Debates
Topics on which denominations differ, presented from several positions · Articles: 33
Denominations and traditions differ on this topic. The articles set out side by side who holds which view and on what grounds.
A 4
- Abortion and the ChurchAbortion and the Church refers to the debate, both within and outside the church, over how abortion (induced termination of pregnancy) should be judg…
- Alcohol and TobaccoThe question of whether Christians may drink alcohol or smoke tobacco. Since the early days of missionary work in Korea, Korean Protestantism has tre…
- Ancestral Rites and Memorial ServicesThe question of whether ancestral rites should be forbidden as idolatry or regarded as a cultural expression of filial piety. Korean Protestantism ha…
- Assurance of SalvationA discussion of whether a person who has once been saved can lose salvation, and of the grounds on which a person may be assured of being saved.
B 2
- Baptism by Sprinkling and by ImmersionA debate over whether the biblical mode of baptism is sprinkling or pouring water on the head (serye) or submerging the whole body in water (chimnye)…
- Bible Translation DebateThe Bible translation debate concerns which Korean Bible translation should be used in worship and personal Bible reading, and how the original texts…
C 5
- Cessationism and ContinuationismA debate over whether gifts of the Holy Spirit such as tongues, prophecy, and divine healing have continued beyond the apostolic age. Some conservati…
- Church ConstructionThe church construction debate concerns whether it is right for a church to build or expand its sanctuary, particularly with borrowed money. Views di…
- Church DisputesChurch disputes are conflicts among church members over matters such as pastoral calls, finances, church discipline, and denominational affiliation. …
- Contemplative PrayerContemplative prayer is a form of prayer that uses few words and rests in God's presence in silence. Some embrace it as a spiritual discipline, while…
- Creation and EvolutionA debate over how to understand the creation account in Genesis alongside the explanations of modern science. The principal positions are young-earth…
D 1
- Divorce and RemarriageThe question of whether Scripture permits divorce and remarriage, and if so, under what circumstances. The question also bears on whether ministers s…
E 1
- Eucharistic ControversyThe Eucharistic controversy is the debate over how Christ is present in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. The four principal views are transub…
G 1
- Generational Curse TheoryGenerational curse theory is the teaching that curses are passed down to descendants because of their ancestors' sins or idolatry and must therefore …
H 2
- Hereditary Pastoral SuccessionHereditary pastoral succession is the practice of handing a senior pastor's position to the pastor's child or son-in-law. In Korean it is commonly ca…
- Homosexuality and the ChurchThe question of how the church should respond to homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and LGBTQ church members and clergy. Most Korean denominations hol…
I 1
- Infant Baptism ControversyA debate over whether baptism may be administered to infants who cannot yet profess faith for themselves. Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, and Angl…
N 1
- New Apostolic ReformationA charismatic movement holding that the offices of apostle and prophet have been restored today and should lead the church. Several Korean Presbyteri…
O 2
- Online CommunionOnline Communion concerns whether church members participating in an online worship service may prepare the bread and cup in their own homes and part…
- Ordination of WomenThe ordination of women is a debate over whether women may be ordained as pastors and elders. In Korea, denominations such as the Methodists, the Pre…
P 2
- Predestination and Free WillA debate over whether salvation depends on God's election or on the human response. Calvinism, followed by Presbyterians, and the Arminian-Wesleyan t…
- Prosperity TheologyProsperity theology is teaching that emphasizes that those who have faith will receive the blessings of health and wealth. In Korea it has often been…
R 3
- Religious PluralismReligious pluralism refers to the debate over whether religions outside Christianity offer a way of salvation. Positions in this debate are commonly …
- Retirement Age for PastorsThe retirement age for pastors is the age at which a minister steps down from public duties such as serving as senior pastor. Most major Korean denom…
- Reunification and the ChurchReunification and the Church refers to the debate over how the church should understand and pursue both the overcoming of the division of the Korean …
S 1
- Sexual Violence in the ChurchSexual violence in the church is sexual violence that occurs within communities of faith such as churches and mission organizations. Views differ on …
T 5
- Taxation of ClergyThe question of levying income tax on the honoraria received by pastors and other religious workers. After a long controversy, taxation of clergy inc…
- The Church and PoliticsThe question of how the church and individual Christians should engage in politics. Views differ on the meaning of the separation of church and state…
- The Death Penalty and the ChurchThe death penalty and the church refers to the debate over how the church should evaluate, in light of Scripture and the Christian faith, the practic…
- The Sabbath and the Lord's DayA discussion of whether Christians should observe the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath or the first-day (Sunday) Lord's Day, and whether the Lord's Day…
- Tithing ControversyA debate over whether the tithe, the giving of one-tenth of one's income, remains an obligation for Christians today.
W 2
- WCC ControversyA controversy within the Korean church over whether to join and cooperate with the World Council of Churches (WCC). It was one of the causes of the 1…
- Worship Music DebateThe worship music debate concerns whether worship should center on traditional hymns or embrace contemporary Christian music (CCM), which uses drums,…
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