Theology and Praxis | 2021
Dorothy Day’s Spirituality and Its Christian Educational Application
Abstract
Dorothy Day is unfamiliar to the Korean Protestant Church. However, her name is not unfamiliar to the Roman Catholic Church, the theology of laity, and contemporary spiritual theology. Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was a Roman Catholic journalist and social activist. Through her writings, practical life, and her leadership of the Catholic worker lay movement, she gave a new model of spirituality for those of us who live in modern times. In this study, I will deal with key aspects of the spirituality of Dorothy Day and explore its relevance for Christian education. Her spirituality through her devoted life suggests to us a new paradigm, practical spirituality in context. Not only did she see inner spirituality as a personal mystical experience, but she also emphasized the collective power of community as Christ’s body in this earthly world. On this point, we can find several contact points in Day’s practical spirituality which should apply to Christian education. Thus, in this study, I will explain the characteristics of her spirituality and find points to apply to Christian education. The following is the structure of the study. After introductory part( chapter I), in chapter II, I will briefly summarize Dorothy Day’s life and spiritual journey. In chapter III, in more detail, I will explore the key aspects of Dorothy Day’s spirituality. In chapter IV, I will try to apply Dorothy Day’s spirituality to the Christian educational fields.