Configuring the Context of Realistic Christian Hope: AMultidisciplinary Inquiry into Practices of Pastoral Care forMarginalized Persons Open Access

Chung, Bo-Rah (2009)

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Abstract

Abstract Configuring the Context of Realistic Christian Hope: A Multidisciplinary Inquiry into Practices of Pastoral Care for Marginalized Persons By Bo-Rah Chung

What makes hope possible for those deemed "minorities" on the margins of society? The influences of marginalization fundamentally constitute a person's experience of hope over time. This dissertation uses a phenomenological social constructivist approach to examine the complexity and ambiguity of human experience in context through multidisciplinary analyses of contemporary pastoral theologies of hope, life course perspectives on inequality, and a theological anthropological model by Edward Farley. This inquiry into everyday experience of marginalization and hope extends the ecclesial dimension of Christian practice of care. This research envisions a constructive practical theology of realistic hope for marginalized persons in terms of a faithful commitment to living in tragic and social vulnerability and the freedom of vitality. Hope can be forged by everyday actions and narratives. Christian hope for marginalized persons emerges from the ecclesial and redemptive practices of care: life-affirming relationships, participations, and dialogues.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

ONE WHAT KIND OF HOPE FOR WHOM?...1

Lived Hope in the Context of Marginalization...2

How Do We Hope? : Hope for Marginalized Persons Defining Key Terms Toward a Construction of a Contextual Practical Theology of Hope

Limitations of Current Pastoral Theology of Hope Marginalization as the context for theological reflection on Christian hope Multidisciplinary Inquiry

Frameworks of Inquiry...11

Practical Theological Reflection The Epistemology of Christian Hope A Perspectival Approach

A Phenomenological Social Constructivist Framework

Why the Centrality of Lived Experiences? Phenomenology: Being in Context as Lived Experiences Social Constructionism: Making Meanings as Lived Experience The Necessity of a Phenomenological Social Constructivist Approach to Hope

Research Method of In-depth Interviewing

Overview of Research Design Purposes and General Assumptions Limits of Research Method

Organization of Dissertation...26

TWO MAKING CASES OF CHRISTIAN HOPE ON THE MARGINS: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSES ON IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW...28

Introduction...28

Presentation of Empirical Data...30

Illness and Hope for Mr. Kim

Focused Life History

A Wind of Change The Emergence of Chronic Illness A Spiritual Quest of Living in Faith The Details of Experience of Marginalization Being Uprooted Being Chronically Ill

Challenge and Hope of Mr. Lee

Focused Life History School as the World Jumping on Stepping Stones Eyes on the Prize: Self-Discipline as a Way of Life The Details of Experience of Marginalization The Parents College Applications

Findings and Heuristic Insights into a Constructive Practical Theology of Hope...58

Weaving Together the Meanings of Marginalization and Hope in Context

Being in Context Making Meaning

The Characteristics of Christian Hope for Marginalized Persons Toward a Constructive Practical Theology of Hope for Marginalized Persons

THREE HOPE: A HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT IN THE 20TH CENTURY...66

Philosophical Reflections on Hope...67

Gabriel Marcel Ernst Bloch The contributions of Philosophical Reflections on Hope to a Constructive Practical Theology of Hope for Marginalized Persons

Theological Reflections on Hope...72

Jürgen Moltmann Rubem A. Alves William Lynch Margaret A. Farley The contributions of Theological Reflections on Hope to a Constructive Practical Theology of Hope for Marginalized Persons

FOUR INTRAPSYCHIC AND HERMENEUTICAL APPROACHES TO HOPE IN CONTEMPORARY PASTORAL THEOLOGY...80

Introduction: Pastoral Theological Perspectives on Hope and Practices of Care...80

Donald Capps...81

Theoretical Orientations

Pastoral Psychology in the Psychoanalytic Tradition Erik H. Erikson's Theory of Human Development

Intrapsychic Inquiry into Hope and Practices of Care

Wishing vs. Hoping Hoping and Hope Threats to Hope Allies of Hope Methods of Care

Andrew Lester...96

Theoretical Orientation

Existential Analyses of Human Temporality Narrative Theory Human Brokenness in Disrupted Future Stories

Hermeneutical Inquiry into Hope and Practices of Care

Hope, Hopelessness, and Despair Methods of Care

Contextual Critiques of Pastoral Theologies of Lester and Capps...120

The Void of Contextual Reflections on Hope The Lack of a Caring Community as the Locus of Christian Hope

FIVE A LIFE COURSE PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN LIVES IN SOCIAL PROCESS...120

Introduction: Social Dimensions of Mr. Kim's Marginalization...120

Mapping the Conceptual Domain of the Life Course Perspective...122

Life Course and Life Cycle Transitions and Trajectories Turning Points

Lived Marginalization in the Life Course Perspective...131

Marginalization as a Mechanism of Life Course Inequality Social Factors in Educational Attainment and Health

Educational Attainment across the Life Course Health Inequalities across the Life Course

Issues of Continuity and Change...147

The Structural Contexts of Stress and Support Neighborhood-Level Effects on Personal Agency in Choice And Constraint Change, Challenge, and Resilience across the Life Course

Resilience Mechanism, Variability and Agency in Human Development

A Constructive Practical Theology of Hope through a Lens of the Life Course Approach...162

A Practical Theology of Hope through a Lens of Life Course Sociology Hope as Countering a Mechanism of Life Course Inequality

SIX THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN REALITY IN THE WORK OF EDWARD FARLEY...164

Introduction: Theological Dimensions of Mr. Lee's Marginalization...164

Key Concepts...166

Human Condition and Human Reality The Triadic and Tragic Structures of Human Reality

The Interhuman Sphere The Social Sphere The Personal Sphere of Individual Agents The Primacy of Interhuman Sphere

Tragic and Social Vulnerability

Lived Marginalization and a Possibility of Change in the Spheres of Human Reality...178

The Irruption of Human Evil The Emergence of Redemption

Freedom, Vitality and Its Relation to Hope...186

Being-Founded The Freedom of Vitality for Life and Hope

A Constructive Practical Theology of Hope through a Lens of Theological Anthropology of Human Reality...197

Marginalization as an Embodied Experience of Human Agents Ecclesial and Redemptive Communities of Faith as the Locus of Hope Hope as Bridging the Interhuman, Social, and Personal Sphere of Human Reality

SEVEN PROPOSING A CONSTRUCTIVE PRACTICAL THEOLOGY OF REALISTIC HOPE AND PRACTICES OF CARE FOR MARGINALIZED PERSONS...202

Introduction...202

The Modes and Locus of Christian Hope for Marginalized Persons...203

A Relational and Participatory Mode of Hope A Dialogic and Narrative Mode of Hope An Embodied and Action-Oriented Mode of Hope A Communal Mode of Hope: The Church as the Locus of Practicing Hope

The Ecclesial Practices of Realistic Hope for Marginalized Persons...213

Realistic Hope for Marginalized Persons as a Faithful Commitment...215

Three Practices of Care for Exploring Christian Hope with Marginalized Persons...216

Envisioning: Assessing Contextual Factors of Human Experience Enabling: Building a Momentum of Constructive Narratives and Actions in Context Engaging: Revisiting and Learning from Personal and Communal Expressions of Christian Hope and Re-Envisioning Realistic Hope as a Faithful Commitment in Context

Conclusion: From Marginalization to Hope...219

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY...221

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