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The first association of the Korean Society for the Study of Christian Religious Education, the primary professional association for Christian Education, was its founding event in Yonsei University of Seoul in 1961. The association adopted to inspire the educational influences of Korea with the Christian ideal; to inspire the faithful influences of our country with the educational ideal; and to keep before the public mind the ideal of Christian education, and the sense of its need and value.The first Journal the Korean Society for the Study of Christian Religious Education was introduced in 1996. The Korean Society for the Study of Christian Religious Education have published 15 volumes. Journal articles included discussions of Christian education in a wide variety of environments: universities and colleges, seminaries, churches and church schools, mission schools. Professional textbooks were published for the students of Christian education.The Korean Society for the Study of Christian Religious Education continues, through its journal and its conferences, to be a forum where Christian educators from the progressive perspective, conservative value, is sharing insights and concerns. The Korean Society for the Study of Christian Religious Education have attempted to encourage academic discussions that challenges the boundaries between disciplines and pushes forward into the exploration of current issues to provide an alternative paradigm for the theory and practice of Christian education in the Korean context.The author reviewed the articles for the current volumes sixteen. It is author's hope that Journal the Korean Society for the Study of Christian Religious Education will be open to those who wish to study inclusive Christian education. I wish also to sincerely thank all involved in seeing this significant work to fruition.

This study aims to propose a relational model of interdisciplinary methodology in practical theology, centered on the doctrine of sin. In order to achieve this aim chapter one initially explores Wolfhart Pannenberg’s fundamental theological approach to sin that is characterized by sin as a pregiven existential structure of human beings. Chapter two then deals with the critical conversation between Pannenberg’s understanding of sin and the Kierkegaardian approach to sin that is featured by the notion of “relationality.” Chapter three poses a model of relational interdisciplinary methodology of practical theology based on the Kierkegaardian relationality in conjunction with Karl Barth’s Chalcedonian-asymmetrical order that originated from his interpretation of Jesus’ divine and human natures. In this relational model, we can find such interdisciplinary principles as “indissoluble differentiation,” “the inseparable unity,” and “indestructible order” in making conversation between practical theology and non theological disciplines. Finally, chapter four shows how this interdisciplinary method can be employed in Christian education, focusing on catechetical instruction for adults in the local congregation.

This article explores ethical perspectives which provide critical foundations for a Christian understanding of morality. Christian education help people understand themselves and make sense of their lives in society. The close relationship between Christian education and ethics has weakened recently in theological work. Exploration of the philosophical and theological ethical perspectives of German social and political theorist Jurgen Habermas’ ethics and H. Richard Niebuhr’s theological, responsible ethics may shed light on our problems. Based on this explanation, a critical correlation of social and political ethics with theological ethics may provide ethical implications for Christian education. These two theories of ethics may provide Christian educators with ethical foundations with which to enable and encourage Christians to play a more active role in the post-modern context.

Theory is important. A theory is a set of assumptions or beliefs that we have about an idea or an activity. Theories can be simple or complex; however, we cannot escape theories. Theories are powerful forces in teaching and learning situation. All Christian adult educators have some theories that guide how they teach others to learn. A quality theory of teaching involves a quality view of learning. Christian adult educators cannot teach effectively if they do not have a clear understanding of the principles of Christian adult education and learning process. This study explores four concepts related to adult education including: (1) a general overview of andragogical teaching and learning theory as related to adult learners; (2) the modern practice of adult education; and (3) the Principles of Adult Learning Scale(PALS). (4) The idea of Christian higher education

This study examines the characteristics of parental involvement in their children’s education and explores the factors which contribute to a pattern of parental involvement among Korean families. This study investigates the variables as analytical tools that describe the nature of parental educational aspiration, difficulties and barriers to participate in their child’s education, and social capital as parental network. This study used qualitative interviews and its coding process as following a model of “naturalistic paradigm.” For the sample, this study selected Korean immigrant parents and teachers in a medium-sized city in the southeastern United States. Results show that the biggest barrier for Korean immigrant parents to participate in their child’s education was cultural deficit or cultural difference as they confront their child’s teacher. It is cultural difference that the relationship between teacher and parents is vertical or hierarchical in Korea, whereas in the U.S. the relationship between teacher and parent is more like horizontal or equal. Korean immigrant parents have also difficulties to participation in their child’s schooling because of their language skills, lack of school information, and no time. They communicate with teachers by written document such as a notice they prepared at home, email by internet, or letter. Most of Korean immigrant parents in this study tried to visit and talk with their teachers individually. For the new families to the U.S., social network was considered to be essential and helpful. Korean immigrant parents in this study had their homogeneous ethnic group network. However, the relationships were not maintained continuously because of the lack of correct school information and competitive consciousness among Korean parents.

In comparison with children and teenagers, adults have accumulated a foundation of knowledge and life experiences. They need to connect to learning to this knowledge and experience base. While adults are autonomous and self-directed, they also need to be free in order to share their stories and direct themselves. However, the traditional approaches to Christian adult education are generally limited to teaching theological principles and doctrines through teacher-centered, lecture-oriented modalities. Freire and Mezirow’s educational theories aim to create an environment that puts the adult learners in great control of their learning situation, by empowering them with the tools and information to make decisions about their own directions based on critical thought and reflection. Their theories address some critical concerns to the churches as approaches for adult education. This study deals with three concepts that is attributed to Christian adult education. The first of these concepts is that churches are challenged to consider the value of life-related learning, which is the best approach to engage in generative learning because learning and life are two coordinates which start and end together. The second concept that Freire and Mezirow have developed is that of the horizontal teacher-learner relationship, which is seldom valued in the Korean church adult education. Freire and Mezirow view the role of the teacher as a facilitator and see learner as a co-investigator of knowledge, reality, and truth, The teacher, as a facilitator, constantly reform his reflections in the reflection of the learners. The third concept is that of fostering a dialogical learning community in teaching-learning process as an important approach that helps a person grow towards maturity as a Christian in all areas of life. Lecture has been a primary modality in traditional church education. For Freire and Mezirow, however, dialogue that promotes critical reflection and transformation among people replaces lecture as the primary modality. In this sense, this article explores Freire and Mezirow’s educational concepts that impact directions in adult education and discusses how educational philosophy of both theories can be integrated into Christian adult education.

