Eschatology and Ecology

Experiences of the Korean Church

Paul Hang-Sik Cho

This book raises the question of why Korean people, and Korean Protestant Christians in particular, pay so little attention (in theory or practice) to ecological issues. The author argues that there is an important connection (or elective affinity) between this lack of attention and the other-worldly eschatology that is so dominant within Korean Protestant Christianity. Dispensational premillennialism, originally imported by American missionaries, resonated with traditional religious beliefs in Korea and soon came to dominate much of Korean Protestantism. This book argues that this, of all forms of millennialism, is the most damaging to ecological concerns.  It also suggests how Korean churches may effectively respond to the ecological challenge.

Commendations

'This book provides an enlightening study of a number of subjects.  South Korea's transformation in a mere thirty years from impoverishment into one of the 'tiger economies' of Asia; the alarming degree nonetheless of the degradation of its environment; the nation's worldview moulded by Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and latterly Christianity; and the millenial doctrines that prevailed in 19th century America and were taken to Korea by missionaries.  In the light of Korea's outstanding economic success, one might expect optimistic Postmillennialism to be the creed of its Protestant Christians.  In fact, the author shows it is Dispensational Premillennialism which, resonating with Koreans' despair of happiness in this world in the first half of the 20th century, has dominated the country's Protestant perspective and contributed to the present ecological crisis.

Rev. Dr. Andrew Daunton-Fear

Faculty, St. Andrew's Theological Seminary, Manila, and CMS Mission Partner

'A correlation between eschatology and environmental care has been long suspected but not fully explored.  Cho establishes this suspected link not only through theological probing but also through a good case study of Korean Christianity.  This book, thus, challenges particularly evangelically minded mission communities to take the whole creation seriously in their mission thinking and practice'.

Dr Wonsuk Ma

Executive Director and David Yongii Cho Research Tutor of Global Christianity at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies