기독교 대학의 채플에 대한 국가 개입의 문제점 및 개선방안 = Problems of State Intervention in Chapel Operation of Christian Universities and Proposals for Improvement

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Although freedom of religious education as a part of freedom of religion is secured by Art.20(1) and autonomy of a university is protected by Article 31(4), cases take place in which state tries to intervene in the operation of chapel and operation of academic affairs of private christian universities. The Supreme Court of Korea held ‘it is legitimate to enact school regulation adopting six-semester-attendance requirement for graduation of chapel service for the purpose of cultivating non-biased educated persons so long as the service is not infringing students’ rights not to have faith.* Professor, Soongsil University, Internatioal Legal Affairs Department.
However, National Human Rights Committee issued recommendation that when a course of chapel falls on mission-type service, private christian university requires consent from a college student and that the univerisity should provide a right to reject the course or alternative course to a college student without religious faith in Christianity for the cause of public education. Even NHRC decision 22Jinjoung0211700 recommended the same to a private christian university with public/open notice to potential students prior to admission which operates a culture-based event-type chapel, instead of service, and checks attendance only. It is excessive intervention into operation of education by the private christian university which has placed emphasis on Christianity.
Private christian universities, facing a difficult situation such as population decrease, decrease of Christian youth, and inspiration of indvidual rights among MZ generation, start to operate diverse type of chapels instead of service-type and to stimulate positive response from non-Christian students. Since it is important to cultivate conditions for college students to have faith in Christianity, it is worthwhile to consider use of diverse types of chapel, cultural-event or lecture-type chapel as well as service-style chapel, particularly noteworthy to focus Christian-book-reading or small-group discussion type chapel.