Restoration and Cyber Ecumenism through Union with God

This article was submitted to the CCA Theological Consultation on February 5, 2020.

Hanna Kim

Introduction

The theme of the CCA General Assembly in 2020 is 'God, Renew Us In Your Spirit and Restore the Creation'. Reflecting on this theme, this article will examine theological reflection on what true restoration is. Moreover, it will describe how the will of God can be realized in cyberspace, considering the sub-theme 'Toward Affirming the Will of God'. In this process, general characteristics of cyberspace and its relation to the Church will be discussed. This article will also attempt to define ‘Cyber Ecumenism’ and address important theological and practical tasks related to it. It also highlights the importance of cyberspace for the ecumenical movement, suggesting the possibility that not only the real world but also cyberspace can be used for the restoration of the 'spirit of unity' of the Church through the gospel and the resulting 'fellowship'.

1. Theological reflection on restoration

“Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return” (Lam.5:21 [NIV])

The true restoration of man is to return to God. The people of Judah left God and faced a miserable state of pain and sorrow for the sins of themselves and their ancestors. The prophet Jeremiah eagerly calls for the restoration of the people of Judah back to God. In Lamentations 5:21, he asks that they be restored to God before they return to God first. This clearly shows that it is God, not us, who is in control of the restoration. God's work as the subject of this restoration is most evident in the incarnation and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom.5:8 [NIV])

Man is created in God's image and can only enjoy true satisfaction and joy through his relationship with God (Isa.65:13-16 [NIV]). In contrast, the pleasures of the world are temporary, empty, and do not provide deep satisfaction. It is a thirsty and hungry experience, as mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (65:13 [NIV]), and it does not replace our relationship with God. True restoration, which gives us real comfort and satisfaction, comes from reaching full union with God through Jesus Christ. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn.10:10 [NIV]). In God, the Source of life and the Eternal God, our life is restored and enjoys everlasting joy and wholeness.

In addition, the restoration of a relationship with God brings about another restoration. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom.15:5-6 [NIV]). As Paul mentioned above, when each person follows Jesus Christ, they become one in that will. In other words, rather than trying to match each other's will, the God of patience and consolation leads them to the path of unity as each one knows the revealed will of God and believes it with all his heart. This not only helps man realize that the real purpose of his life is to praise and glorify God, but also to know that he must do it with other members of the same mind, not alone. The Church is called to Christ one-headed and is organically connected despite one another's differences (1cor.12:12 [NIV]).[1] The unity of Christians is God's gift from above and the Holy Spirit is deeply involved and helping.[2] In other words, unity with God and among believers is possible only in the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, our true restoration is accomplished in a mysterious way in the deep coordination of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Church, united by God's will, can tolerate and accept one another by the love of God (Rom.15:7 [NIV]). It is because Christ accepted each person first, so we must imitate Him and accept one another. Those who have realized the love and grace of God through Christ must love their neighbors. For a person who is forgiven of a large sum of money, such as ‘the parable of the unmerciful servant’, cannot earn a debtor who can't compare with it (Mt.18:23-35 [NIV]). Restoring our relationship with God leads us to a profound knowledge of God, deepening our understanding of God's love and salvation for man, and leading us to follow that love and mercy practically. It also affects not only the restoration of the relationship between man and man, but also the restoration of the relationship between man and other creatures.[3] Man looks at the world from the perspective of the love and grace of God, the Creator, and has the right values and attitudes toward the world of creation. All kinds of restorations that result from the restoration of our relationship with God are the affirmation of God's will, which is the realization of God's justice and peace. For through the process of restoration all creatures return to their proper position and order, realizing their own place as God originally appointed.

The ultimate purpose of the Church's restoration and unity is to glorify God. In the ecumenical movement, everyone needs to be alert that the full unity of the Church itself is not the end. The reason why each member belongs to one body is to worship and glorify God together in one heart and in one will and to witness to the world Jesus Christ as one community. Jesus prays before he dies. “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (Jn.17:23 [NIV]). It is difficult to spread God's love and salvation through Christ while the Church is opposing one another and not acknowledging each other. The early ecumenical movement was motivated by each denomination’s missionaries gathered together in prayer and cooperation to effectively preach the gospel in the mission field.[4] The report of the Faith and Order Conference, held in Lund in 1952, describes the connection between unity and mission:

