Page 66 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

The image of the preacher in the practical, life-situational preaching model is that of a

sage and a success consultant or counselor who knows the way of being successful and the way

to solve other’s problems. People ascribe authority to their teaching especially in the precepts

from the sacred book, the Bible. In the Syncretistic, Pentecostal preaching, the image of the

preacher is a shaman who prays for the blessing of the people in this world. The congregation

expects the preacher to be a charismatic leader who works the miracles of healing, converts

sinners, and prays worldly blessings upon believers.

Korean preachers, therefore, enjoy much authority in their preaching and giving advice

for bettering the life of the people. However, such a view inevitable led the Korean pulpit to an

authoritarian stance. The speech pattern of the preacher becomes a dogmatic, one-way

communication or monologue. “The listeners are regarded merely as passive recipients, invited

neither to participate in the event of preaching nor to stimulate their imagination to reconsider

their life before God.” 151

A fortiori, people grant even more authority to the preacher who shows a higher degree of

fasting and prayer as mirrored in the Buddhist teaching on individual asceticism, KoHaeng [Self

Discipline]. The memorization of the scripture also appeals to the Korean Weltanschauung by

mimicking the Confucian teaching of memorization of sacred books for the discovery of the

truth. 152

151 Ibid., 53.

152 Ibid., 88.