YoungSang Ro (Korean노영상, born March 21, 1954) is a South Korean theologian in the field of Christian ethics as well as a Protestant pastor of The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap). He was a longtime professor and President at Honam Theological University and Seminary,[1][2][3][4] and professor and dean of theological seminary at Presbyterian University & Theological Seminary. In the fall of 2017, he also assumed a professor at Baekseok University.[5] He is considered to be one of the important theologians in Korea who was named in Marquis Who’s Who in the World, 2018. He specializes in Christian ethics, Christian culture, and Korean unification research. He has written widely on a diverse range of subjects, such as the eco-theology, Christian bioethics, the methodology of Christian social ethics, church and society, future society and future ministry, Christian study on homosexuality, biblical ethics and Christian virtue ethics. He is the leading scholar of the village ministerial movement for the Korean church.[6] He is president of the 23rd Korean Association of Christian Studies.[7] In 2017, he served as a co-chairman of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. He is currently president of the Korean Church Institute of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea. He was named Theologian of the Year at the 8th John Calvin 500th Anniversary Project in 2018.[8] He is the leading leader of the village pastoral movement for the Korean church.[9]

YoungSang Ro
Professor YoungSang Ro(노영상 박사)
Born (1954-03-21) March 21, 1954 (age 70)
South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Occupation(s)Professor, Academic and Theologian
Known forChristian Ethics, Religion and Ethics
TitleProfessor of Christian Ethics
Academic background
EducationTh.B , Th.M. , M.Div , Th.D.
Academic work
InstitutionsBaekseok University in Seoul

Early life and education

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Young Sang Ro was born in Seoul, Korea, on March 21, 1954. He attended both Kyungbock High School (1969–72). He earned his Bachelor of Agricultural Chemistry(presently the department of applied biochemistry) at Seoul National University. He studied Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M., Th.D.). The theme of his Th. D. dissertation is “A Study on the Concept of Piety in the Christian Ethical Thought of James Moody Gustafson.” Ro attended the Korean Presbyterian church, where he experienced baptism and communion.

Career

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Following his graduation from Presbyterian University & Theological Seminary, Ro had taught first at Honam Theological University & Seminary, belonging to PCK since 1982, before joining the faculty at Presbyterian University & Theological Seminary in 2000. He had held the following status; Visiting Fellow of Columbia Theological Seminary(1991-1992). And then he was appointed as the 6th president of HTUS in 2012. He was later invited to assume a faculty position at Baekseok University in 2017. He was the president of Honam Theological University and Seminary from 2012 to 2016, and the president of Korean Association of Christian Studies from 2015 to 2017,[10] and Co-chairman of Preparation Committee for 2017 Academic Conference of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation(2017), and a president of National Theological University Council[11] He is now the president of Thematic Research Committee in The 100th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, a president of Korea Culture Mission Center, and Agape (Somang Prison) Director. He is the president of Korean Association of Christian Studies in 2019.

Personal life

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He married Jung Sook Han, piano music professor of Honam Theological University and Seminary, begetting one daughter, Kyung Hee (married to Jung Seo Lee), one son, Hyun Woo (married to You Ri Chae) and six grandchildren; Seo Yeon, Ji Hyun, Joon Seong, Tae Yoon, Tae Heon and Eun Seong.[12]

Honors

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He won the General Moderator of PCK Award at the Commencement Ceremony in 1981, the Hwangjo Compliment Medal of the Republic of Korea(황조근정훈장) from Jae-in Moon, the President of Korea in 2017, the Theologian of the Year 2018 Award conferred by Calvin's 500th Birthday Memorial Society in 2018, the Proud Presbyterian of the Year 2018 Award(in the Department of Scholarship) conferred by the Council of Presbyterian Churches in Korea in 2018 and Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award 2019. And his name was registered in Marquis' Who’s Who 2018 and Korean Who’s Who 2019 of YonhapNews Agency.

Books and co-authors

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  • Spirit and Ethics
  • Religion and Ethics
  • Worship and Human Behavior
  • Christianity and the Future Society
  • Growing Bible Trees
  • Introduction to Christian Bioethics
  • Green Spirituality
  • Hermeneutical Approach to Christian Social Ethics Methodology
  • Saving Rainbow in Mark's Gospel
  • Christianity and Ecology
  • Future Church and Future Theology
  • The Seven Gates of God
  • Be a Blessing
  • Eternal life
  • Church and Society
  • Modern Theology and Christian Ethics
  • Introduction to Christian Ethics
  • Theology and Ethics of Modern Ecological Theologians
  • What is the problem of passive euthanasia?
  • Christian Answers to Homosexuality
  • Church, Called Out to Serve the World
  • Jonathan Edward's Philosophical Theology
  • Introduction to Christian Social Service
  • 21st Century Science and Faith

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 호신대, 노영상교수를 총장으로, The United Christian News, 2012/06/01
  2. ^ 노영상 박사 호남신학대학교 총장 내정, newspower, 2012/09/15
  3. ^ 미주장신, 호남·영남신대와 자매결연, christiantoday, 2014.08.12
  4. ^ 한·중 기독교, 신학 교류도 본격화… “세계교회에 기여”christiantoday, 2016.05.01
  5. ^ Young Sang Ro, wwlifetimeachievemen
  6. ^ Jung, Ha Ra (24 January 2022). "마을을 교회로, 주민을 교인으로 삼는 마을목회" [Transforming Villages into Churches: Making Residents Congregants through Village Ministry]. IGoodNews. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  7. ^ 호신대 총장 노영상 목사, 한국기독교학회 회장으로 선출, pck-goodnew, 2015.10.31
  8. ^ 총회한국교회연구원
  9. ^ 예장통합, 마을목회 330개 시범교회 만든다
  10. ^ 한국기독교학회 제22대 회장에 노영상 호남신대 총장, 크리스천투데이, 2015.10.25
  11. ^ 신임회장에 노영상 총장 선출, 기독교헤럴드, 2016.03.23
  12. ^ 호남신학대학교, 한정숙 교수 퇴임, 뉴스파워, 2017/03/02
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