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Bible class in Korea …

Christian Century, Jan 11, 2003 by Sonia Reid Strawn

A LONGTIME reader of the CHRISTIAN CENTURY and a United Methodist missionary in Korea, I thank Barbara Brown Taylor for "Caution: Bible class in session" (Nov. 6-19). What she says about her students in Georgia is consonant with teaching biblical studies in English at Methodist-founded Ewha Woman's University (the largest all-women's university in the world). She has 20 students, I have 30. They are all modern young people asking hard, valuable questions.

Although Christian churches dominate the skyline in most Korean cities and towns, 25 percent of the population being Christian, the description of the church teaching Bible studies "more for the heart than for the mind," and as support for narrow interpretations of scripture, is true here too. Many of the students come from Buddhist or Confucian traditions, but they are inquisitive and fascinated by the "unexpected" Bible that they encounter in our class. Indeed, some of them recently asked the question Taylor mentioned, "Is this the word of God or not?" Good question! I would like to know how she answered it so I can be wiser next semester. Taylor's experience encourages me to take my job more seriously.

Sonia Reid Strawn
Seoul, Korea
COPYRIGHT 2003 The Christian Century Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

 

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