Spiritual Transformation by Ritualization in Christian Education

Abstract

This paper begins with a question, “Today, who is a Christian?” This question implicatively addresses the loss of the aim of Christian education. It also indicates that today’s Christian education in Korea has been much focused on bringing up “Sunday Christians” or “nominal Christians,” but not on “authentic Christians” who practice moral conscience and the ethical Christian life as a Christian in the world. From this perspective, I point out the importance of Christian formation in the church educational settings. Especially in this paper, Christian formation is understood as a process of becoming a Christian “being formed in Christ.” More emphasized in Christian formation is the process of transforming both being (belief) and doing (action). Therefore, my attempt for this is integrally to approach to a Christian formation bringing both the psychological, philosophical dimension of moral and religious transformation. In particular, my argument is the question of how to be able to bring out the formation of the moral self and that of public life all together by the spiritual transformation. Accordingly, as a powerful mode for Christian formation, I deal with the subject matter of ritualization, suggesting the various theories of spiritual transformation. Representing several scholars’ discussion of ritual meaning and its relation to efficacy, I focus on our developing relationship with God and our transformation made possible by the Holy Spirit when our lives are oriented toward a life of liturgy. Therefore, the sacramental experience of the Words and liturgy is suggested as very efficacious means to be formed in Christ. As a conclusion, it is in a liturgical process that we must try to reflect the traits with three dimensions which characterize participants’ behavior, I suggest.