초기 한국교회에 있어서 여성의 위치와 그 역할 = The Status and Role of Women in the Early Korean Church

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

According to Lillias Horton Underwood, the wife of the first Presbyterian missionary in Korea, Horace Grant Underwood (1859-1916), women in Korea were not pretty. This seemingly unimportant detail belies a more substantive reality: Korean women led difficult lives in that time.
At the end of the 19th century, Korean society was thoroughly a male-dominated patriarchal society. The unconditional obedience of wives to their husbands was a strong tradition, and there was no established concept of life in wider society for women. Abetting this culture were the early marriage system and the concubine system, which were both accepted customs at the time. These systems made women practically bound under the authority of their husbands. Furthermore, Korean women were excluded from education; as a result, their lives were marked by subservience as well as dependence on superstitions, including traditional religions, that further reinforced their status in society.
Within this context, Christianity became a light for these Korean women. The missionaries who came to Korea made it as important missionary task to bring liberation to the lives of Korean women. First, the missionaries utilized women in their mission, training them as missionaries, employing them as book sellers and “Bible Women”, and encouraging them to reach the “Anbang”, which was a space for women. Second, they gave names – and, therefore, a sense of identity – to Korean women. Third, they educated women practically, even so far as to increasing literacy through the teaching of Hangeul, the Korean written language.
As a result, Korean women had a huge impact in the early Korean church and wider society. They became “Bible Women” who preached the gospel, playing a leading role in the revival movement. They also played a key role in Korean society, becoming the midwives of the independence movement and a catalyst for women's rights. In addition, their ministry raised the role of education for women, brought about changes in the view of marriage and family, and promoted women's social activities.
The author argues that the present Korean church and Korean society owe a great debt to the early Korean Christian women and proposes four suggestions. First, churches should broaden the scope of women's ministries and activities. Second, churches should develop roles and ministries that only women are able to fulfill and do. Third, churches should develop specific ministry plans for the socially underprivileged. Lastly, the church must intervene more readily for the public good of Korean society.