일립 강태국 박사의 애국사상과 민족복음화 운동

Abstract

This paper has dealt with Dr. Kang’s patriotic thoughts and his national evangelistic movement. He was devoted to evangelizing the Korean Peninsula and having remained patriotic to his country. Having been educated in Christian mission schools, He had been exposed to the influence of the national leader Jo man-sik, Japanese Christian reformer Toyohiko Kagawa, and Nikolaj Grundtvig. Dr. Kang led the Pyongyang students’ independence movement. Later, he got transformed from a national independence activist to an evangelist through his theological education. Dr. Kang had spearheaded the evangelical movement for 50 years for the sake of the kingdom of God. In order to realize his vision, he founded the Korean Evangelical Movement (KEM) in 1950, and greatly contributed to establishing the Far East Broadcasting Station to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in Korea. To accomplish the purposes of KEM, he dedicated himself to (1) spreading the gospel in Korea by building rural projects, (2) transforming national spirit into Christian spirit, and (3) improving the lives of Koreans. Dr. Kang’s patriotic ideology and national evangelical movement would be summarized into five main characteristics. First, his patriotic thoughts and national evangelistic movement arose from his Christian education. Second, his national evangelical movement was intertwined with his patriotism. Third, his national evangelical movement comprised ideology, practical education, national evangelism, and world mission. Fourth, his educational project became his primary means of achieving his life missions. Fifth, his works contributed to the spiritual and economic progress of Korea.