개신교 여성들의 활동연구

Abstract

"What should we do as women born in Korea who are the Christians?" This study aims for groping of upright vision and practice toward an activity and role demanded to a Christian woman in relation with history. To do so, it looks for a clue as investigating activities of Protestant women under Japanese imperialism that is appraised to enlarge the boundary of the woman history by subjective religious activity in history of Korean Christianity. Women of Protestantism transmission early stage were together with grief of the nation, and they became not only a guidepost of devotion to country and people, but a forerunner of social reformation. They took off a restraint of a patriarchal social structure that was an eternal tradition of Chosen and fought bravely at the forefront of a liberation campaign of the country making people aware of. By that, Christianity was not concerned simply as a theory or consciousness for mental training of seeking after truth, showing a powerful energy that led a changing and reformation, also proving that the Christian Gospel is a torchlight of freedom to make repressed and neglected people live, and it is the great inheritance of the human equality and dignify. Women having self-consciousness through the Christian Gospel found their work in the historical situation of the country occupied by Japan and dedicated to the independence of the country with patriotism based on religious passion. Therefore, investigating how civilized Christian women led an active life and how they participated in the history with what kind of feature under colonization, presents a chance to appeal of what a given duty is and what a historical call is to Christian women living today. This study, focusing on understanding an activity of the general Christian women whose background is main events and campaigns of the colony and a stream of it than special individuals, considers a significance of the woman history and an objective matter about on what a changing and a role are caused by establishing a sense of values of the Christianity to women in the church and in the society. The range of this study consists of three parts which are divided into a situation of women about the introduction of Protestantism, church activities of the women under Japanese imperialism and their social activities. In chapter II, this study looks into a side of an education for women and the extension of women's rights if they who had lost theirselves throughout the politics, society, education and performing memorial services within a social structure of patriarchal discrimination of sexes were civilized and enhanced in lives through a progress of accepting Christianity comparing women's situation after the introduction of Protestantism with them before the introduction of Protestantism. Chosen's women, exacted obedience and serve within the Patriarchal tradition that even restricted outing, stepped on the outside world recovering silence of hundreds of years with the introduction of Protectionism. The Christian Gospel gave them light of truth that linked to the self-consciousness looking for their position by themselves. Especially, they realized an education as the commencement for fulfilling the right of the equality of sexes and reasonable status in society as human being, so they positively participated in development of capability and the extension of women's rights through the education. The belief at the early of missionary work was a firm selection and determination over the cultivation of character or mental training towards a new life neglecting any severely disadvantage and pressure. In chapter III, this study investigates an church activities of Protestant women before regaining its independence to find out the origin of women service that was the motive power of reconstruction and development of Korean church, as well as it is concerned in bible women playing a pivotal role in church activities and in organical activities of lay women. Women selecting being a bible woman, a special type of life, became a signpost presenting the self-consciousness and a challenge for civilization and work outside as establishing the tradition of women enlighten by teaching keeping good health, sanitation, Korean, wedding, abstinence from drinking and smoking, breaking down a superstition, home education and an abuse of early wedding through a Bible class, a night school and a short course. Also, community of church women played an active role in reconstruction and development of the church contributing directly or indirectly to opening of the church, missionary of region and organizing independent missionary bodies. In chapter IV, this study examines how Protestant women responded to gloomy reality of loss of sovereign rights and contributed to create a new history through their activities, such as a campaign for reparation of a national debt, Independence Movement of Korea, Campaign for a farm village and visiting to a shrine. They who got out of an illiteracy and became a new intellectual through the education had a widened eyes to grasp the reality of the suffered nation and dealt susceptibly with a duty of the time. On the one hand, they exalted autonomy independence organizing various bodies during the campaign for reparation of a national debt to pay a loan of Japan, on the other hand they led the Independence Movement of Korea as main member at essential part with systematic preparation and contribution. Desire for national salvation like this revealed from a determination of martyrdom that fought fairly against a pressure of visiting to a shrine of Japan. Protestant women before regaining its independence(1885-1945 years) not only realized self-consciousness but could understand the nation in grief and suffering over an enclosure confined. In the world that changes quickly and variously, today's Protestant women are expected to continue making the Christian Gospel put into action with a keen eye of a prophet that grasps a stream and requirement of the time basing on an instruction of the ancestor.