부와 가난과 영성 (Wealth, Poverty, and Spirituality)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 연세대학교 한국기독교문화연구소
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· 저자명 : 최승기

초록

The question of what the proper attitude of the church toward wealth and poverty should be like has been a perennial and controversial issue in the history of the church. A couple of reasons exist for the lack of a definitive attitude toward this issue in the church. One reason is that wealth and poverty have been conceived not as a goal of Christian life but as a means for leading Christians into following Jesus Christ more closely. The other reason comes from the fact that wealth and poverty have been understood in different ways, depending on the church’s contemporary economic situation, culture, and social values. Also as we are now facing global economic crisis caused by human greed, we are to ask how the church understands wealth and poverty. Additionally we must ask what evangelical poverty, a traditional way of practicing discipleship,should be like today. This paper aims to explore the proper understanding of wealth and poverty, and will suggest some principles drawing from the proper understanding of wealth and poverty for practicing evangelical poverty today. For better understanding, this paper will first investigate the biblical concepts of wealth and poverty. Then the concepts of wealth and poverty in the history of Christian spirituality will be explored in this document. This paper will also present various kinds of poverty and some principles for practicing voluntary poverty today. Finally, this paper will scrutinize the so-called “clean wealth theory” strongly influencing Korean Christians, and suggest “wise wealth theory” as an alternative for the former. In both the Old and New Testaments, wealth is understood as value-neutral. The scriptures neither reject the rich nor condemn wealth itself. The writings of both testaments, however, never forget to strongly warn that wealth is likely to be easily engaged with human greed and thus to become Mammon. Most of the early church Fathers practiced poverty in order to follow Jesus Christ. They, however, neither considered wealth as sinful nor praised poverty itself. Their emphasis was put on sharing wealth with the poor. The medieval monastery failed to perform the practice of poverty, because they emphasized spiritual poverty, while neglecting the practice of actual poverty. Francis of Assisi is a representative for practicing evangelical poverty, which advocated practicing actual poverty as necessary for the following of the Christ. For Francis, the practice of poverty was connected with apostolic spirituality.
Poverty can be classified into two types. One type is voluntary poverty,while the other is enforced poverty. Evangelical poverty and apostolic poverty belong to the former. They are inseparable. Enforced poverty is an evil and sin. “The three kinds of man” in the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola can provide a number of principles for what Korean Protestant Church’s attitude toward wealth and poverty should be like.
The principles argue that “clean wealth theory” cannot be a proper attitude of the Korean Church toward wealth and poverty. If the goal of “clean wealth theory” is to promote the spirit of noblesse oblige, it should be replaced by “wise wealth theory.” The Korean Church should try to find a proper form of practicing evangelical poverty in our context by using the principles.

영어초록

The question of what the proper attitude of the church toward wealth and poverty should be like has been a perennial and controversial issue in the history of the church. A couple of reasons exist for the lack of a definitive attitude toward this issue in the church. One reason is that wealth and poverty have been conceived not as a goal of Christian life but as a means for leading Christians into following Jesus Christ more closely. The other reason comes from the fact that wealth and poverty have been understood in different ways, depending on the church’s contemporary economic situation, culture, and social values. Also as we are now facing global economic crisis caused by human greed, we are to ask how the church understands wealth and poverty. Additionally we must ask what evangelical poverty, a traditional way of practicing discipleship,should be like today. This paper aims to explore the proper understanding of wealth and poverty, and will suggest some principles drawing from the proper understanding of wealth and poverty for practicing evangelical poverty today. For better understanding, this paper will first investigate the biblical concepts of wealth and poverty. Then the concepts of wealth and poverty in the history of Christian spirituality will be explored in this document. This paper will also present various kinds of poverty and some principles for practicing voluntary poverty today. Finally, this paper will scrutinize the so-called “clean wealth theory” strongly influencing Korean Christians, and suggest “wise wealth theory” as an alternative for the former. In both the Old and New Testaments, wealth is understood as value-neutral. The scriptures neither reject the rich nor condemn wealth itself. The writings of both testaments, however, never forget to strongly warn that wealth is likely to be easily engaged with human greed and thus to become Mammon. Most of the early church Fathers practiced poverty in order to follow Jesus Christ. They, however, neither considered wealth as sinful nor praised poverty itself. Their emphasis was put on sharing wealth with the poor. The medieval monastery failed to perform the practice of poverty, because they emphasized spiritual poverty, while neglecting the practice of actual poverty. Francis of Assisi is a representative for practicing evangelical poverty, which advocated practicing actual poverty as necessary for the following of the Christ. For Francis, the practice of poverty was connected with apostolic spirituality.
Poverty can be classified into two types. One type is voluntary poverty,while the other is enforced poverty. Evangelical poverty and apostolic poverty belong to the former. They are inseparable. Enforced poverty is an evil and sin. “The three kinds of man” in the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola can provide a number of principles for what Korean Protestant Church’s attitude toward wealth and poverty should be like.
The principles argue that “clean wealth theory” cannot be a proper attitude of the Korean Church toward wealth and poverty. If the goal of “clean wealth theory” is to promote the spirit of noblesse oblige, it should be replaced by “wise wealth theory.” The Korean Church should try to find a proper form of practicing evangelical poverty in our context by using the principles.

참고자료

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