FROM ETHICAL BANKRUPTCY TO ETHICAL CREDIBILITY: H. RICHARD NIEBUHR, STANLEY HAUERWAS, AND THE KOREAN CHURCH

Abstract

This dissertation provides a theological and sociological examination of the moral crisis of the Korean church based on ethical paradigms from Stanley Hauerwas and H. Richard Niebuhr. The dissertation also explains and critically analyzes the ethical problems of the Korean church and the assimilation of narratives and unethical practices from Korean society into the Korean church. Besides analyzing the influence that this assimilation has had on the moral formation of the Korean church, the study also suggests theological resources for correcting this problem. The thesis of the dissertation is that an ethical framework based on the work of Stanley Hauerwas and H. Richard Niebuhr not only explains the assimilation of cultural and ecclesial narratives that has led to the moral crisis of the Korean church but also offers an effective approach for forming the character of the church in positive ways. The dissertation emphasizes the necessity of finding new narratives for the Korean church and Korean society. It shows how Hauerwas’s approach and Niebuhr’s ethical categories can benefit a community like the Korean church, which has experienced a moral crisis of corruption and a lack of public trust over the past several decades.