Modern society is witnessing rapid advancements in science, technology, and civilization. As a result, modern individuals have gained greater opportunities to lead affluent lives. However, the poor, who are alienated from the benefits of science and c...
Modern society is witnessing rapid advancements in science, technology, and civilization. As a result, modern individuals have gained greater opportunities to lead affluent lives. However, the poor, who are alienated from the benefits of science and civilization, are deprived of even these opportunities.
Furthermore, while technological advancements provide opportunities to accumulate capital, modern individuals face the temptation to regard material wealth and capital as their ultimate ends, prioritizing their own interests over concern for others. This phenomenon engenders indifference toward the poor and exacerbates the gap between the rich and the poor. In this era, Christians are prone to facing threats to their identity.
The identity of a Christian lies in following Christ. This thesis is written to assist Christians in modern society in cultivating concern for their impoverished neighbors, following the example of Jesus, and further, to support the missionary mission of conveying the love of God and Christ to the poor. To this end, this study examines Mother Teresa, a saint canonized relatively recently who serves as an exemplar for modern Christians.
Mother Teresa is a saint who strove earnestly to follow Christ as a Christian. From the moment she received God's call, she dedicated her entire life to serving God and her impoverished neighbors. The reason she was able to devote herself to such service lies in the spiritual experiences she encountered while loving God. At the foundation of her spiritual experiences lies the spirituality of poverty. As this spirituality is an experience intimately connected to life, it is also beneficial to Christians.
Therefore, this study examines her life to demonstrate the process of her encounter with God and seeks to understand how she was able to meet Jesus within that journey. First, by reviewing the life of Mother Teresa, this study will investigate the background of her spirituality of poverty. This will aid in understanding the context of how she was able to choose poverty in her life.
Furthermore, this study will examine her concept of poverty by distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary poverty, and will explore the motives, benefits, and consequences of the poverty she chose. Through this analysis, it will be possible to grasp her thoughts on poverty and recognize that poverty is one of the ways to follow Christ.
In addition, to analyze Mother Teresa's spirituality of poverty, this study will examine how she was able to follow Jesus both externally and internally through poverty. This entails understanding how she participated in the poverty of Jesus and established solidarity with the poor, while also exploring the 'spiritual darkness' she experienced as a process of self-purification.
Finally, by examining the relationship between Mother Teresa's spirituality and the mission of the contemporary Church, this study aims to assist Christians in correctly discerning their own mission and practicing the love of God.
Thus, through this research on Mother Teresa's spirituality of poverty, this study aims to assist Christians, whose identities are threatened in today's world, in fulfilling their missions.