최태용의 교회론: 전개과정과 특징

Abstract

Choe Tae Yong, the founder and first bishop of the Bok Eum (gospel) Church or Korea Evangelical Church, was active as a preacher-evangelist, church reformer, theologian, pastor, and social activist. Among his changing theological views, ecclesiology stands at the center. Converted to the Methodist church, Choe soon fell under the spell of Uchimura Kanzo, the leader of Japanese Non-Church Movement, during his study in Japan. Influenced by the non-church movement, he was convinced that what made a church true was faith rather than institution. However, Choe was different from Uchimura in his dualist understanding of the world and his strong sense of mission to reform churches. Believing himself to be an apostle of his time, he endeavored to spread his “new gospel” through his journals and meetings. Choe's militant attitude against institutional churches and non-traditional theology backfired. Realizing the limits of his fight against institutional churches without the help of institution, he decided to discard his non-church position and organize an institutional church. His Bok Eum Church showed that his journey from a mainline church to the Non-Church Movement came to full circle. After establishing the Bok Eum Church, Choe saw the institutional church as the center of Christian faith and doubted “church invisible.” The Bok Eum Church restrained his progressive theology and radical attitude within the boundaries of traditional church.