미국의 다문화주의, 대중종교, 시민종교의 이해

A Missiological Understanding of Multiculturalism, Popular Religion, and Civil Religion in the United States of America

The article is to describe the recent phenomena in the area of American culture and religion such as multiculturalism, popular religion, and civil religion. It is also to evaluate those phenomena from the viewpoint of a missiological perspective. Multiculturalism is defined as all kinds of activities which try to support the various cultures and heritages of ethnic people groups and to overcome ethnocentrism. It is criticized by the conservatives as a political theory which tends to lose its truth, universality, and objectivity. From the missiological point of view, it can be used for developing the mulicultural strategies for Christian missions. Popular religion exists outside the official religious institutions and it is related to the folk beliefs such as dream, charisma, trans meditation, channeling, angels, faith healing, and etc. It is criticized by Neo-orthodox theologians that it tends to neglect the historical and political aspects of the social phenomena. Even though it is criticized by them as syncretism, it can be helpful for Christian missions to understand people's popular lives. Civil Religion is to respect the virtues and values of American citizens which are traced to Christian values such as temperance, private assets, individual responsibility, and patriotism. It is criticized as an ecumenical Protestant tribalism which tends to e misused by the imperialistic expansionism to destroy the cultures of minority. From the perspective of Christian missions, it should transform its selfishness into the world brotherhood in the 21st century of the universal and multicultural world.