기독교 영성의 통전적인 정의를 위한 영성의 구조적 이해

Abstract

This paper attempts to propose a holistic definition of ‘spirituality’, an expansive subject of discourse that Christians use universally, diversely, and indiscriminately in the ‘context of life’(Sitz im Leben). To this end, the writer will consider a way of ‘structural understanding spirituality’. Modern Christianity, which is familiar with the era of ‘postmodernism’, prominently emphasizes ‘spirituality’. This is because diverse and universal religious pluralism and materialism are leading modern church growth within the framework of ‘spirituality’. Therefore, the Christian community plans and conducts many events using the modifier ‘spirituality’ and is satisfied with the visible result. However, the Korean Christians’ ‘understanding of spirituality’ has caused various problems in the process of church growth. They exhibit a biased understanding of ‘spirituality’ as they continue the pursuit of mysterious shamanism, secular religious privatization, and frivolous escapism. They obviously are engaging in ‘spiritual activities’, but they have lost their identity and cracks have appeared in their relationship with the triune God. Thus, Christians have lost their spiritual influence in the world in which they must fulfill their mission. It is an undeniable fact that an unbalanced ‘understanding of spirituality’ has a negative impact on Christian mission and spiritual activities. Christian leaders who observe this fact site the indiscreet use of ‘spirituality’ as it’s cause, but alternatively actively point the need for ‘spirituality’. They plan to accomplish their purpose by simply attaching the word ‘spirituality’ to the existing phenomenon. Such circumstances reveal an ‘absence of spiritual relationship’ in these Christians, even though they are engaged in ‘spiritual activity’. Therefore, this article tried to categorize spirituality and structure spirituality as a precedent study to help ‘understanding spirituality’. The structural understanding of spirituality proposed a phased structure of ‘Being Spiritualty’ and ‘Doing Spirituality’ under ‘SPIRITUALITY’. And in the categorize understanding of spirituality, ‘spirituality’ is the starting point of ‘faith and theology and spiritual behavior’ in relation to the inner Triune God, and the common and diverse aspects of ‘doing spirituality’ include:‘mystical spirituality’ which emphasizes the experience of mysterious things, ‘prosperity spirituality’ which focuses on the results obtained though duty and loyalty, and ‘ascetic spirituality’ which pursues the ideals with a subjective mind and physical asceticism. However, these various methods of ‘doing spirituality’ each reveal features and characteristics that can not beduplicated or clearly distinguished. These phenomena are evidence that internally ‘being spiritualty’ in relation to God manifests as externally 'doing spirituality' in it's versions forms. In conclusion, the writer suggests a holistic definition of ‘Christian spirituality’ as a source of balanced ‘spiritual understanding’. Spirituality, which is universal and diverse in the Christian community, consists of all the ‘spiritual practices’ of Christians with the triune God, which can be divided into ‘Being spiritual’ and ‘Doing spirituality’ all under the umbrella of ‘SPIRITUALITY’. And the various ‘Doing spirituality’ must emerge from the initial revelation of ‘Being spirituality’ or having inner relationship with the Triune God. The writer hope that a paper of Christian spirituality will have a good spiritual impact on the mission of mission in the Christian context of life.