How to Overcome Christian Extremism: Christianity’s Accomplice in Rwandan Genocide and Its Implication for Korean Christianity

HOCHUL KWAK (곽호철)

doi:10.21050/CSE.2016.36.01

How to Overcome Christian Extremism: Christianity’s Accomplice in Rwandan Genocide and Its Implication for Korean Christianity

The Korean Journal of Chiristian Social Ethics
Abbr : 기사윤
2016, (36), pp.07-35
DOI : 10.21050/CSE.2016.36.01
Publisher : The Society Of Korean Christian Social Ethics
Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology

HOCHUL KWAK ¹

¹계명대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This article aims at how to overcome Christian extremism through the lessons from Rwandan genocide. The Most Christianized country in Africa killed at least 0.8 million people. In the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Christians killed their fellow Christians who had worshiped together. More than one tenth of the victims were killed in churches which should symbolize forgiveness and reconciliation, acceptance and fellowship. Three elements of the genocidal mentality are legitimation, the healing-killing paradox, and dehumanization. Rwandan Christianity legitimized genocide as a way of addressing Rwandan societal problems, dehumanized Tutzi as evil, which led to justification of the healing-killing paradox. Christian teachings that made Christians bystanders were negative view of reality based on pre-millennialist interpretations, the exclusive emphasis on other-worldly salvation, the preference of Rwandan Christianity for personal testimony, and the authoritarian teaching style of Rwandan churches. Christianity in general and Korean Christianity in particular can overcome Christian extremism only when it avoids the overwhelming temptation of demonization.

KEYWORDS

Christian Extremism, Genocide, Dehumanization, Healing-killing Paradox, Demonization

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

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The Korean Journal of Chiristian Social Ethics 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.58

How to Overcome Christian Extremism: Christianity’s Accomplice in Rwandan Genocide and Its Implication for Korean Christianity

ABSTRACT

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Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

The Korean Journal of Chiristian Social Ethics 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.58

How to Overcome Christian Extremism: Christianity’s Accomplice in Rwandan Genocide and Its Implication for Korean Christianity

ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS

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* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.