Contextual Hope in Korean Pentecostalism's Threefold Blessing
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CONTEXTUAL HOPE IN KOREAN PENTECOSTALISM’S THREEFOLD BLESSING By SANG YUN LEE A Thesis Submitted to The University of Birmingham For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham April 2013 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis discusses the Threefold Blessing: salvation, financial prosperity, and healing as a contextual hope in the Korean Pentecostal context. Ironically, hope always begins in hopeless situations and it will not function as a hope unless it is renewed in the new context. No one hopes for the hope that already has been achieved. As hope is contradictory to current difficulties, it can be hope to those who are suffering from the current lack, deficiency and hardship. The Threefold Blessing was the most urgent and eager hope for desperate Koreans in the post Korean context. As the Threefold Blessing was contradictory to the socio-economic and political situations of Korea after the War, it could be hope to Koreans. In fact, the Threefold Blessing successfully contextualized into the Korean context and has deeply lodged into Korean Pentecostals’ life. However, as today’s Korean contexts changed, it is questionable if the Threefold Blessing can continuously give hope to contemporary Koreans. Thus, the Threefold Blessing has to be reinterpreted and recontextualized into today’s Korean Pentecostal context theologically. If the old Threefold Blessing emphasized spiritual, physical and prosperous life of individuals, the new Threefold Blessing has to be understood in wider theological perspectives, including social and ecological matters. Throughout this thesis, I will review the contextualization of the Threefold Blessing in the Korean context as a Pentecostal hope and suggest the ways of its recontextualization for present and future Korean Pentecostals with theological interaction with Jürgen Moltmann’s theology of hope. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned." Isaiah 50:4 (NKJV) This was the prayer I read every early morning and at night throughout my course of writing this thesis. I give thanks and glory to God who heard my prayers and strengthened me to complete my PhD studies. This study would not have been achieved without the consistent support and guidance of my supervisor, Professor Allan Anderson. My special thanks goes to him. I am grateful to all teaching faculty members of the Theology department at the University of Birmingham especially to Dr. Andrew Davies who helped me during the first year of my study. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Wonsuk Ma, Dr. Julie Ma, and Dr. Sangin Han for their continuous encouragement and words of wisdom during my stay in England. I am very appreciative of all research participants including Sean Huh who voluntarily offered their time to be in this study, especially Dr. Moltann, Dr. Synan, Dr. Young, and Dr. Young Hoon Lee for their interviews. I am also indebted to the following people and churches for their financial assistance. Because of them, I was able to continue my study. The Yoido Full Gospel Church, Dongbu Full Gospel Church, Rev. Soonyeol Seo, Rev. Wookeun Kang, Rev. Jaeman Park, Deacon Kwangho Choo, and Deacon Youngsam Park. Lastly, I cannot thank my wonderful wife Sarah Nayung enough for her patience for going through so many journeys and adventures with me even in the midst of her own studies as well. My love also goes to my sweet children Teresa, Chara, and Christopher. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …….. ............................................................................... .. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... iii TABLES ....................................................................................................................... vi ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... vii GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................. ix INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 1. The Background and Aim of the Research..................................................... 1 2. Previous Research ........................................................................................ 9 3. Research Questions..................................................................................... 12 4. Research Strategies and Methodology ........................................................ 13 4. 1. Qualitative Approach: Archives, Interviews, Documents, and Publications ...................................................................................... 14 5. Structure of the Thesis ............................................................................... 19 6. Linguistic Use ……... ................................................................................. 23 7. Singnificance of the Study ......................................................................... 24 8. Limitations of the Study.............................................................................. 27 CHAPTER 1 THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF KOREAN PENTECOSTALISM .......................................................................... 30 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 30 2. Historical Overview of Christianity in Korea .............................................. 32 3. The Use of Hangŭl .................................................................................... 41 4. The Birth of Korean Pentecostalism .. ......................................................... 47 4. 1. Wonsan Revival (1903) ...................................................................... 49 4. 2. Pyongyang Revival (1907) ................................................................. 54 4. 3. Analysis of the Korean Pentecostal Revivals ...................................... 59 4. 4. The Contextualization of Korean Pentecostalism under Japanese Rule ..................................................................................... 68 5. Early Pentecostals and the Quickening of Pentecostal Hope ........................ 71 5. 1. Seon Ju Gil (1869-1935) and Hope for Eternal Life ............................ 71 5. 2. Ig Doo Kim (1894-1950) and Divine Healing ..................................... 73 5. 3. Yong Do Lee (1901-1933) and the Baptism in the Spirit ..................... 76 6. Establishment of Korean Pentecostalism ..................................................... 79 6. 1. Arrival of Pentecostal Missionaries .................................................... 79 6. 2. Korean Pentecostal Churches and Leaders .......................................... 81 6. 3. Conflicts ………… ............................................................................ 86 6. 4. Persecutions ....................................................................................... 89 7. Conclusion ………..……. .......................................................................... 91 v CHAPTER 2 THE CONTEXTUALIZATION OF PENTECOSTALISM IN KOREA ........................................................................................................................ 93 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 93 2. Hananim, the name of God for Korean Christians ....................................... 94 2. 1. Who is Hananim? ............................................................................... 95 2. 2. Joeushin Hananim (Good God), the God of Korean Pentecostals ....................................................................................... 99 3. The People of Korean Pentecostalism ....................................................... 105 3. 1. ὄχλος (ochlos) and λαός (laos) .......................................................... 106 3. 2. Han and Korean Pentecostalism ....................................................... 111 3. 2. 1. The Weary and Burdened ........................................................ 115 3. 2. 2. An Eagerness for the Holy Spirit .............................................. 118 4. Korean Shamanism and Pentecostalism .................................................... 123 4. 1. Pentecostal Practices and Shamanism ............................................... 125 4. 2. Ki-Bock-Shin-Ang [Belief to have blessings through faith and religious practices]..........................................................................