지역공동체 세우기를 통한 교회의 시민사회 참여

Abstract

This study aims to develop a strategy for community building through a combined effort by the church as a part of the civil community, together with local community members such as the local, self-governing organizations, citizens organizations, and the citizens. Traditional, tribal communities have collapsed. The enlargement and the bureaucracy of the organizational structure of the modern industrial society have made intimacy between members of a society difficult and caused inhuman, interpersonal relationships. In this situation, trust and mutual personality between the members of the community are weakened, and human beings inevitably feel a sense of alienation. As a result, a longing for the past community and the desire to settle deepens. This is the reason why a ‘new’ local community is needed. This ‘new’ local community provides the place where the church and the members of the society can meet. While the social needs that a nation must shoulder in a modern society increase, because it is evident that the financial burden of the government must decrease, the resulting reliance which ends up being the voluntary contribution of the society is gradually growing. In light of this, since church is also a part of the society and has much human, material, and organizational resource, it is a logical conclusion that the church takes on a responsibility over a certain realm. Church fills the social gap created when social organizations that once bound society together into one could not fulfill its function, and has not only earned the legitimacy but also is able to realistically reorganize local communities. This study thus does not discuss simply the theoretical aspect of the role of the church in modern society, but aims at seeking specific methods to apply on the practical level. For this, the relationship between church and society will be discussed, as will be the meaning of church involvement in society. Through this, how a church that is typically called a community comes into contact with today’s social community and how a member of the church can be a member of the society will be discussed. And as one of the specific methods of the Korean church to practically participate in society, a strategy for community building where the church, society and local community participate together will be proposed.