Table Of ContentLOVE CHANGES: PEDAGOGY OF ACOLOGY—
A CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL MODEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS
A Dissertation
presented to
the Faculty of the
Claremont School of Theology
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Sung Jacob Sohn
May 2007
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©2007
Sung Jacob Sohn
May 2007
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£+h CLAREMONT
'$& ' SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
This Dissertation, written by
Sung Jacob Sohn
under the direction of his Faculty Committee and approved by its members,
has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the
Claremont School of Theology
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Faculty Committee:
Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, Chairperson
Philip Clayton
Mary Poplin
Dean: Susan L. Nelson
May 2007
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ABSTRACT
Love Changes: Pedagogy of Acology—
A Christian Educational Model For Young Adults
by
Sung Jacob Sohn
Although love has been an essential part of human stories in Western Christianity,
the issue of love seems outdated because of the assumption that love no longer challenges
the intellect or contributes to academic discourses in the field of religious education. It is
easier to state that human beings and communities have been changed by law enforcement,
institutional authority, and intellectual accomplishment rather than by the power of love.
Love is solely limited as a religious subject that scientific study avoids. However, the
author contests that through love, wholeness is possible. This study argues that Love is a
life renewing energy that changes people’s lives. Agape, referring to Christian love,
especially, is distinct from other religious traditions. Agapic love is the fundamental mark
of the Christian identity. Agapic love has also been the motivational center, foundation,
and growth of the Christian community. Through Agapic love, various forms of life have
been created on earth along with healing and renewal. Knowing and experiencing this love,
young adults are able to grow and mature in wholeness.
The world is falling into a more depressing situation due to war, terror and the
effects of globalization. Environmental damages cause ecological imbalances and
destruction; and the shifting cultural dynamics and growth of racial diversity have
challenged both the local and faith communities. Young adults are exposed to a depressing
global situation, ecological degradation, and cultural and racial division. The roles of young
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adults, as agents of change, become crucial in both the local faith community and
the global society. Young adults desire to find meaning in their lives and take responsibility
in changing the current situation but their minds are filled with “why’s” and “how’s”
because they feel hopeless and powerless.
In a broad sense, this research mainly attempts to deal with two questions: (1) What
makes a young adult change into a wholesome person? and (2) Which educational model is
most effective and prominent for helping young adults become more whole? The former
question was raised out of the author’s subjective interests and curiosities and the second
question seeks to find the objective answers to the former question. In order to examine the
above questions, the young adult generation was chosen as the focus of this study.
This study proposes “A Pedagogy of Acology,” an educational model that integrates
the distinctive features of Christian love and ecological principles. The word “Acology” is
coined with a meaning of “Agapic love-centered-ecologically-grounded.” This model will
not only guide young adults to grow into wholeness but will also enable them to become
important members of a Christian community. Eventually, Christian community in the
company of young adults will become a community of agents of peace, reconciliation, and
transformation in today’s local and global world. The new model’s theological groundings,
its pedagogy and educational method can be summed up in three loving activities: “Love
God,” “Love one another,” and “Love the whole creation.”
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
One early morning on the way to my study, many doubts filled my mind and I
began murmuring to my self: “Why are you doing this? You have no life except for this
writing project, a so-called “dissertation. You haven’t seen your wife for over a month. You
barely have a social life. Is the priority of your life to finish this project? Or something else?
If this project gets successfully finished, will everything else you have ignored become
justified?” Like a madman I have been driven only towards one aim: ‘finish the project.’
Then, a moment after the rain of doubts, there was a little voice: “all things have been given
to you for free! Therefore you must give whatever you have back to the one who has freely
given to you!”
Although my project has been one of the main purposes of my life, I could not have
accomplished it without the collective work and help of members in several communities.
These are the communities which not only have been faithful to my work and me but also
provide intellectual, spiritual and emotional support over the last six years.
I am truly grateful for the Claremont academic community. Especially, Dr. John Jr.
Cobb, Professor Philip Clayton, Kathleen Greider, Mary Poplin, and Frank Roger. Elaine
Walker gave expert documentation help, and Robert Vincent and Connie Kimos provided
invaluable editing help which added clarity to my writing. Elisabeth Conde-Fraizer has
taught me how to be a holistic person who fulfills the multiple roles of minister, teacher,
caretaker of family, faithful spouse and patient mentor. I’d like to thank the General Board
of Global Ministries of UMC in New York for endowing me with the Crusade Scholarship
for three years. The Myra House residents have also supported me by maintaining the
rhythm of our communal life. They have also taken care of the garden and helped with
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other house chores. For a two-year period, these and other friends and extended family
members have supported me through providing meals, prayers, and financial contributions.