In the new testament the mission of the Church and the unity of the Church are deeply related. Christ called His apostles that they might be one and that He might send them forth to accomplish His mission in the world. He prayed for their unity that the world might believe. It was in obedience to this missionary task, including the willingness to suffer for Christ, that the Church experienced the dynamic power of its unity.[5]

Those who are in the will of Christ are already forming one flock under one shepherd (Jn.10:15-16 [NIV]). Therefore, it needs to be remembered that we have already essentially formed one organic body by faith in Christ, and each one is its part. What is important to us, therefore, is to restore that the ‘spirit of unity’, to actively accept the unity of the Church through Christ, and to manifest its faith through reality. In a report of the Faith and Order Conference in Edinburgh, 1937, we read:

we acknowledge that all who accept Jesus Christ as Son of God and their Lord and Saviour, and realise their dependence upon God's mercy revealed in Him, have in that fact a supernatural bond of oneness which subsists in spite of divergences in defining the divine mystery of the Lord. We rejoice that this sense of kinship is now drawing Christians nearer to each other, and that in many partial ways a foretaste of full fellowship between severed communions is even now being sought and found.[6]

An important task for the Church is to realize that not only local churches and denominations but also other churches and denominations are ‘the Holy Catholic Church.’ It is also significant to acknowledge that not only the living Christians but also the seniors and descendants of faith belong to the ‘Invisible Church’. The realization of this truth will enable the Church to experience the true power of unity by the power of the Holy Spirit and to share the love, forgiveness, fellowship, and reconciliation with one another. This will enable the restoration of communion between the churches and the denominations that have been cut off, and will lead us to obey the sacred mission of Jesus in the way that He desires, as one body (Jn.17:23 [NIV]). This is the true restoration of the Church and the way towards affirming the will of God.

2. Meaning and Influence of Cyberspace

When cyberspace first appeared, scholars were divided into optimism and pessimism. Those who are optimistic about cyberspace foresaw that the world would realize various ideal values ​​that could not be realized in the real world. Others viewed cyberspace not only as a counterfeit of the real world, but also as a space of sin and darkness to be avoided. However, both optimism and pessimism shared a common view, which regarded cyberspace as an unreal space (represented as heaven or hell) that is remote from reality.[7]On the other hand, Heidi Campbell, a scholar who studies religion and new media, introduces the views in his book “Exploring Religious Community Online” and the views of ‘critical friends’ that are not biased to the two extremes. “’Critical friends’ offers a helpful category for considering both positive and negative internet influences by identifying how they affect individual, community, and social-political structures”.[8]They put more emphasis on understanding and using it correctly than on prejudice about technology.

Cyberspace is now booming and profoundly influential in various areas of our life. Not only are there no areas unaffected by it, ranging from politics, economy, society, culture, and religion, important real-world activities are being replaced by virtual activities. In particular, the way of our communication has undergone a dramatic change with the advent of cyberspace. Both face-to-face communication and traditional media communication methods are gradually replaced by online communication. “Through these processes, the cyber world and the real world communicate and share images and symbols, views and interpretations of specific themes, and various ideas and meanings.”[9]Unlike the early scholars had expected or worried, rather, cyberspace is breaking down the borders rapidly, following reality, not the surreal, and rapidly increasing their influence on the real world. It creates a variety of unpredictable changes and waves not only in individual lives but also in communities and societies and plays a central role in the flow of world politics, economy and culture.

Despite the rapid development of cyberspace, efforts to understand the nature and influence of cyberspace are falling behind in many ways. People seem to be urgent to solve various unforeseen problems rather than in-depth reflection on cyberspace, and it seems that the urgent task of each country is to quickly adapt to the changing cyber environment by the rapid development of technology. People are fascinated by the convenience of fast, inexpensive Internet services, and are spending more and more time and energy in cyberspace, falling into the world of virtual experiences gained through virtual activities.

We gain knowledge and information through various experiences in our lives, which affects the formation of our values ​​and identities. We learn new information and lessons through the "reflection process" of everyday experiences, which affects not only the views and interpretations of events and objects, but also the whole view of life. Thus, the knowledge gained through experience and the resulting change in values ​​contribute to the future direction of our life and various life choices. Therefore, the meaning and role of experience in our life is very important. However, it needs to be noted here that the scope of our experience in the present age is expanding not only in the real world but also in the virtual world. Virtual experiences are already replacing various real-world experiences, and the issue of 'to be online or not to be' has become a practical question to consider in our life.

