A theological understanding of Christians social responsibility in the Korean church of the early colonial period

This dissertation addresses a theological understanding of social responsibility among Korean Christians as they faced Japanese colonialization. To understand the social responsibility of Korean Christians in the early Japanese colonial period, this project investigates the missionary work and how it works and supported social change. It also seeks to describe a lack of theological foundation in the Korean Church which emerged as a missionary church becomes an indigenous national church. In order to appreciate a Koreanized theology and ethics, Korean Christians have to understand social responsibility within a theological perspective, and then recognize the theological weaknesses of the early Korean Church and its ethics. Taking a theological perspective requires that Christians not only understand social action as it appropriates theology, but also that they rethink their social action within the perspective of Christian ethics.; In the modern history of Korea, Christianity would become a very important cultural factor. Social change was theologically driven because Christianity was presented as a higher and superior culture which included Western economics, politics, medicine, and education. Korean Christians formed a new social class. However, in a societally damaging action, these elite did not adapt Christianity to reflect Korean culture, but instead followed an Americanized form. As a result, Korean Christians did not create their own theology and ethics. This thesis will show how they alienation has retarded contemporary social ethics. It will also point the way in which a missionary church might become a culturally vibrant church of the Korean people as they formulate social ethics.