종교계의 국채보상운동 참여 양상과 성격

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the participation patterns of religious figures, including clergy and lay believers, during the National Debt Repayment Movement of 1907. It delves into the attitudes and positions of various denominations—Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Chundogyo— towards the movement. Furthermore, it compiles instances of actual participation by clergy and laypeople to examine the impact of these interactions. Each denomination exhibited slightly different attitudes. Buddhism resolved to officially participate through its central organization, with about 20% of monks nationwide actively engaging. Chundogyo, through its daily newspaper “Mansaebo,” actively propagated the movement but limited personal donations from its believers, resulting in fewer participation instances among its followers. Catholic and Protestant denominations showed somewhat lukewarm attitudes. Influenced by foreign missionaries leading the denominations and adhering to the policy of separation of church and state by the Governor-General’s office, these denominations, especially the larger ones like Catholicism, Presbyterianism, and Methodism, did not express special opinions regarding the movement. This passive stance of the denominations impacted the participation rate of their followers, which was not high. The study confirms that the attitude of the denominations significantly influenced the participation level of clergy and believers. It also established that the stance of each denomination was closely related to their real-world conditions. The Buddhist community, yet to achieve modern organizational structure and low in social standing, participated actively. In contrast, the Catholic and Protestant denominations, under the influence of foreign missionaries and enjoying relatively stable religious power, adopted a conservative approach, aligning with a non-political stance. This difference was also evident within the Protestant sects. While the established Presbyterian and Methodist churches showed a conservative position, minority sects like the Anglican Church of England actively evangelized, aligning with the social sentiments of Koreans, leading to greater responsiveness towards the National Debt Repayment Movement among these smaller sects.