Page 26 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

To comprehend the contemporary Church in relation to its preaching, it is crucial to

understand its historical background. Roger White is right when he comments, “[i]f we don’t

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know where we have been, it is impossible to plan for the future.” For the sake of required
brevity, the preaching of the Korean Church will be discussed in summary, delineated with five

epochs; the stage of introduction (1884-1919), the stage of persecution (1920-1945), the stage of

freedom (1945-1960), the stage of explosion (1960-90), and stage of stagnation (1900-).

Preaching in the Stage of Introduction (1884-1919)

When the Gospel was preached in Korea for the first time in history, Korea was a

veritable battlefield for neighboring countries like Japan, China, and Russia because of the

advantageous position of this newly open country. Cornelius Osgood, a famous scholar on

Korea once stated:

China, Russia, and Japan were juxtaposed to Korea with armies closed at hand.
Each considered that the subjection of the Peninsula by either of the others would
be not only an economic loss but also a vital threat to its national security. And
since none trusted another, Korea became from that time on, a pawn in an
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international conflict for power.

The Sino-Japanese War of 1894 brgan with the cause of protecting Korea from the

rebellion of “Donghak” or “Eastern Learning,” a Korean indigenous religious movement with a

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Roger J. White, “New Church, New Millenium,” in Shaping our Future: Challenges for
the Church in the Twenty-First Century, ed. J. Stephen Freeman (Cambridge: Cowley
Publications, 1994), 51.

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Cornelious Osgood, The Korean and Their Culture (New York: Ronald Press Co., 1951),
278.