Page 58 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

Han is a symbolic figure in the Korean Christianity, having studied under early

missionaries in the Union Theological Seminary (Pyong Yang theological Seminary). His

theology and practice is typical of Korean Protestantism. 120 Contemporary Korean preaching

still reflects this practice and style.

This conservative moralistic preaching produces many problems in the Korean Church.

First, conservative, literal interpretation of the Bible fails to teach that the Bible is a historical

and contextual book. The revelation of the Bible happened in a specific historical context.

Under the inspiration of God, the texts were written and arranged and “appropriated by Israel and

the church to meet changing and emerging contexts of the people of God in other times and

places.” 121

Secondly, literal moralistic preaching fails to understand the context of the contemporary

people due to its heavy focus on extracting moral precepts from the text. The results is

“irrelevance and archaism” by disregarding the congregational context. 122 This preaching,

therefore, not only fails to provide “a liberating meaning of the text” for the people, but also

imposes on them “heavy burden of legalization and moral perfection.” 123

120
Clark, Christianity, 24. He says that “[i]ts (Young Nak Presbyterian Church) theology
is conservative, stressing the will and power of God, sinful nature estate of man, salvation of
individuals through grace and redemption through Christ, and the communion of believers.
Sermons focus on the Bible and on understanding the Christian life as a spiritual state.

121
William H. Willimon, Integrative Preaching (Nashville: Abingdon, 1981), 17.
122
Chi Kay, “Contemporary Protestant Preaching in Korea,” 9.
123
Eun Kim, Preaching of Transfiguration, 60-61.