한국교회에서의 교회사 교육과 연구, 1900-1960년대까지

Abstract

As the first written article on the history of the study of church history or historiography in Korea, this paper examined the history of Western church studies in Korea from 1900's to 1960's, especially regarding Presbyterian circles. Koreans' awareness of Western church history comes from two channels, that is, by early missionaries who engaged in Christian education, and by Japanese imperialism as a tool of colonial education. Church history was taught for the first time at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pyungyang from its establishment in 1902, and missionary professors such as Gelson Engel, William Foot, and Alexander Robb were the main figures who led research and education of church history until 1945 when Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation. Although there was some interest to study church history among Korean Christians from 1920's, church history was not studied scientifically. It was considered an auxiliary course or subject to other disciplines of theology. Under the Japanese rule, Japanese books such as Kasiwai Enn(柏井園)'s A History of Christian Church (基督敎會史) were the main textbook for Korean seminarians. Consequentially in understanding of church history, Japanese influence especially in 1920's to 1930's were dominant and shaped Korean terminology such as 'Reformation,'(종교개혁) 'indulgence'(면죄부). Until the liberation from the Japanese rule, Korean church failed to produce degree awarded church historians. As a result, foreign missionaries still led teaching and writings of church history until 1950's. In 1960's church history in Korea gained its rightful place in theological institutions. The first two scholars Dr. Tae Dong Han and Jang Sik Lee, who earned doctorate in the field of Western church history, were invited to teach at the theological institutions and thus laid the foundation of church history studies and teaching in Korea. Therefore, 1960's were formative period in the process of church history studies.