The Influence of the Bible in Shaping the Negative Viewpoint of Korean Christians towards Nature
This paper proposes that the tremendous influence of certain brands of Western theology, historical premillennialism and premillennial dispensationalism, associated with the biblical literalism and dispensationalism which the early western missionaries to Korea taught to the early Korean Protestants...
| Published in: | The expository times |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
2021
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| In: |
The expository times
Year: 2021, Volume: 132, Issue: 5, Pages: 211-222 |
| Further subjects: | B
Premillennial Dispensationalism
B New Testament Eschatology B Bible and Environment |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | This paper proposes that the tremendous influence of certain brands of Western theology, historical premillennialism and premillennial dispensationalism, associated with the biblical literalism and dispensationalism which the early western missionaries to Korea taught to the early Korean Protestants, was one of the causes of indifference towards environment. Premillennialism, especially, premillennial dispensationalism has several key doctrines which lead to a negative attitude towards the environment: that the natural world is destined to be totally destroyed by God’s judgment and the devoted believers will be caught up (rapture) in the air from this wicked world in order to be with Christ prior to the great tribulation and then, will return to reign over the world forever. These doctrinal constructs bring certain eschatological N.T texts into clear and central focus, such as (Mk 13:24-27; 1Thess 4:13-5:11; Heb 12:25-29; 2 Pet 3:1-13; Rev 6:12-27; 8:1-13) which advocate these doctrinal constructs. At the same time, other eschatological N.T texts such as (Mk 1:12-13; Rom 8:19-23; Rev 21:1-7, 22:1-5) which illustrate cosmic renewal or reconciliation of all creation are marginalised. The Hermeneutical principles or doctrinal lenses of historical premillennialism and premillennial dispensationalism have shaped biblical interpretation among the early Korean Protestant Christians. This interpretive tradition and preunderstanding of N.T. eschatological texts permeated deeply into the theological thought and perception of Korean Christians towards nature. Such an abiding tendency of interpretation of the eschatological texts in the N.T. shapes Korean Christians’ attitude and indifference towards contemporary environmental issues today. Thus, we need to change both the key doctrinal constructs from the total destruction of earth’s ecosystems to reconciliation of all creation by God’s action in Christ and the central texts from those that seem to highlight earth’s destruction to those that indicate renewal and reconciliation in order to reconfigure the tradition in an ecological direction. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5308 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The expository times
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0014524620950547 |