Bei dieser Untersuchung handelt sich um die Konfirmandenarbeit mit Behinderten. Die Konfirmande narbeit steht bei den koreanischen Kirchengemeinden nur am Rande der Interessen. Jugendliche mit Behinderungen haben fast nie am Konfirmandenunterricht teilgenommen. Konfirmation der Behinderten wurde in Gemeinde kaum wahrgenommen. Dadurch, dass die Konfirmandenarbeit mit der Behinderung im Raum der evangelischen Kirche Deutschland (EKD) untersucht wird, werden Anregungen zur Erneuerung der Konfirmandenarbeit versucht. In der EKD wurde auch in der Vergangenheit die Konfirmation der Geistigbehinderten vernachlässigt. Aber heute erfolgt eine grundsätzliche Zustimmung zur Konfirmation.Geistigbehinderte erfahren in intergrativer Konfirmandenarbeit ebenso wie die anderen Jugendlichen auch. Integration der Behinderten bedeutet Kommunikation, offene Lernprozesse und Teilhaben. Unterrichtsort ist ein Familienhaus, Schule oder Gemeindehaus. Geistigbehinderte werden zu Hause im Rahmen einer Familienfeier, in Kirchengemeinden des Schulpfarrers oder in Heimatgemeinde konfirmiert. Es ist sehr notwendig, entweder die Eltern von Behinderten zur Mitarbeit zu ermutigen, oder die Eltern Geistigbehinderte zum Unterricht und Gottesdienst abzuholen. Um die Themen des Konfirmandenunterrichts zu bestimmen, sollte man über Kriterien Elementarisierung, Beziehungsorientierung, Identitätsfindung und Erfahrungsorientierung nachdenken. In der EKD wird Konfirmation eher Bestätigung als feierlicher Abschluss sowie eine Familienfeier gesehen. Teilname am Abendmahl und Segnung werden als wichtige Elemente des Konfirmationsgottesdienstes empfunden.

In the currently exposed academic papers about the history of religious education in Germany it is often postulated that the problem oriented religious education and the symbol didactics stay in an antagonistic relation to each other. But the assumption that the ethical agenda of the former and the aesthetical impulses of the latter should be exclusively chosen is not able to be accepted any more. In the dialogue with Peter Biehl, one of the most influential religious pedagogues in Germany, we reach the insight that the cooperation of both models is not only possible but also necessary in front of the current challenges in the practice and the theory of religious education. A purely ethical and socio politically oriented education or a radical emphasis on aesthetical dimensions in the religious learning process will not suffice. The research on the interplays of the problem oriented religious education and the symbol didactics will lead to the various possibilities that the aesthetics and ethics one another.

The Korean church has neglected to respond to cultural changes of the young generation in the Korean society. This implies that communications between other groups and the young people’s group in the Korean church are broken. The Korean church needs a local curriculum to be able to respond to the Korean young adults’ needs and interests, and let them actively form and transform local church traditions and cultures.Therefore, this study explores the relationship between curriculum and culture, and defines curriculum as an educational process for a particular congregation surrounded by a particular culture. This study analyzes three interactions of three cultures: Korean culture, local church culture, and young adults’ culture. Through these interactions, the young adults’ needs, the church tradition, and the cultural environments encompassing the local church can be integrated into the local church curriculum.On the basis of these interactions, this study introduces an alternative curriculum model for the Korean young adults. The model is build upon Groome’s “shared praxis model” that integrates students’ life and church tradition. This curriculum model tries to integrate local church culture, vision as Christians, the unique culture of young adult groups, and the Korean culture.

Research secured qualitative research regarding children’s God concept. The researcher asked ten open-ended questions and a drawing prompt to explore children's in-depth God concepts. One hundred forty children from large Southern Baptist churches in Tarrant County, TX participated to reveal their thoughts about God. For example, children answered the question, “Is God like your mother?” with the following responses: “yes” by 76 children; “no” by 57 children; “both” by 5 children; and other responses by 2 children. The following are the reasons for their answers: “They love, care, help, and watch over me” by 47 children; “They made me” by 14 children; “They discipline me” by 3 children; “God is not a woman” by 35 children; “My mother is absent of divine attributes” by 6 children; and other responses by 35 children. Children’s answers revealed their deep thoughts concerning God and showed differences in different ways with which structured-questions would not show.

This paper introduces an attempt of feminist theorists to make sense of traditional philosophers from a contemporary standpoint. What comes about as a result of this effort is the construction of feminist epistemology. Consequently, another conversation must follow in which a conversation with post-modern philosophers more clearly delineates our search of knowledge that helps us understand God, the world and ourselves. Using our everyday life experiences as the source of valuable knowledge requires a relationship between a knowing subject(knower) and the object(known) while taking subjectivity seriously. This kind of knowledge also fully advocates objectivity with a socially situated standpoint. A dialogue between feminist theorists and post-modern philosophers reaches a consensus about the need for community to be a producer of knowledge, while at the same time, a particular individual in the community coexists as ‘knower’ and ‘known,’ and is encouraged to be an agent of knowledge. Finally, feminist epistemology brings together “strange”and “normal,” “the power” and “the powerless,” or “main”and “peripheral,” which will set an example of how to be together for the faith community.