Thinking about social-ecological transformation through the structure of Paul’s messianic life

Abstract

In the face of the urgent crisis of the times on a global scale today, theology needs to go beyond self-apologetic and provide a ‘actual contribution’ for theories or discourses to meet the needs. This study aims to solve this perception in the theme of ‘social-ecological transformation.’ In order to transform the social-ecological system, the paradigm at the macro level, power and institutions at the meso level, and culture and awareness at the micro level must all change. In this article, a ‘conceptual framework for social-ecological transformation’ is introduced, and through this framework, the synthesis of degrowth and decoupling, two representative discourses of responding to climate-ecological crisis, will be mediated between structure and practice. It is dealt with by turning to the problem of describing the meso level. At this point, by applying the structure of St. Paul’s ‘messianic life’ to the structure of meso level power and politics, theology can provide a ‘actual contribution’ to the discussion of current issues to respond to the urgent global climate-ecological crisis.