earticle

영어

Meritocracy has become a dominant value system in Korean society and the church, reinforcing inequality, competition, and the erosion of communal solidarity. This study critically examines the structural limitations of meritocracy from the perspective of Christian ethics and explores alternative ethical frameworks grounded in love, responsibility, and justice. Christian love challenges hierarchical distinctions between success and failure, emphasizing unconditional acceptance and relational dignity. The ethic of responsibility reframes failure not as an individual burden but as a communal task, calling the church to bear the weight of the vulnerable. The ethic of justice highlights God’s grace as the foundation of true fairness, contrasting with meritocratic notions of reward based on ability or achievement. Through this ethical reflection, the study proposes that the church must move beyond reproducing meritocratic values and instead embody a community of grace, solidarity, and shared responsibility. These insights offer a theological and ethical pathway for restoring the church’s public role and envisioning a community shaped by the values of God’s kingdom.

한국어

능력주의는 한국 사회와 교회 전반에 깊이 스며들어 불평등과 차별을 강 화하고 공동체성을 약화시켰다. 본 연구는 능력주의의 구조적 한계를 기독 교 윤리의 관점에서 분석하고, 사랑·책임·정의의 윤리를 중심으로 대안을 제 시한다. 이를 통해 교회가 능력주의를 재생산하는 공간이 아니라 은혜와 연 대의 공동체로 회복될 방향을 모색한다.