Among our experiences, social experiences through community are very important factors that influence the process of identity formation. But remember, with the development and universalization of Internet technology, more and more people are socially communicating online. With social media, people use text, images and video to communicate with each other. Online game players choose to interact with each other through their character's activities, movements, or chat windows, or more realistic and dynamic communication such as voice chatting. In addition, with the development of 'virtual reality (VR)' technology, a virtual experience of a more realistic level is possible, and a service (Social VR) that utilizes it for social communication is being commercialized. Many people now have the opportunity to gather and interact with each other in virtual space, not in real space, and share their thoughts, feelings, and various information and messages.

But despite the convenience and benefits, the dark side coexists in cyberspace. The same traditional barriers to human-to-human communication (e.g. hate, violence, insults, etc.) exist in cyberspace. Cyberbullying does not appear in physical form, but rather is transmitted to others through online, threatening both virtual and real communities.

The corrupt sinful nature of man exerts its influence wherever man gathers in any place. Hate and envy for others are expressed in cyberspace mainly through texts and images, which are spread to more people more quickly because of faster information transfer and easier access than the real world. If you knowingly disseminate false or personal information about others on the Internet, the ripple effect is enormous. Because it is difficult to delete the information that are spread on the Internet and it is likely to remain permanent, victims have to live in pain for the rest of their lives.[10]

The biggest cause of such cyberbullying comes from regarding cyberspace as being remote from reality. This is not much different from the perspectives of the early Internet era when cyberspace was regarded as a heterogeneous space that transcended reality or mocked reality. People regard cyberspace as a place where ethical deviations are allowed because it is away from reality, or some regard it as an unrealistic world and regard the phenomena occurring there as irrelevant to the real life. This idea underestimates the mutual impact of cyberspace and the real world and the value of virtual experiences, preventing people from experiencing them with the right views and attitudes. It also reduces the ethical awareness of the serious problems that arise through cyberspace.

Therefore, it is necessary to give efforts to accurately understand the nature of cyberspace and to address and cope with the phenomena. Cyberspace is not a separated space away from reality. It is rather a different dimension from reality, and it needs to be recognized as a space connected to reality. Cyberspace and the real world are interacting with each other, and various sharing and communication are taking place through the two worlds. Most importantly, it should not be forgotten that countless people come and go directly between the two worlds and that there is a real living person behind the virtual identity they face online. Therefore, it is important not only to understand cyberspace in terms of space but also in terms of community. However, it is a misconception to recognize cyberspace and the real world as the identical space and to regard cyberspace as a place that can completely replace reality. Cyberspace provides a different level of experience than reality, and virtual experience cannot be the same as reality. Communication through online brings convenience and advantage to us, but it cannot completely replace the satisfaction obtained through real face-to-face communication and physical encounter. Indeed, excessive obsession with and indiscriminate acceptance of cyberspace can encourage the escape from reality. It can cause to treat cyberspace more important than the real world, which can lead to the dehumanization.

3. The Church and Cyberspace

The development of cyberspace has also brought about major changes in our religious activity. This affects a wide range of things, from personal faith and spirituality to the overall culture and mission of the Church.The development of the media played a significant role in the history of the Church. For example, the apostle Paul, in the early church period, communicated with each church through letters and conveyed theological messages, and Luther was able to quickly and easily spread the message of the Reformation to the public through the development of printing at that time. Cyberspace now offers a variety of religious virtual activities, enabling a new level of religious experience that we have never experienced before.

There are many examples of usage of the Internet within the Church. Church official homepages typically include the functions of education (e.g. providing information related to the church and denomination and theological knowledge, etc.) and communion (e.g. bulletin boards, photo albums, comments, etc.). In addition, visitors can view Sunday worship videos (or sermon videos) and the weekly bulletin and personal prayer requests. Some large churches provide a system for participating online worship in real time. This allows access internationally as well as locally. In some popular social media, churches open chat rooms by subgroups to share their faith experiences and information in real time, and use them efficiently for preliminary discussions and preparations for the other offline meetings.[11]

