During my studying in Germany in 1980’s, my theological subject was focused on the topic of Waiting. There were two reasons for this: one was an inward existential question, of ‘doing theology’ in the face of my financial support problems for foreign study and the other was an outward focus on the recent defeat by the new military regime of the democracy movement in Korea following the 5·18 Kwangju civil revolution 1980. According to daily reports, thousands of innocent citizens were wounded and killed by the specialized armed soldiers. It had a great impact on me because my country Korea was about to build a democracy after 20 years of military rule, but the new military regime established once again the oppressive policies of the former dictatorship. By observing these affairs I found some theological themes, which resonated with my own people including myself. These were 1. the character of Koreans, rooted in waiting 2. the relation between hope and waiting 3. God’s promise and sincerity. These theses came from my study of political theology, particularly from the theology of Juergen Moltmann. 1. The characteristic qualities of Koreans are represented as politeness and endurance (Eun-gun and Keun-gi) in daily living. These came from Confucian teaching. In addition, I have borrowed concepts from Min-jung theology, Pung-Ryu theology by Dong-Sik Yu, Byul-Se Theology by Jong-Pyo Lee and feminist theology in Korea to build a Korean theology. The Korean character will be described using these theological conceptions, which focus on resistance against hierarchical systems as shown in Donghak revolution; religious integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and moralism through the joyous picture of wind and music seen in the sprit of the nobleness of traditional Korean society; and the cross and the death of Jesus focused for us in the theology by Jong-Pyo Lee. In addition feminist theology began with liberal women theologians representing the oppressed women in Korea. 2. The relationship between hope and waiting is differentiated and realigned as both the cause and the result of a theological orientation; where there is hope, there is waiting, but the contrary is not the case. A theology of waiting is therefore rooted in a theology of hope. 3. God’s promise and sincerity are the basis of the theology of waiting because such waiting is realized only through the evidence of God’s word. The Investigation of hope and waiting will examine the following textual backgrounds. The Theology of Hope is summarized by examining: 1. history and politics 2. Spirit of creation and life 3. the coming God 4. theology of the cross. A Theology of Waiting is composed on the foundation of 1. Minjung and Korean theology, a pious life and the faith as service. Theology of waiting has as its basis the theology of hope. This hope existed in a form of faith in 1960’s and theology of waiting expressed the more specific form of hope related with the Korean character. The waiting is not fetish but has as its basis the promise of God, the Messianic thought and the revelation, which were shown on the cross, resurrection of Jesus Christ and His coming as a Judge on the last day. According to the Christian faith waiting, expressed in relation to human life, is: I wait for the coming of Jesus Christ, so long as I breathe. The relation between hope and waiting is reflected in the experience that where there is waiting, there is hope. The subject of waiting is not focused on human beings, but on God’s self.

During my studying in Germany in 1980’s, my theological subject was focused on the topic of Waiting. There were two reasons for this: one was an inward existential question, of ‘doing theology’ in the face of my financial support problems for foreign study and the other was an outward focus on the recent defeat by the new military regime of the democracy movement in Korea following the 5·18 Kwangju civil revolution 1980. According to daily reports, thousands of innocent citizens were wounded and killed by the specialized armed soldiers. It had a great impact on me because my country Korea was about to build a democracy after 20 years of military rule, but the new military regime established once again the oppressive policies of the former dictatorship. By observing these affairs I found some theological themes, which resonated with my own people including myself. These were 1. the character of Koreans, rooted in waiting 2. the relation between hope and waiting 3. God’s promise and sincerity. These theses came from my study of political theology, particularly from the theology of Juergen Moltmann. 1. The characteristic qualities of Koreans are represented as politeness and endurance (Eun-gun and Keun-gi) in daily living. These came from Confucian teaching. In addition, I have borrowed concepts from Min-jung theology, Pung-Ryu theology by Dong-Sik Yu, Byul-Se Theology by Jong-Pyo Lee and feminist theology in Korea to build a Korean theology. The Korean character will be described using these theological conceptions, which focus on resistance against hierarchical systems as shown in Donghak revolution; religious integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and moralism through the joyous picture of wind and music seen in the sprit of the nobleness of traditional Korean society; and the cross and the death of Jesus focused for us in the theology by Jong-Pyo Lee. In addition feminist theology began with liberal women theologians representing the oppressed women in Korea. 2. The relationship between hope and waiting is differentiated and realigned as both the cause and the result of a theological orientation; where there is hope, there is waiting, but the contrary is not the case. A theology of waiting is therefore rooted in a theology of hope. 3. God’s promise and sincerity are the basis of the theology of waiting because such waiting is realized only through the evidence of God’s word. The Investigation of hope and waiting will examine the following textual backgrounds. The Theology of Hope is summarized by examining: 1. history and politics 2. Spirit of creation and life 3. the coming God 4. theology of the cross. A Theology of Waiting is composed on the foundation of 1. Minjung and Korean theology, a pious life and the faith as service. Theology of waiting has as its basis the theology of hope. This hope existed in a form of faith in 1960’s and theology of waiting expressed the more specific form of hope related with the Korean character. The waiting is not fetish but has as its basis the promise of God, the Messianic thought and the revelation, which were shown on the cross, resurrection of Jesus Christ and His coming as a Judge on the last day. According to the Christian faith waiting, expressed in relation to human life, is: I wait for the coming of Jesus Christ, so long as I breathe. The relation between hope and waiting is reflected in the experience that where there is waiting, there is hope. The subject of waiting is not focused on human beings, but on God’s self.

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doing theology, the 5·18 Kwangju civil revolution, the character of koreans, God’s promise, Political theology, Politeness and endurance, Min-Jung theology, hope and waiting, Spirit of creation, theology of the cross, The subject of waiting