韓国近代女性教育に及ぼしたキリスト教の影響

Abstract

During the last years of Yi Dynasty, critical reflections and challenges on traditional, paternalistic philosophy of human beings, man and woman relationship, and social order were brought in Korean society along with emergence of modern consciousness in times of rapid changes. In that situation women in Korea discovered the dignity of self and acquired independent and subjective consciousness of themselves as they encountered the Christian faith. At this time public institutions for women were established as modern philosphy of women required to meet the needs of education for women. Therefore institutions for women education came to existence which pursued modern educational goals. Ehwa Institute, for example, was the first Christian institute for women education and it enabled many women achieved independence and equality with men. Not only that, Ehwa empowered many women leaders to take public positions in society. Through this school women escpecially were able to have close contact western female missionaries and through this experience they learned how to think and learned the importance of consciousness and feminist thoughts as modern people. Moreover many female students formed their own study and activity groups (i.e. student circles) and they studied about how to save the country in crisis and to strengthen their power to serve the society they live in. With this kind of context, schools like Ehwa was not just a school that transmit knowledge, but functioned to help students experience transformation in their minds. Student groups played as places for praxis of experimenting the social activity and their public role in society as women. At the same time, ‘Revival Meeings’ at churches taught many women who were not previleged to attend schools regardless of their age. These meetings at church provided lessons on biblical values and knowledge. Furthermore they encouraged women active participation in social services and independence movement for their own country. This kind of education promoted women’s critical consciousness and raise the level of dignity of self as women. Therefore this paper explored how Christianity in Korea contributed the modern consciousness in times of modernization by establishing educational institutions and created many Christian women leaders who played major roles in society.