As cyberspace emerges and develops, academic approaches and researches in various fields are being conducted, but above all, the Church needs attention and theological reflection. This is because the lives and spirituality of many believers are already influenced by virtual religious activities, and cyberspace contributes positively or negatively to the formation of culture and activities of the Church. Therefore, theological concerns on the influence and direction of the virtual religious experience is necessary, while researching on the essential characteristics of cyber Christian culture and the changes of people and churches who have experienced it. In addition, the Church is always obliged to respond sensitively to the various phenomena and changes occurring in individual life and society, and to present people with a theological interpretation and direction of life. Therefore, the Church needs to provide a deep analysis of reality of humanity by reflecting the nature and influence of cyberspace. Moreover, practical ways are needed to be presented for the Church and the world in how to live virtual lives meaningfully from a Christian ethical point of view. And above all, it is necessary to focus on how to spread the will of God and the gospel in cyberspace, which has become the most useful and effective communication place in the present age, and to develop missionary methods appropriate to the environment of cyberspace. Before Jesus ascended, Jesus told his disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth ”(Acts1:8). There are no local limits in the process of spreading God's will. In order for the Church to bear witness of Jesus to “the ends of the earth,” according to Jesus' the Great Commission, cyberspace could be the channel of efficient evangelism given this time.[12]

4. Restoration and Cyber ​​Ecumenism

As stated at the beginning of the article, true restoration of man is possible only in full union with God. The restoration of our relationship with God is directly related to the restoration of the Church, and those who realize God's will recognize that the Church is one community. It is like brothers and sisters who return to their father's house and learn the truth of birth. They hated each other, lived in strife, scattered, and finally returned to their father, realizing that they were one flesh under one parent. From the moment they believe this, their relationship and attitude toward each other will be quite different from before, and they will be pleasing to the father to restore love and fellowship with each other. Thus, since the Church is essentially one in Christ as the common denominator, what is really needed for the present Church is to restore the ‘spirit of unity’. It is a process which is possible in the light of God's Word and revelation, and cannot be accomplished apart from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In this regard, 'Cyber Ecumenism', defined in this article, is a theological reflection and practice on how to share the gospel with people through cyberspace, which makes it possible to restore the ‘spirit of unity’. It is also a creative proposal on how the Church, which has regained its 'spirit of unity', can continue deep fellowship among its members through cyberspace. In addition, ‘Cyber Ecumenism’ is the study and implementation of ways in which members of various churches and denominations can identify themselves as one-bodied communities through concrete experiences in cyberspace. It is also theologically researching and developing methods that are suitable for the online soil that can glorify God with one heart and one mind.

First and foremost, 'Cyber ​​Ecumenism' is to find ways to educate online the truths of the gospel, the core essence of uniting the Church. “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Ps.143: 10 [NIV]). 'Towards Affirming the Will of God', one of the CCA General Assembly's Sub-Themes, is an important task for the Church to pursue in cyberspace as well as in reality. The Church needs to carefully develop and apply methods of teaching God's will online based on deep theological reflection. The definition of community is literally to be one with a common denominator. If we do not hold on to that common core value, communities will be scattered without roots and become difficult to be defined as communities. The Christian community is literally a united community centered on Christ and is God's people and nation, united by God's will (1Pet.2.9 [NIV]).

With the development of cyberspace, we are involved more than ever before in a shared culture. In essence, people feel satisfied when they share their experiences with others, and when they experience together instead of alone, they can gain a deeper level of experience through sharing feelings of empathy. Cyberspace provides services to share individual emotions and experiences, information and knowledge, messages and values through texts, images and videos to realize these essential needs. If we can take advantage of cyberspace and share Christian truth and God's will in an effective way, we will be able to overcome not only time and physical limitations but also economical constraints. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as creating an official website, using social media, or publishing a newsletter or webzine and sending it through an email list. The Committee of Theology in NCCK publishes the “Issue and Theology” webzine monthly and distributes it to member denominations and group members. 'Issue and Theology' selects subjects that meet the timeliness of the month and uploads the articles from various denominations and sends them via email.[13]In addition, some denominations and children's mission agencies in Korea have published Bible study materials for Sunday School through augmented reality(AR) technology to deliver Bible messages to the younger generations familiar with virtual experiences and cultures. This can convey the message using images and animations as well as texts for the children of the digital generation, and induce interest and fun activities so that children can reach a deeper level of understanding.[14]

