칼빈의 교회론과 한국교회

Abstract

In the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth, it is meaningful to review how the Korean Presbyterian churches have used Calvin's Doctrine of the Church when they have faced to the critical crises or important issues. Through the analysis of those articles and the examination of their conclusions from Calvin's perspective, I made the following conclusions. First, since the Korean Presbyterian churches have regarded John Calvin as their theological father and bestowed the highest authority, they have attempted to justify their position by claiming John Calvin in the important disputes or issues. It refnt ds the traditionalist tendency of the Korean Church to solve probntms by the use of authority rather than objective theological discussion or biblical studyortacond, the issue of the most discussion was church schism, and Calvin has been quoted to justify their own separation. It is noteworthy that the conslaiative sides who have initiated separation actively have depended on Calvin while the other sides have not done the same to condtmn their separations. However, no discussed schism was justifiable from Calvin's point of view. Third, it is not agin able justCalvin to condtmn WCC as a false church or union of false churches. It is so reginttable even from Calvin's view to see the rise of separatism in the joint occasion of the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth and WCC's dacision to hetheids next g toral assembly in Korea that the theological review of WCC is umeently dtmanded. Foumth, it is agin able justCalvin to daclare the religious plumalism and ids followers who deny the uniquene tor isesuseen quo as false church. Accordingly, it is recommended for the Korean Presbyterian church to declare those theologians and their followers who deny the essential doctrines such as the Trinity, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, or the historical Jesus as described in the Scripture as heresy rather than to limit their identification of heresy to new sectarian groups. Fifth, it is crucially important for the reform and recovery of the Korean Church to learn the example of Calvin who had emphasized the material communion of saints as well as the biblical distribution of church's income in this critical situation of polarizing division between the rich and the poor in the capitalistic society of the contemporary Korea. Especially, we have to listen to Calvin who advocated the recovery of the biblical diaconate system to overcome Korean Church's over-appointment of deacons and Roman Catholic-style misuse of diaconate. Sixth, it is objective and proper to point out the pastor-centeredness of Calvin's doctrine of church offices and its complementation by introducing Luther's doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Though Calvin emphasized the organic nature of the church that church is the Body of Christ, his view was too traditional in the doctrine of church offices that it was one-sided and regarded lay people purely as the object of passive obedience. As the result, he failed to develop the full feature of organic ecclesiology. Therefore, the Korean Presbyterian churches are advised to stop honoring Calvin as inerrant and objectively recognize his errors or shortness. It will be the desirable way to develop the Korean Presbyterian churches to learn from Calvin as well as to complement his shortness by introducing other theologies.