예전적 예배의 구성과 실천을 위한 기억이론의 이해와 적용

Abstract

The focus on memory through ritual cognition in the configuration and practice of liturgical worship is due to the elements of implicit memory retained within the liturgy that shape faith identity and provide a theological and therapeutic dimension for coping with suffering. This study concentrates on the importance of faith memory facilitated through worship and its practical application. Initially, to understand and apply the functions and mechanisms of liturgical memory, this research explored how believers can effectively remember faith-related events through the processes of encoding, storing, and retrieving experiences, knowledge, and skills in neuroscience and cognitive science, thus deeply understanding and practicing their current faith life. ‘Philosophical Phenomenology and the Liturgy’ offered significant insights into actualizing past faith events in the liturgy and re-experiencing these events on personal and communal levels through Husserl’s ‘Phenomenology of Memory.’ Merleau-Ponty’s ‘Phenomenology of Perception’ emphasized the importance of liturgical memory by demonstrating that liturgical acts transcend mere recollection of the past, enabling believers to physically embody their faith identity and reinterpret its meaning in the current existential context. Jan Assmann and Aleida Assmann’s ‘Theory of Cultural Memory’ described memory as a process that transcends an individual’s internal experience to be transmitted and reproduced over long periods through cultural media, symbols, and rituals. The liturgy serves as a venue that enacts such cultural memory, conveying the community's faith traditions and history to believers, thus strengthening communal identity and connecting the present and future. Integrating these theories of memory into the composition and practice of the liturgy transforms worship from merely a time to reminisce about the past into a place of change and growth that profoundly impacts believers’ faith life. Therefore, every element of worship should be designed to encourage active participation by the believers and to enable each act to be personally meaningful. This integrative review of faith memory reveals that worship is an active process that reconstructs the substance of faith and the identity of believers across the present and future. Thus, liturgy must be structured to help believers reaffirm their faith, strengthen connections with the faith community, and actively implement their religious life. This approach will redefine the meaning and role of the liturgy in worship, and will be practiced to make the experience more meaningful and enriching for all participants.