설교학적 관점에서 본 신정론

Abstract

The majority of preachers in Korea are preaching without knowing what are claimed by Stoic philosophers when they deal with theodicy. Why do natural disasters such tsunami and earthquake occur and are young children with no sin slaughtered during war, if the Almighty God means love? Such a question became an important philosophical and theological subject across the ages and in all countries of the world. To address theodicy, it is necessary to understand the omnipotence and love of the God as Christian theology says. The omnipotence of the Almighty God takes care of all creations; is an expression to contain the depth and width of the love of the God who joins people's pain; and the love of God who joins the destiny of the created world forever. Moreover, God's love as testified in the Bible should not be interpreted as backing off or silence or wait and see or neglect. With respect to the hardship in reality, God's power should not be understood as physically psychic power or supernatural power to get rid of hardship. Solving theodicy is not in satisfiable and recognizable description of evils but in making the relationship between man and God much fresher and deeper. Many preachers in Korea are misunderstanding the Book of Job. According to Konrad Schmid, the introduction part in the Book of Job is not a story to be contained in the body but the introduction part contains important theological meanings. It describes important pastoral theological solutions as well as causes of hardship. But, it's not a book that explains about the reason why they are in torture. The Book of Job is the Wisdom of Solomon. In the Book of Job contains the basic principle of wisdom. It's not a different thing. Seeing the Book of Job from the biblical criticism perspective, it gives a message, “do act of joining the pain" rather than giving works to people in the midst of hardship and pain. Professor Gerd Theiβen tells about the theodicy of empathic God. God participates in the sighs of humans, entire world, and creations (Rome 8:22, 23, 26). In the theodicy understood by the disciples of Jesus Christ, the disciples are understood as successors who participate actively in the hardship of Jesus (Mark 8:35). The vicarious theodicy understood by early churches puts a meaning on the passive hardship for them(Colossians 1:24). The mysticism of hardship makes the community understood with the agony of Christ(Philippians 3:10). Prof. Gerd Theiβen tells the God who is in their agony. Being together with the sufferers from the counselling perspective looks like a simple principle, but it's a very important thing. "Being together with" those sufferers that ministers cannot understand so that they can regain their foot gives comfort to laymen. Only the act of joining their pain even if it will bring about no big changes when a miracle occurs suddenly is a root for healing and a power to withstand such a hardship. In particular, Korean people is a nation who had been suppressed historically and sociologically enough to be called as the race of resentment. Prof. Jeong Tae-gi told that venting spite was a main mission in the ministry. Especially, Korea suffered from ‘deferred democracy.’ Under the recovery of democracy and resistance and struggle for a society to make people become real people, people feel absence of God. So the church which can be with them together will be the community which can give a reply to the theodicy rightly.