Earticle

초록

영어

Amid accelerating secularization, religious disaffiliation, and the proliferation of alternative spiritualities, Korean Protestant churches confront significant challenges to their identity, relevance, and long-term viability. This study examines how churches may secure a sustainable competitive advantage by identifying and cultivating core competencies consistent with their theological mission. Employing the Resource-Based View (RBV) as a theoretical framework, and applying its VRIN criteria —Value, Rarity, Inimitability, and Non-substitutability—the research analyzes both the external environment and internal capacities of the church. Externally, churches face threats such as declining institutional trust and cultural secularism, while opportunities emerge through increased societal demand for ethical leadership, communal belonging, and public theology. Internally, churches possess theological coherence, sacramental traditions, and global networks, but are hindered by weakened community structures and generational discontinuity. The study argues that sustainable advantage can be achieved by: (1) generating Value through ministries rooted in kingdom of God-oriented ethics and public witness; (2) fostering Rarity via sacramental spirituality and deep relational communities; (3) securing Inimitability through contextually embedded worship and comprehensive discipleship systems; and (4) ensuring Non-substitutability by offering experiences of divine grace, forgiveness, and ontological transformation that cannot be replicated by secular institutions. This research contributes to the interdisciplinary integration of theology and strategic management, offering a conceptual framework through which ecclesial communities can pursue faithful and contextually viable practices. It calls for a strategic reorientation from programmatic expansion to identity-driven mission, thereby enabling the church to respond constructively to complex socio-cultural shifts while remaining rooted in its foundational calling.

목차

I. Introduction
Ⅱ. Theoretical Background: Core Competencies and the VRIN Framework
1. The Concept of Core Competencies
2. Four Elements of the Resource-Based View and VRIN Framework
3. Theological Justification for Applying VRIN to Religious Organizations
Ⅲ. External Environment Analysis: Opportunities and Threats
1. Opportunities
2. Threats
Ⅳ. Internal Environment Analysis: Strengths and Weaknesses
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
Ⅴ. Strategy for Building Core Competencies Based on VRIN in Church Organizations
1. Value: Practical Implementation of Ministry Centered on the Kingdom of God
2. Rarity: Securing the Church's Unique Identity and Ministry Structure
3. Inimitability: The Uniqueness of Theological Tradition and Communal Heritage
4. Non-substitutability: Strengthening the Exclusivity of Spirituality, Forgiveness, and Transcendent Experiences
Ⅵ. Conclusion
Bibliography
Abstract

저자

• Kwon, Hyeok-Nam [ Hyupsung University ]

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