Ebook
This groundbreaking book serves as a case study, delving into the unique challenges faced by the "global generation" as they navigate the complexities of their hybrid identities. Heesung Hwang, drawing from her extensive experience as both a minister and theologian, presents a compelling vision for religious education inspired by the traditional Korean concept of madang. In this open space, faith communities gather to engage in communal interaction, fostering generative environments where all members are valued and their contributions esteemed. Through the lens of madang, Hwang invites readers to reimagine religious education as a holistic experience that transcends traditional boundaries, encompassing storytelling, conversation, play, and relationship-building. This transformative work challenges religious educators to embrace innovative approaches that honor the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of young people, ultimately paving the way for redemptive communities that empower the next generation to shape new cultural and religious expressions within society. Reframing Christian Education for a Global Generation promises to ignite important conversations and inspire meaningful change within faith communities worldwide.
“As a fellow scholar-minister serving the Korean diaspora community, I felt seen, affirmed, and energized while reading this timely book. Through this thoughtful and creative work of Christian education, Heesung Hwang offers a refreshing invitation to envision and create our own madangs. Here, we can reimagine a new way of being God’s church, embracing young people from diverse identities, cultures, and generations, both now and in the future.”
—Eunil David Cho, assistant professor of spiritual care and counseling, Boston University School of Theology
“In this monograph, Heesung Hwang invites the reader to explore and engage in a madang or open courtyard of ideas, drawing on the triple heritage model pioneered by Yolanda Smith for self-understanding. Hwang’s work provokes important conversations that promise to move the whole church ever closer to the redemptive community envisioned in Scripture. Accept Hwang’s invitation to enter playfully the madang she offers through this insightful work!”
—Denise Janssen, associate professor of Christian education, Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University
“In this pivotal work, Heesung Hwang reimagines religious education for today’s diverse, global generation. By confronting both explicit and implicit white normative assumptions embedded in religious education, Hwang introduces the Korean concept of madang to foster inclusive spaces where cultural diversity and spiritual growth can flourish together. This book is indispensable for educators and ministers committed to engaging a global generation, offering innovative strategies to cultivate a deep, contextually relevant Christian faith in an interconnected world.”
—Boyung Lee, professor of practical theology, Iliff School of Theology
“While there is much conversation about the state of the church, Heesung Hwang views the situation not so much as a crisis as it is an opportunity for religious education. With a pastoral heart for children, and with scholarly, practical research on the lived realities of Korean immigrant children, Hwang offers a hopeful model for transformative religious education for a new generation of children.”
—Virginia A. Lee, associate professor of Christian education, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Heesung Hwang is assistant professor of Christian religious education at Saint Paul School of Theology in Leawood, Kansas.