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An Analysis on Conservative Christians’ Participation in Political Protests called ‘Taegeukgi Rally’ from the Perspective of Traumatic Memory

  • The Korean Journal of Chiristian Social Ethics
  • Abbr : 기사윤
  • 2020, (48), pp.257-282
  • DOI : 10.21050/CSE.2020.48.09
  • Publisher : The Society Of Korean Christian Social Ethics
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology
  • Received : October 30, 2020
  • Accepted : December 21, 2020
  • Published : December 31, 2020

Jeon Sun-young 1 Wan Ki Kim 1

1숭실대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examines how to overcome traumatic memory of conservative Christians as a solution to ideological conflict within the church by presenting a view to analyzing their active involvement in political rallies as excessive psychological anxiety caused by historical trauma. The traumatic memory of the great misdeeds and persecution of the Korean War has not yet been overcome, causing fear to most conservative Christians. War experiences are so powerful that they tend to become worldview beliefs, and these internalized beliefs have had a lasting impact on the next generations who did not directly experience war in the divided Korean Peninsula. Such an analysis explains a lot about why con- servative Christians are more likely to participate in political rallies than other groups, and how their political consciousness is combined with religious beliefs. According to the memory discourse of Miroslav Volf, memory should be redeemed. The healing of traumatic memory consists of three steps: securing safety and restoring control, accepting traumatic memory as part of life, and re-connecting with the others. Therefore, rather than unconditionally criticizing conservative Christians participating in Taegeukgi rally, it would be necessary to help them to have confidence in the stability of the liberal democratic system, in order to relieve their fear of war, persecution of Christianity, and return to poverty.

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