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The Spirit of Transcendence in A Globalizing World - A Sociologist's Thought on the Symbol Structure of th Old Testament -

Yong-Shin Park 1

1연세대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to study the situation of today's globalization through the symbol structure of the OT. This symbol structure is characterized as the spirit of transcendence in ‘the axial age’ the term which was firstly named by Jaspers. By using the OT prophets' belief of transcendence, the present writer assumes, we may criticize and overcome the problems occurring in the process of globalization. For this purpose it may be necessary that the present writer as a sociologist admits the influence of the German sociologist M. Webber, who stretched his concern over the ancient Judaism, in terms of grasping the importance of the prophetic tradition, and also the influence of the Ameican sociologist Bellah, who made the idea of ‘the axial age’ an important issue in this age, in terms of confirming the existence of the transcendent world in the OT. This paper aims to reveal the problem of globaization by the help of the idea which I have already presented for the issue of globalization as well as by the help of some other scholars' opinion. In the process of globaization the world markets became wide open, under the situation which the giant companies of much capital made a huge profit. In doing so, Globaization has lost its balance. Although there have been some voices which call for the control of the world markets, we hardly find any serious effort to define its motive and driving force which supports and leads the globaization. Here this paper moves to the spirit of transcendence in the OT, by which we may find the power of the symbol leading to a successful overcome of the contradictory situation of the globaization. The belief of transcendence does not absolutize any of the present thing. It rather demands transformation of it by the norm of the transcendence. We need to deny this world rather than to conform it in order to live by this kind of the spirit of transcendence. Being empowered by the spirit of transcendence, we are able to criticize and overcome the ongoing globalization. Lastly, by the help of the opinion of Bellah that the concern of theology and sociology belong to the same realm of the scientific world, this paper emphasizes that theology and sociology should meet and know each other in order to connect the OT tradition and globaization, and also emphasizes that the problem of globaization can be overcome by the symbol tradition of the OT.

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