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Eschatological Visions of the New Testament: from a Premillennial Dispensationalist Interpretation Towards a Contextual Korean Christian Environmental Ethic

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Eschatological Visions of the New Testament: from a Premillennial Dispensationalist Interpretation Towards a Contextual Korean Christian Environmental Ethic ESCHATOLOGICAL VISIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: FROM A PREMILLENNIAL DISPENSATIONALIST INTERPRETATION TOWARDS A CONTEXTUAL KOREAN CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC Submitted by Hyunte Shin to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology and Religion in November 2018 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. 1 ABSTRACT This thesis applies the hermeneutical approach developed by Ernst M. Conradie, and by David G. Horrell, Cherryl Hunt, and Christopher Southgate, to understanding the eschatological visions of the New Testament in relation to the environment, taking into particular account South Korea’s environmental situation and the traditions of biblical interpretation in the Korean Protestant Church. Chapter 1 illustrates the history of Korean Christianity, the contribution of western missionaries to Korea, and how the early Korean Christian leaders shaped Korean Protestantism. Chapter 2 then explicates the Premillennial Dispensationalism of western missionaries to Korea and the embracing of this doctrine by the Korean mainline Church. Moreover, this chapter unveils the Korean mainline Church’s inherited understanding of the eschatological vision of the New Testament through certain theological orientations, especially Premillennial Dispensationalism, as propagated by early western missionaries and early Korean Christian leaders. This particular interpretation of New Testament eschatology played a pivotal role not only in focusing on certain doctrinal constructs such as the total destruction of the earth, rapture, and individual salvation but also in shaping the negative viewpoint of the Korean Christian towards nature. Chapters 3 and 4 show the understanding by Korean mainline churches of the eschatological visions of the New Testament by examining the interpretation of key texts for this tradition, 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and Rev. 6-16, through the lens of these doctrinal constructs - rapture, individual salvation and the total destruction of the earth. In addition, these two chapters introduce alternative readings of these texts to challenge this tradition of interpretation. Chapters 5 and 6 turn instead to two texts which may stand at the centre of an ecologically reconfigured interpretation of New Testament eschatology. Chapter 5 interprets Rom. 8:19-23 through ecological doctrinal constructs for developing a rereading of the eschatological visions of the New Testament, with emphasis on the doctrinal constructs of future hope for creation and its liberation and restoration. Furthermore, this chapter provides an eco-ethical model for Christian believers – the kenotic ethic which is based on Christ’s reconciling and liberating ministry towards people and the rest of creation. Chapter 6 analyses the New Jerusalem vision in Rev. 21:1-22:7 in order to show the potentially positive eco-implications of New Testament eschatology, such as salvific economy of the New Jerusalem, the slaughtered Lamb, and the Tree of Life. The vision may be suggested to be one which stresses the connections between humanity, God and the earth, rather than one in which select humans are raptured from the earth. In addition, this chapter proposes ecological ethics through the image of the slaughtered Lamb which implies Christ’s self-sacrifice for the earth and its residents. Overall, the thesis seeks to challenge the dominant influence of premillennial Dispensationalist interpretation of New Testament eschatology in Korean Protestantism, and to open up the possibilities for a more ecologically positive engagement with the New Testament and its eschatological visions, that may hopefully encourage more environmental concern on the part of these Korean Christians. 2 ACKNOWLEGEMENTS I appreciate all who contributed to the completion of this thesis. First of all, I give thanks to God for the ability to do the work. I am so grateful to the community in the Theology and Religion department at the University of Exeter for their gracious support. I am deeply thankful to my supervisors, professors David Horrell and Christopher Southgate, who encouraged and directed me. It is with their supervision that this thesis came into existence, and the challenges they put before me brought this work to its completion. For any faults I take full responsibility. I want it to be noted that all Korean- English translation used in this thesis is mine. I would also like to thank Rachel Addison for copy-editing and proof-reading my thesis. I extend a huge debt of gratitude to my fellow students who have been challenging and productive critics – particular thanks go to Scott Yip and Hayoung Kim. I am also so thankful to my family, including my father and mother in law, who have supported and encouraged me throughout the time of my research. I am especially thankful to my lovely wife and daughter. