The Diasporic Mission Code

Abstract

The Korean American church has recently developed social concerns toward the outer world beyond the in-church boundary. However, the Korean American church’s socio-political prophetic participation in the outer world (e.g., the anti-war campaign, HIV/AIDS protection movement, and the anti-immigration law protest) is visibly weak. Nevertheless, compared to its socio-political activism, the evangelical mission work toward both co-ethnic groups and other ethnic groups has been strong ever since the Korean American church’s conception in America. It is no wonder then that the Diasporic Mission code has been one of the most fundamental ingredients of Korean American faith. The chapter introduces three style variations of the code: the Ironic Reverse style, the Internal Otherness style, and the Identification Partnership style.