As such, evangelism through cyberspace has the characteristic that it can be easily transmitted through images and videos as well as text. Furthermore, virtual reality and augmented reality technology can help you to affirm God's will through experiences you have never experienced before. After all, although the Christian message is always the same regardless of the time and place, the Church needs to share and communicate Christian knowledge in a language suitable for the cyber environment, considering that the form can be changed depending on the media that delivers it. It is important to remember that gospel messages delivered through online content not only can help people to realize God's love and grace, but can also lead to a restoration of their relationship with God and the ‘spirit of Church unity’. Those who realize God's love and will through online can also practice His love, not only in cyberspace, but in reality, and further strengthen the Church's desire for communion, sharing, and mission.

Other important theme of ‘Cyber ​​Ecumenism’ is how to use cyberspace effectively for the communion of the unified Church and how to practice Romans 15:6 (NIV), “one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” online. Cyberspace provides the convenience and freedom of communication, which has changed the way of modern communication. This change has a great impact on fellowship and relationship building among believers, where the importance of communication is emphasized above all elsewhere. Chiristians communicate in various ways through information exchange through official church web pages, real-time communication through social media, uploading and downloading worship and sermon videos, and email and comment services. These changes will increase the chances of communicating across regions and denominations beyond the limited communication centered by the church and denomination in which they belong, which will provide a turning point in ecumenical history. For example, Korean participants who attended the Asian Ecumenical Women's Assembly hosted by CCA in 2019 set up a group chat room via social media. Through this, they exchanged opinions and information with each other during the preparation of the event, and shared notices and opinions in real time during the event. Even after the event, they share their regards and appreciation through the same chat room. There are also participants who communicate with each other by e-mail with participants from other countries.

Prayer is the center of communion in the Church. Through Prayer, believers can enjoy spiritual unity and holy joy together and can help one another. Through cyberspace, the members of the Church have the opportunity to pray for each other, even though they are physically far apart, by sharing common prayer topics or sharing each other's situations and needs in real time. It is also possible to share the same hopes together, to encourage and comfort one another through online communication, and to practice Christ's love and peace in cyberspace. It needs to be noted, however, that there is a belief that online communion can completely replace real communion. It is a great blessing from God that we can communicate online in an environment where we cannot meet. However, deeper communion and exchange from physical encounters cannot be fully experienced online. It is the same principle that the online communication without physical encounters between family members, loved ones, or friends cannot provide sufficient emotional satisfaction.

If we understand cyberspace as a space, the members of the Church gathered there must praise and worship God with one heart. That is possible through various activities such as chats, posts and comments to online communities, uploaded videos and feedback, articles and comments, and even online game character and guild activities. It becomes natural for anyone who knows God and understands God's will to give thanks and praise to God. Those who have experienced God's love and grace can worship and glorify God wherever they are. Therefore, even in cyberspace, they praise God in various languages ​​and activities. There may be differences between the two worlds in the way they are expressing faith, but their motives and essence are the same. The Church needs to do everything for God's glory during the virtual activity and let God's glory be revealed to those who meet there. Therefore, in this verse “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1Cor.10:31 [NIV]), “whatever you do” can apply not only to the real world but to cyberspace as well. If the Church conducts virtual activities with this view in mind, it can spread the fragrance of Christ through its online footprints. More importantly, the scent is not easily volatilized because the records and tracks in cyberspace are spread quickly, and they are not easily deleted and remain for a long time.

Finally, an important topic to be addressed with ‘Cyber ​​Ecumenism’ is the confirmation and conviction of unity through experience in cyberspace. Our belief and faith can be strengthened through experience. Through fellowship by cyberspace, we can identify and experience common denominators of each other. We can also experience that we belong to united community of the Church despite of our differences. What I firmly experienced through this 2019 AEWA was not the differences among us but the common beliefs and solidarity. This deep fellowship between Christians provides an opportunity to better identify the common values ​​that we shared internally, rather than identifying differences that may appear largely on the surface. If these values ​​can be found through online communication and experience, then universal opportunities for churches to identify each other's common faith can be further realized.