I cannot help but acknowledging the blessings of the Mt. Baldi mountains, creeks
and trails. They have sustained my life with renewing energy and led me to the mystery of
the nature.
My precious daughter Lydia and son, David, not only have supported me with
primary proofreading and endearing questions on contemporary issues through their love.
Their questions helped me to gain a deeper knowledge, faith, and meaning of life.
I give special thanks to my lover and life partner, Myra, who has poured out her
sacrificial love for me. Her love was my source of overcoming all the difficult
circumstances.
Therefore, my dissertation is for those who have freely given to me! And I dedicate
it to my beloved wife Myra!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
GOALS AND METHOLOGICAL APPROACH 1
INTRODUCTION 4
PART I: Young Adults and Human Development
Introduction 14
CHAPTER 1: Young Adults and Developmental Consideration-A 16
CHAPTER 2: Young Adults and Developmental Consideration-B 28
CHAPTER 3: Young Adults and Community 37
Conclusion 44
PART II: Young Adults and Emerging Communities
Introduction 46
CHAPTER 4: Take 49
CHAPTER 5: L'Abri 64
CHAPTER 6: Mosaic 77
Conclusion 93
PART III: Theological Foundation of Acology
Introduction 99
CHAPTER 7: Agape and Young Adults 103
CHAPTER 8: Agape and Christian Community 115
CHAPTER 9: Agape and Environmental Care 126
Conclusion 139
PART IV: Toward Pedagogy of Acology
Introduction 141
CHAPTER 10: Eco-Religious Educational Theory 146
CHAPTER 11: Eco-Religious Educational Practice 161
CHAPTER 12: Pedagogy of Acology 180
Conclusion 193
APPENDIXES
A. Diagrams 195
B. Letters and Pamphlet of Communities 200
BIBLIOGRAPHY 209
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GOALS AND METHOLOGICAL APPROACH
The focus of this paper is an integrated model of religious education. This model
envisions a world that bridges the gaps between culture, race, religious beliefs, and human/
non-human beings. The project consists of four stages: First, I review the characteristics of
young adulthood’s formation and transformation in terms of identity, meaning making and
spiritual formation. Second, I examine the developmental aspects of the young adult’s
identity and faith formation with the purpose of critically reconstructing psycho-social,
intellectual, ethical and spiritual dimensions of young adulthood.
Third, in order to identify the components of the socializing process and cultural
value systems of young adults, I engage in empirical field research. I particularly use the
analytic tools from Max Weber’s sociological approach and Clifford Geertz’s cultural
anthropological perspective. Fourth, I identify epistemological components that lay the
theological foundation of a new educational model in order to reconstruct an educational
theory based on ecological theology and spirituality.
The project incorporates multiple methods of research tools. First, it examines and
clarifies statistics and reports that describe young adults’ mental health, behavioral
problems and other related symptoms. In addition, I review literature regarding identity
formation, faith development, and the process of meaning making from a psychological,
cultural and anthropological study. The project analyzes written materials of conventional
ecological study such as human and social ecology, environmental ecology and spiritual
ecology. I explore the components of agapic love from an ecological approach. The project
also incorporates empirical research by investigating three contemporary Christian
1
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communities: The Taize community in France, the L ’Abri community in Europe and the
United States and the Mosaic community in Los Angeles. It will include interviews and
journal reports with the young adults, mentors and community leaders I encountered during
my visits. This PART incorporates multiple methods with empirical research tools. It
includes interviews, journal reports and my own reflection from my personal encounters
with young adults, mentors and community leaders. As objective study criteria I utilize the
tools that are based on three methods: Max Weber’s sociological frame work, Clifford
Geertz’s cultural anthropological outline and the analytic method of the Christian history by
Daniel Day Williams.
Weber’s approach is sociological, which is marked by the “verstehen” method,
referring to the system of meaning that weaves together into a community motive.1
However, it will incorporate my subjective inputs. According to Weber, the “subjective
point of view” is critical in order to investigate people’s actions and aspects of community.
Geertz’s approach is from a cultural anthropologist’s perspective, which is marked
by the method of “program.” This provides a template or blueprint for the organization of
organic process. For Geertz, religion is a system of symbols through which psychological
attitudes and cultural concepts transmit as a pattern of meanings and forms the general
order of existence. Both methodological tools from Weber and Geertz well clarify basic
assumptions as to why people act the way they do. However, both methods tend to place
Christianity as just one religious tradition that influences human actions and community
1 Max Weber, The Sociology of Religion. Trans. Ephraim Fischoff (Boston: Beacon Press, 1963), 59.
2 Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays (New York: Basic Books, 1973), 90.
2
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