The present research has been undertaken within a narrative approach which is based on social constructionism. For the purposes of fostering more effective communication between science and theology, I also adopt the postfoundationalist way of thinking which was suggested by Van Huyssteen. I made use of the seven movements that were proposed by J C Müller to present the research undertaken with four young adult Christians. Korea is a multi-religious society in which various religions coexist, such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Shamanism, Christianity and several new religions. In the religious background of Korea, people are free to choose their religion, but sometimes their religious freedom has been limited by the patriarchal family system. In particular, young adult Christians who are in the period of emerging adulthood may face an even more difficult situation when they practise a different religion from that of their family. They are still under the strong influence of their parents emotionally and financially, but they want to be adults with their own independent identity. Moreover, Korean social prejudice against Christianity causes the young adult Christians much difficulty in maintaining their faith life comfortably. In order to listen to their stories regarding their faith life, I selected four young adult Christians who have non-Christian family members in their household, who are unmarried, and are therefore still dependent on their parents. With the co-researchers, individual interview sessions and group interview sessions were held, and a web-activity devised in which their stories were told and developed in collaboration with various disciplines that were influencing their discourses within the stories. They were experiencing tensions with their non-Christian family members in maintaining their Christian faith life and were feeling powerless in the relationship with them. Furthermore, in their relationship with other Christians in the church the co-researchers complained about the lack of understanding, regarding their specific family background, shown by those believers who do have Christian relatives in their household. The narrative research process allowed the co-researchers to interpret their difficult stories and to think through the meanings of these and their effect. In this manner, they could reinterpret their painful stories and uncover new meanings that might assist them to be more satisfied in the future. Having discovered new meanings for their painful stories, the co-researchers are not powerless people any longer; instead, they are active people who are dreaming for, or envisioning, a better future with their non-Christian family. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This study is a narrative research within the postfoundationalist and social constructionist paradigm which underpin the narrative approach to theology. The present research listened to the stories of Korean missionary children to ascertain their educational difficulties on the mission field. The history of Korean missionary abroad is not a long one. Korean missionaries, having little previous experience, often have difficulty in deciding how to raise their children. They also have difficulty to know the educational options available and which to choose. Up till now there are only a few Korean missionary children who have grown up on the mission field until adulthood. Missionary families face various education options on the mission field, and options are different in terms of each situation on the field. Today, there are up to 12,000 Korean missionary children around the world. Of these, approximately 60% attend schools on the mission fields and 40-50% are at MK/International schools. Most of MK/International schools are mainly based on the western education system, using mediocre English. Yet, Korean missionary children have a different background from Western, specifically in terms of language, culture, society, race and the educational systems they are used to. Most of Korean missionary parents have high expectations for their children’s education with a good academic career. It poses several problems to Korean missionary children’s education. Considering the struggle with education that Korean missionary children experience on the mission field this study aims to contribute towards the understanding of their situation, and thus to help them through their research process. To be effective, this study focused on a small number, specifically five Korean young adult missionary children who have grown up in Africa, currently living in South Africa, South Korea and North America. In order to gain a deeper understanding of educational issues Korean missionary children experience, children were selected from different educational backgrounds. With the co-researchers, individual, face-to face-interviews were held in Korea and in South Africa, and networking has been used when a face-to-face relationship was not possible. The internet phone was frequently used in the research process. The influences of traditions of interpretation over the co-researchers were discussed from the collaboration with them, and alternative interpretations emerged on their traditions through interdisciplinary conversation. Through this narrative research process the co-researchers were lead to understanding and empowerment, and they developed new meanings for their preferred stories for the future. As the narrative approach is open-ended rather than results-oriented, this research is not closed ended, but rather allows for growth and development to take place. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This research seeks to adopt a post-foundationalist practical theology paradigm, as discussed by J C Müller, in order to create a bridge between the three concepts of the pastoral care perspective, the narrative perspective based on social-constructionism and post-foundationalism. Furthermore, I made use of Müller’s seven movements of methodology which laid a strong foundation to base my research on regarding married migrant women living within Korean multicultural families. Korean society which is a homogeneous culture is currently facing many challenges as a result of becoming more and more multicultural. These multicultural issues are becoming major social and political issues in South Korea. The main reason that South Korean society has become more multicultural is because of intercultural marriages which have also resulted in an increase in multicultural families. These migrant women are faced with many kinds of discrimination and prejudice as a result of their different appearance, culture and language. Furthermore, Korean culture often deprives women of having any position above men especially once they are married. After being married a woman should become invisible, voiceless, and nameless in order to become culturally acceptable. This often results in a migrant woman feeling stressed, fearful, isolated and alone which often results in the development of a low self-esteem, a lack of self-confidence and a low self-image. In my research, I sought to listen to and identify the stories of migrant women, namely foreign women who have married Korean men with a focus on the impact on their identities within a Korean multicultural family through a narrative perspective in order to have a positive growth and outcome from their intercultural differences within South Korea. I decided to view my co-researchers not as co-researchers but as companions on a journey which we could undertake together. The use of the metaphors ‘journey’ and ‘companions’ seemed to give my companions the freedom to speak more openly and placed us on an equal level. Furthermore, I not only discovered my companions’ identities through their own stories, but also developed my companions’ true identities/multi-identities through the broader, inter-relational stories of other people within multicultural communities through a six step process of Listening to the voice, Gaining voice, Giving voice, Finding alternative voice, Retelling voice and Creating future voice. I made use of the narrative approach in order to listen to my companions so that a unity would exist between their past, present and future stories. As I listened to the stories of my companions from a narrative perspective new possibilities were opened which lead to alternative and future stories. Furthermore, my companions were given the opportunity to find themselves and make new identities on the real journey of life. Through the process of my research I also developed a multicultural identity model specifically for married migrant women in South Korea, but ultimately the purpose of my research was not to show or develop a multicultural identity model regarding migrant women, but was more to help these migrant women find their identities themselves and in this become self-empowered to become contributors to Korean society. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted