Understanding Multicultural Society from the Perspective of the Old Testament: Focusing on the Problem of the Stranger (Ger)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Economic integration and interdependence of national economies has increased through a rapid augmentation in cross-border movement of goods, services, technology and capital. The effects of globalization exert intense influence on the social, political and economic conditions of a given nation. Specifically, globalization accelerates the birth of multicultural societies in countries who participate in the world market. The coexisting heterogeneous elements of multicultural society could be causes for social conflicts and disputes. Among the problems of the current multicultural society that of immigrants is becoming one of the most important issues. In order to understand multicultural society and to seek the biblical point of view concerning our problem, I focused on the problem of the stranger (ger)in the Old Testament. Here there are economic, political and individual reasons for being a stranger. In the Old Testament the protection of the stranger is regulated in many ways. The requirement that Israel should protect the stranger is based on IsraelØs historical experience, GodØs love of the weak and IsraelØs self-consciousness as the stranger before God. The Old Testament is showing us the ways and steps from the concrete regulations for protecting the weak and strangers to the ideal vision of their integration into society. The study on the problem of the stranger (ger) in the Old Testament sheds light on the nature of modern multicultural societies and the task of solving some of its problems. The witnesses of the Bible are formed in the dynamics of the reciprocal relationship between social experience and theological insights. They are the mirror of an inner-process of reception and updating that evokes to continue interpreting and adapting the words of God in the current world. The following steps and tasks are needed for a successful multicultural society overcoming the human and social problems of the stranger. 1. The particular care and concern of existing dwellers in the land for the underprivileged stranger. 2. The support of the stranger should be done with concrete help and actions. 3. All the efforts for strangers have to be aiming for integration into a society in which all members enjoy equal rights and protection.

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