카푸토의 "약한 신학"과 안병무의 민중신학 비교 연구: 약자를 위한 신학의 가능성을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of theology for the weak through a comparative study on John D. Caputo’s Weak Theology and Ahn Byung Mu’s Minjung theology. Their theological programs share some important common features in that: both put emphasis on the ‘events’ over ‘doctrines and traditions’; acknowledges the importance of ‘Quotidianism’ or ‘Sitz im Leben’; and search for the possibility of theology for the weak and the oppressed. However, what is different is the way in which they draw their conclusions. On one hand, Minjung Theology seems to maintain what Caputo critically describes as the traditional notion of the Strong God. Yet, Ahn’s program can be understood as to coincide with Caputo’s postmodern critique of the Christian tradition, in the sense that Minjung theology is open to the possibility of reinterpreting the Bible and the doctrines of the church in light of new Christ-like ‘events’ and their transformative meanings in ever-changing human history. On other hand, Weak Theology tries to deconstruct the notion of the Strong God as well as the authority of the church and its traditional doctrines. Nevertheless, Caputo’s program does not entirely deny the validity of salvific grand narratives - the charge that is often leveled against postmodern theologies. Rather, he searches for the possibility of achieving goodness and justice based on the conviction that, by the virtue of the weakness of God, the poor and the oppressed can participate in salvation history. In the end, the main purpose of this paper is to show that Caputo’s Weak theology and Ahn’s Minjung theology complement each other in their respective searches for theology for the weak.