Date

12-2018

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Taeseong Kim

Keywords

Worship, Christ-centered Worship, True Worship, True Worshiper, Principles of Worship, In Spirit and Truth

Disciplines

Christianity | Liturgy and Worship | Practical Theology | Religion

Abstract

The Protestant church of South Korea witnessed remarkable growth since the Gospel was first preached in Korea in the nineteenth century; growth in the second half of the twentieth century was particularly strong. The Presbyterian church in South Korea, however, experienced decline since 1995: this was mainly due to Christians’ lack of good influence toward the non-Christians in their lives. Their good influence on non-Christians in the world can be restored first by re-educating them with biblical principles of worship and by encouraging them to live out those principles. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest five principles of Christ-centered worship for Christians in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea in Seoul to apply to their Sunday services and private life. This study will introduce principles of Christ-centered worship in the New Testament based on historical and theological evidence in the Scripture by examining worship in both Old and New Testaments. This study will then survey fifty pastors and fifty lay people in the Presbyterian denomination, especially in Seoul, to understand their perceptions of worship and life to support the necessity of the five biblical principles. Moreover, this project will provide the five principles and their applications in public and private worship as a solution to the problem of church decline. Hopefully the five principles established from this thesis can also serve as an important guide to help Christians in South Korea and beyond embody a true lifestyle of worship.

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