In addition, members of the ‘Invisible Church’ will be able to visualize the unity among them through online communication. In cyberspace, the footprints of each other and their tracks are found more permanently than in reality. Therefore, online networks have visible advantage. For example, the chat room of 2019 AEWA Korean participants still remains online today, visually showing the history of their communication and relationships. It still exists in the form of an allied network in one chatting room. Behavior of online relationships[15] can be more visible indicator of the form of invisible relationships. Therefore, utilizing an online network among churches and denominations is an important mission of the Church. Efforts need to be made to research and develop practical ways to use the various services provided by the existing social media for the network of the Church, and to enable communication at the global level as well as local churches. There is existing online communication in each church and denomination already. But there is a need for them to be connected to a global network. This is a very important for the future of ‘Cyber Ecumenism', and a dedicated team needs to be established within church unity organizations to provide better technical and practical solutions for the online network.

conclusion

The restoration of all creation is possible only in God. Someone who have left God cannot be fully satisfied with anything and enjoy complete joy and happiness. However, the restoration of our relationship with God brings about the restoration of everything. It can also lead to the overall change of the Church and society as well as the individual. Those who have experienced a restoration of their relationship with God recover the God-given ‘spirit of unity’ and realize that the Church is a united community through Christ. This faith guides our words, deeds, and whole life towards the holy direction in accordance with God's will. It leads us to serve and accept each other as genuine brothers and sisters from the heart, to serve with true God's love, not superficial communion. And it draws deep interest in one another's sorrows, joys, pains, and needs. In addition, this restoration will lead everyone to a place of worship of God in one heart and one will, and will glorify our Heavenly Father. The Church is the one holy community that awaits and desires the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of the saints.[16] If cyberspace can be actively used to restore the Church's ‘spirit of unity’ and consequently to restore true communion, it will have a profound effect on Christian history and the ecumenical movement. Now it is not the time for the Church to be passive about the new dimension of the world and the realm of experience, but it is time to strive for a serious and careful theological attention, hoping that the will of God will be realized there as well. 'Cyber Ecumenism' is the mission of the contemporary Church. And it affirms the will of God.

[1] Report of the Third World Conference on Faith and Order, Lund, Sweden: August 15-28, 1952 (London: John Roberts press,1952), 7-8. https://archive.org/details/wccfops2.017/page/6, Internet Archive. [2] Hodgson Leonard,ed., The Second World Conference on Faith and Order held at Edinburgh, August 3-18, 1937 (London: Student Christian Movement press,1938), 230-231.https://archive.org/details/wccfops1.117/page/230, Internet Archive. [3] Kim Hanna, ‘Material Addiction’, Issues and Theology, NCCK, 2019, https://nccktheology2019.tistory.com/90 [4] Jeon Jae-ok at al., Ecumenics (Seoul: Sung Kwang, 1988), 10. [5] Report of the Third World Conference on Faith and Order, Lund, Sweden: August 15-28, 12-13. https://archive.org/details/wccfops2.017/page/12, Internet Archive. [6] Hodgson Leonard,ed., 235. https://archive.org/details/wccfops1.117/page/234 [7] Kim Hanna, “Religion and Computer Games: A theological Exploration of Religious Themes in World of Warcraft” (MPhil thesis, Birmingham University, 2012),7-10. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/436c/e82235e6bf196f2c074ac2a33694c5c14cf1.pdf, Semantic Scholar. [8] Campbell Heidi, Exploring Religious Community Online (New York: Peter Lang, 2005),17. [9] Kim Hanna, “Christianity and Cyber world”, in Christians in a Candlelight Democratization Era, ed. Committee of Theology in NCCK (Seoul: Dongyeon press, 2017),135. [10] Kim Hanna, “Violence and Peace in the Cyber World”, in Spirit of March First Independence Movement and Peace on the Korean Peninsula, ed. Committee of Theology in NCCK (Seoul: Dongyeon Press, 2018),231. [11] Kim Hanna, “Christianity and Cyber world”, 138. [12] Ibid., 134-137. [13] Issues and Theology, NCCK, https://nccktheology2019.tistory.com (13.01.2020) [14]Paidionsquare, http://paidionsquare.com/shop/view.php?it_id=14960338149403&tn=$tn(13.01.2020) [15] Example of online relationships: making friends or following through social media, empathizing or liking others' posts, posting a banner or link on your homepage, online community activities, Etc. [16] “The Apostles’ Creed,” The Book of Common Prayer (New York: Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry, 1986),54.