Jae-Buhm Hwang

10.18399/acta.2007.10.2.004

Kil Sŏn-ju Korean theology revivalism fundamentalism Sŏndo sagyŏnghoe (Bible study class) and saebyŏk kidohoe (day-break prayer meeting)

Rev. Kil Sŏn-ju (1869–1935), often called the father of Korean Protestantism, was the most important leader of the famous Great Revival of 1907 and further revivals of subsequent years (up to 1935). Commemorating the first centenary of the Great Revival, this article examines how he helped Korean Protestant Christianity to take on a definitely revivalist and fundamentalist form. Having taken advantage of his religious (especially Sŏndo) background, Kil emphasized fervent spiritual endeavor, as may be seen in both his early writings: Haet’aron (Treatise on laziness) and Mansa sŏngch’wi (Fulfilment of all things). This was necessary for him since he and early Korean Christians wanted to differentiate themselves from others through their spiritual endeavors. So Kil played a key role in establishing the tradition of sagyŏnghoe (Bible study class) and saebyŏk kidohoe (day-break prayer meeting) and, what is more, in incorporating these two practices into puhŭnghoe (revival meeting), which spread like wildfire all over the Korean Peninsula. He was, however, preoccupied with inducing confession of sins in revival meetings, perhaps because it gave Korean Christians a deep and internal assurance that they had become true Christians. Kil along with other early Korean Christians, who wanted to have a strong assurance of their being true Christians, further sought an absolutized and dogmatic ground for their Christian truth, for which the fundamentalist doctrine of Biblical inerrancy was set up. In sum, Kil’s revivalist, Biblicist theology, which was heightened by his early theology of fervent spiritual endeavor and his later sturdy millennialism, naturally evolved into a fundamentalist theology, which remains dominant in Korea even today.