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE/DECLARATION…………………………………………………….……….1 ABSTRACT……………….…………………………………………………………………2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………….………3 TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………….4 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………..323 INTRODUCTION………………..……………………………………………….…………12 0.1. Background of the Thesis: The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, and the Korean Churches’ Responses…………………………………….…..12 0.2. Thesis Purpose and Aims: Rethinking Interpretations of the New Testament Eschatological Texts…………………………………………...……18 0.3. A Brief History of the Research………………………………………………….27 0.3.1. The Two Reading Strategies of the Bible: Reading of resistance of Ecological Agenda or Reading of Recovery of Ecological Wisdom in the Bible…………………………………………………………………………………...28 0.4 Methodology………………..…………..…………………………………………..34 0.4.1. Uncertainty and Ambivalence of the Biblical Texts………………........….34 0.4.2. The Importance of Context in Interpreting the Bible……………..........…35 4 0.4.3. The Current Ecological Context in the World…………………..........……36 0.4.4. Ernst M. Conradie, David G. Horrell, Cherryl Hunt and Christopher Southgate’s Hermeneutical Approaches…………………………………...……..37 0.5. The Thesis Design……………………………………………………………..51 CHAPTER 1: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SPREAD OF PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY IN KOREA……………………………………...…………………………54 1.1. A Short History of Christianity in Korea from 1770s to 2000s………………………………………………………………………………….55 1.1.1. Catholicism in Korea (1770 1884)…………………..……………………..55 1.1.2. Commencement and Settlement of Korean Protestantism (1884 – 1910)…………………………………………………………………………………..57 1.1.3. Korean Protestantism under Japanese Colonialism (1910 1945)……..60 1.1.4. The Correlation Between Capitalism in South Korea and the Explosive Growth of Christianity………………………………….…………………………….63 1.1.5. The Korean War and the Dissolution of the Korean Protestant Church (1945-1960)…………………………………………………………………………..66 1.1.6. A Steep Growth in both the Korean Protestant Church and Economic Development (1960s-1990s)…………………………………….…………………69 1.1.7. A Period of Stagnation and Decline in Christian Membership (1990s to Today)…………………………………………………………………………………72 1.2. Contribution of the Western Missionaries to Korea in the Fields of Education and National Health…………….…………………………………………….74 1.2.1. Medical Activities……………………………………………….…………….74 1.2.2. Educational Activities……………………………………..………………....75 5 CHAPTER 2: ESCHATOLOGY, PREMILLENNIAL DISPENSATIONALISM, AND ITS INFLUENCE ON PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY IN KOREA…………………………81 2.1. Eschatology of the late 19th Century in America and its Influence on Western Missionaries to Korea……………………………………………………………………..81 2.1.1. Premillennialism (Historical Premillennialism and Premillennial Dispensationalism), Postmillennialism, Amillennialism, and Dispensationalism…………………………………………………………………..81 2.1.2. The Theological Background of the Early Western Missionaries to Korea………………………………………………………….................................87 2.2 . A Brief History of the Dissemination of Premillennial Dispensationalism among Korean Christians through the Early Western Missionaries to Korea……………………………………………………………………………………..91 2.1.1. A Brief History of Premillennial Dispensationalism……………………….91 2.2.2. Premillennial Dispensationalism: The Theology of the Early American Missionaries to Korea……………………………………………………………….92 2.2.2.1. Literal Interpretation of the Bible………………………………….93 2.2.2.2. The Second Coming of Christ in Premillennial Dispensationalism……………………………………………………………95 2.2.2.3. Dispensational Concept of Israel and the Church………………96 2.2.2.4.The Influence of the Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary……………………………………………………………………...97 2.3. The Influence of the Early Korean Christian Leaders………………………...107 2.3.1. Seon-Ju Gil (1869-1935)…………………………………………………...107 2.3.2. Ik-Du Kim (1874-1950)……………………………………………………..109 2.3.3. Orientation of Eschatology of the Korean Protestant Church after Liberation from Japanese’s Occupation (1945 – present day)………………..111 6 2.4. Ecological Shortcomings of Premillennial Dispensationalism……………..116 2.4.1. A Pessimistic Attitude about the Future…………………………………..116 2.4.2. The Rapture (Eco-unfriendly Eschatology)……………………………....118 2.4.3. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..119 CHAPTER 3: ESCHATOLOGICAL VISIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT THROUGH THE HERMENEUTICS OF
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