Contextual Theology in Korea

I was thrilled to take Earlham School of Religion students to Korea for a class on Contextual Theology.

Before I left for Korea, I had one anxiety. I was worried whether the students will be able to eat Korean food or not. But the first day we arrived, all that anxiety disappeared as the the students were appreciating Korean food and were eager to try different dishes. This was a huge relief for me as two weeks is a long time to not enjoy or be satisfied with different foods while visiting a foreign country.

In Korea, food is an important part of culture, history and community life. Koreans tend to greet each other and ask “Have you eaten?” and if you have not eaten, then we go out to eat. Koreans love to share meals and eating is a very social activity as one prefers to eat with friends, co-workers or family rather than alone.

If you watch K-Drama, my “very rough” estimate is that about 15-20 percent of the scenes include people enjoying meals with family, friends and co-workers. Korean culture is about enjoying food, cooking and sharing recipes with friends and family.

Eating is central during family gatherings. For parents, food is their “love language”. Rather than saying, “I love you”, love is communicated through food as parents often ask, “what would you like to eat today? What should I cook for dinner tonight?” These types of questions convey a parent’s love and concern for their children. In certain ways, you can say that love is felt through the stomach rather than the heart.

Food is life-giving and eating together is a way to share love and life. Food doesn’t just nourish our hungry bodies, but it nurtures our spiritual souls. It sustains us and gives strength to carry on in the midst of adversity, pain and suffering.

Before I left for Korea, I dreamed about all the different foods I will get to eat. I was not disappointed with the selection, diversity and the cravings that I had which were all met by sharing meals with friends, students and family.

A friend, Dr. SungUk Lim who teaches at Yonsei University asked me what I wanted to eat. I responded, hae mul tang. He took us to a famous fish restaurant and I literally had the best hae-mul-tang in my life. It helped my body relax, and fired up my tired soul. It was not only tasty, but it was soothing my tired spirit. The deliciousness of the fish and vegetables being cooked right in front of you is a very comforting experience.

I am so grateful to friends, colleagues and family, who continuously asked what I would like to eat. It was their love language which deeply nourished not only my body, but also my tired soul. For this, I woke up each morning in Korea with extensive joy, gratitude and happiness.

Special Events:

1. Join me at the Wild Goose Festival, July 13-16, 2023 | Union Grove, NC. Use discount code “Madang” to get 50.00 off registration.

2. I will be at Homebrewed Christianity’s Theology Beer Camp. Please join me and use discount code “madanggodpod” to get 25.00 off registration.

3.Hire Joshua Lee for your graphic design, website building, video editing, podcast editing…