1959년 한국장로교 분열에 대한 미국 선교사와 미국 복음주의권의 반응 연구

Abstract

This article studies the reaction of American missionaries and Evangelicals to the division of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) in 1959. Researchers on the anti-ecumenical side of the debate argue that the main cause of the schism was the pros and cons of the ecumenical movement. They also claim that the American missionaries supported the ecumenical side of the PCK according to the ecumenical position of their home church. As a result of analyzing the documents of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A. and U.S.) related to the Korean missions circa 1957-1960, evidence was found that contradicts the above claims. The United Presbyterian Mission (UPM) opposed the Korean National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in the first place because of their financial scandals. Secondly it was because they used the anti-WCC campagin along McIntire line in their struggle for power . They also attacked the ecumenical position of the American church as a deviation from the orthodox faith. The Southern Presbyterian Mission (SPM) was theologically close to the Korean NAE. The UPM had a critical attitude toward the SPM (which supported the Korean NAE). However, the reason why the SPM was unable to defend the Korean NAE was because of their unethical conduct. Instead, the SPM launched a campaign to reconcile and reunite the divided PCK, but without success. The American NAE took the advice of the UPM and cut ties with the Korean NAE. In the end, the UPM and SPM continued their cooperative relationship with the ecumenical line of the divided PCK.