Page 55 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

The Need for Renewal in the Methodology of Preaching

The Korean church has grown too quickly to be mature in theology, hermeneutics, and

homiletics. It is no surprise, then, to see some problems in the process of enculturation of

Korean Christianity in an indigenous and volatile culture. Among these problems faced by the

contemporary Korean church years after is miraculous growth are problems that are theological

and homiletical in nature. 109 Without compromising on the essence of the Gospel, the Church

should discern acutely the borderline between desired contextualism and improper syncretism. 110

This section will analyze some problems faced by contemporary Korean preaching in its

methodology, i.e., a philosophy of preaching and rhetorical methods of preaching, including

sermonic forms.

Renewal of Philosophy of Preaching

A sound philosophy of preaching seeks to understand the nature and function of

preaching, since these are major elements of the ontology of preaching. Contemporary Korean

Preaching can be classified by three major groups in terms of philosophy of preaching:

conservative moralistic preaching, pragmatic life-situational preaching, and syncretistic

Pentecostal preaching. 111

109 Eun Kim, Preaching of Transfiguration, 94-96.

110 Paul G. Hiebert, “Critical Contextualization,” International Bulletin of Missionary
Research 11 no.3 (July 1987): 104-12. According to him, both rejection and uncritical
acceptance of old ways create syncretism. He suggests critical contexualization as a positive
alternative.

111 There is a stream of liberal socio-prophetic preaching based upon liberation theology
and Korean indigenous Minjung thology. It is excluded here because this type of preaching does
not represent mainstream of Korean preaching. According to a Korean sociologist Sung-Kun