식민지 시기 기독교 출판과 책의 유통－조선예수교서회를 중심으로－

Abstract

This paper focuses on Christianity as a variable in the history of mentality during the colonial Chosun period. Previous papers have discussed the roles and contributions of Christianity to modern knowledge and academic research, which took root through the building of schools and hospitals and the publication of various publications in colonial Chosun. Nevertheless, there is a need for a deeper and more meticulous examination of Christianity’s role in the Korean modern history of mentality. To this end, this paper sheds light on The Christian Literature Society of Korea — the most representative publishing house in colonial Chosun, in which the key functions were performed by Western missionaries. A closer look at this institution will shed light on the publishing and cultural history of reading in the colonized period; moreover, it will provide a more thorough understanding of the specific roles of the West and of Christianity — two significant catalysts for the modernization of Korea — in the creation and distribution of knowledge under the colonial influence. In addition, the focus on “Christian publishing” will spark a useful discussion about the sense and sensibility of the colonized world, as it allows an examination of “publishing,” the material and literal foundation of the history of mentality, and of “religion,” the internal and institutional foundation of the history of mentality. Although the Christian Literature Society of Korea was established with a religious mission, it evolved into a business that adopted modern capitalist business methods and was led by American missionaries bringing capital from the West (America and Great Britain). It also embraced non-Christians by publishing not only Christian-related literature, such as the Bible and hymnbooks, but also periodicals and other books, including literature (e.g., novels and biographies), social science books, Enlightenment books, and modern academic textbooks. The publications targeted mostly women, children, and young adult readers. Furthermore, the Society aggressively exploited its human and institutional network (including Christian and non-Christian bookstores, evangelists, Bible women, ministers, churches, and mission centers), marketing and selling its publications in every corner of the country. In addition, the Christian Literature Society of Korea did not confine itself to the publishing and selling of books; it actively participated in their distribution and reading, wielding a great influence on the reading culture of colonial Chosun. The acknowledgement of this influential role of Christianity calls for a new strand of discussion about the ways Christianity contributed to shaping the culture of colonial Chosun. That is, Christianity’s role went far beyond that of just “distributing Hangul”：the “history of mentality” is another important dimension to consider when charting the contributions of Christianity. Most of all, the Christian Literature Society of Korea expanded its boundaries beyond Chosun and reached out to the Chinese, Japanese, and American publishing markets. By cross- referencing, translating, and importing publications from overseas markets, it promoted the international movement of publications and ultimately attempted to facilitate the migration of knowledge. Thus, the Chosun people that came into contact with religious and Western subjects sought to distribute knowledge in the colonial Chosun society, where any form of creation and distribution of unapproved knowledge was politically controlled. The Christian Literature Society of Korea can therefore be viewed as a producer of culture that blurred the boundaries of the subjects, texts, and territory which the colonial rulers strived to regulate and oversee.