Page 27 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

strong nationalistic political sentiment. Nevertheless, because of the war Japan was able to expel

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Chinese influence over Korea.

Japan also defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Finally, Korea was

annexed by Japan in 1910. Since the annexation, Japan exploited Korea in every aspect of life

11
driving her to a paucity of existence. On the First of March in 1919 the Mansai Wundong, a
public resistance movement for the national independence from the colonization of Japan,

12
began. This was the first and foremost direct public action by the Korean people against
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Japanese sovereignty over the Korean peninsula.

Even in this time of social despair and initial mission work, the Korean Church

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experienced great revivals. While Korea was undergoing a national crisis during the years

between 1905 and 1910 due to the palpable annexation process by the Japanese, revivals

invigorated the Church and laid a spiritual foundation for the expanding Gospel and church

growth in Korea. The Western missionaries took the leading role in preaching and teaching the

10
Frederick Arthur MacKenzie, Korea’s Fight for Freedom (New York: Fleming H.
Revell Co., 1920), 42-59. See also Wi Jo Kang, Christ and Caesar in Modern Korea: A History
of Christianity and Politics (Albany, NY.: State University of New York Press, 1997), 32-34.

11
Kang, Christ and Caesar, 36.
12
Donald N. Clark, Christianity in Modern Korea (Lanham, MD.: University Press of
America, Inc., 1986), 10. Clark continues saying that “The Korean Declaration of Independence
proclaimed on that day had 33 signers, of whom 15 were Christians.”

13 Kang, Christ and Caesar, 51-60.

14
For the early revivals in Korea, see Oh, Moontak. “The Impact of Korean Revival
Movement on Church Growth of Korean Evangelical Christianity in 1903-1963.” Ph.D. diss.,
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2000.