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영어

Marginality and alienation take place within the churches where Jesus Christ are supposed to become the symbolic authority and representative. Jesus was Himself a marginal man suffering from the conflict between two different cultures: between this human world and the God's world, between Hebrew-Judaism and Greco-Roman cultures. However, the churches tend to produce marginalized or alienated members by paying more attention to the members with power and authority. Then, the church suffers from chaos and despair. It happens because it fails to care for the marginal members of the church. They are weak and ignored easily. But pastors with Jesus' mind and heart will do a lot of efforts in stopping marginality phenomenon from happening in the churches.
Rober E. Park and Stonequist did conduct a beautiful research work in the issue of marginality both cultural and social. Eric Erickson taught us the concept of identity. The theorists' work show that the church should not allow a member to become a marginal person. It should not allow a marginal group or situation come into being. Small groups in the church show different forms and colors. The pastors need to run the system in order not to repeat the same mistake that the worldly people make: always using the powerful people ahead of the powerless people. Less valued group or people should be invited into the position of taking power office. They need to have more opportunities for speaking loudly and making important decisions for many issues at hand. Finally marginal people, although they suffer from psychological marginality even before coming to the church, need to have chances for transforming their self-images from negative to positive. The church as the Lord's Kingdom should be a place for new life and for transformation of the world. The weak people should be encouraged to become strong in the church. In the words of marginality, marginal people should be empowered to become central within the church so that they can transform themselves toward strengths. Caring for the marginal people is the order brought to the pastors today. The essence of Gospel teaches us this kind of pastoral leadership.