘pilgrimage walking’ toward transcendence and relationship. Stanley Hauerwas extends Certeau’s concept of tactical walking to Christian discipleship. For Hauerwas, ‘Pilgrimage’ is a religious practice of disciples following Christ and a political act that resists secular culture and order. Through this, they try to change spatial meanings and urban community and clarify their identity. Based on the transcendence and relationship of walking behavior, I will suggest urban theological implications of resisting the ruling order of secular cities and living a transformative life of God’s kingdom.

Starting from recognizing the ethical dilemma that claims the legitimacy of artificial abortion based on women’s right to self-determination or socioeconomic weakness, this study seeks new arguments from the perspective of feminist Christian ethics. For this purpose, it will explain the ‘right not to give birth’ from a new perspective of the ‘right to give birth’ or further from the inseparable relations with the ‘ethical subjectivity of maternity that gives birth.’ In addition, it will explain the ethical failure of women as the ‘sole person in front of childbirth’ in relation to a society’s structural injustice, and prepare a framework for social discussions on establishing reproduction rights.

The purpose of this study is to discuss forgiveness from the perspective of politics, ethics, and theology as a condition for the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula. It is essential to examine the issue of forgiveness resulting from this historical process of division that has raised expectations for peace under the turbulent situation on the Korean Peninsula. If the issue of forgiveness has been discussed only in the dimension of religion so far, it has become a topic that should be sufficiently discussed in philosophy, psychology, and politics starting from 1980. In a situation where mutual hatred continues to expand due to various kinds of violence, forgiveness and hospitality are required to overcome the various types of errors made by imperfect humans. To defend a peaceful world, forgiveness is a necessary condition. This study dreams of unification as part of achieving peace. Furthermore, this article reflects on the meaning of forgiveness from a philosophical, political, and theological standpoint to achieve unification.

The purpose of this study is to form the current view of marriage by examining the similarities and differences between the marriage theory in traditional society and the Catholic/Protestant marriage theory in the related literature on “Christian Marriage Theory” owned by the Korean Christian Museum at Soongsil University. In this study, the research attempts to reveal the historical trajectory of the influence of foreign thought. In particular, missionaries who visited Korea during the transition period considered that the civilization and enlightenment of Joseon was another mission. Therefore, they took a Puritan attitude from the view of Western civilization and tried to civilize Joseon by introducing a new life order and social principle. A good example that can trace its specific appearance and content is the writings of missionaries in Korea on the ‘Theory of Marriage.’ Those writings well expose the process of cultural border, hybridization, and inculturation in the Christian ‘marriage theory’ in Korean society during the period of modern transition. Therefore, this study contributes to examining the appearance of the modern Korean landscape contained in the marriage theory and the transplantation, acceptance, transformation, and expansion of foreign ideas.

The Christian Family Life Movement started with the purpose of establishing a Christian family properly in response to the secularization of the Korean soceity after the World War II. After liberation, the Christian community tried to establish a Christian state through the construction of Christian families. Accordingly, the ‘Christian Family Life Committee’ was launched and the family life movement was conducted through education on family theory and lectures. Above all, through 『New Home』, they tried to spread the Christian Family Life Theory. The discussions presented in 『New Home』 are about ‘the establishment of the Christian Family Life Theory,’ ‘a rational and scientific housewife,’ ‘an emphasis on motherhood,’ ‘chastity and marriage,’ and ‘a family serving the nation.’ The Christian Family Life Movement has the character of a culturalistic enlightenment movement with the background of the times to help the nation in the chaotic Korean society of the 1950s.

South Korea will be faced with the need of retaining or reemploying of middle- aged and older workers due to shortage of labor stemmed from decline in working-age population. Middle-aged and older people’s active aging are deemed to be highly required now in view of the current demographic situation. This paper focuses on remaining time in middle-aged and older people’s lives in an attempt to address rapid decline in working-age population and then examines the likely impact that their perception of remaining time can have on their active aging. This study first analyzes and compares middle-aged and older people’s three-stage life - education, work, retirement - and their four-, five-stage life cycle-centered perception of remaining time. We also look into the formation of intangible assets and find that relationship and community can help to expand active lives. This is followed by an examination of Heschel’s understanding and Qoheleth’s perspective on time.

Is a good act rooted in a good will? Matteo Ricci and a Chinese scholar had a debate on that topic. When humans always have a good will, they can do good, according to Ricci. As humans were created by the Lord of Heaven, the supreme good, their nature is good. But man’s first ancestor, Adam, committed a sin, an original sin, so humans are born with original sin. According to that, when humans have a good will, they will be able to do good. By contrast, if humans have an evil will, they will be able to do evil. Ricci interpreted so even yi(意) in The Great Learning (大學), one of the Confucian classics. This interpretation was based on Aquinas but that of Ricci is not implied in the Confucian classic. By contrast, the Chinese scholar argued that a good act is regardless of a good will. According to the scholar, a good act emerges from a good mind, not a good will.