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Criticism of Meritocracy in Korean Christianity: Focusing on the issue of pastoral succession at Protestant churches

  • The Korean Journal of Chiristian Social Ethics
  • Abbr : 기사윤
  • 2023, (56), pp.273-313
  • Publisher : The Society Of Korean Christian Social Ethics
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology
  • Received : July 15, 2023
  • Accepted : August 13, 2023
  • Published : August 31, 2023

Hyejin Shin 1

1이화여자대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In South Korea, many megachurches are sometimes called “revived churches” or “blessed churches.” However, they are mired in controversy as incidents like “pastoral succession” or “trading of pastorship,” apt to take place in medieval churches, are constantly occurring at these megachurches. Furthermore, criticism has been mounting about the conventionalization of such practices at South Korea‘s Protestant churches. Nevertheless, the attitude of some church leaders, the stance of church denominations, and the consciousness of church members regarding these incidents are far from objective and realistic. They appear to be justifying the hereditary succession of pastorship at churches, raising questions over the social and ethical responsibilities of Christianity. This study calls to account for the problem of pastoral succession in South Korea‘s Protestant churches and reviews the issue through a discourse on “meritocracy.” It analyzes the social meaning and consciousness structure that it sheds light on. Moreover, the logical structure and application method of the discourse on “meritocracy,” as well as the format and purpose of the discourse, are distinctively specified. The purpose is to separate the intention of the subject of the discourse that attempts to justify pastoral succession from the goal of such discourse, thereby proposing the standards for understanding them and securing the reasonable grounds for re-examining the identity and directivity of South Korea’s Protestant churches through such standards.

Citation status

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