일반적으로 한국기독교의 농촌계몽운동은 1920년대에 시작하여 1930년대에 소멸한 것으로 알려져 있다. 엄밀하게 말하자면 한국기독 교의 농촌계몽운동은 1920년대부터 1930년대까지 전성기를 경험한 것이 맞다. 하지만 이보다 앞서 농촌계몽운동에 관심을 가지고 나름의 역할들을 해온 두 인물이 있는데, 그 두 사람은 바로 윤치호와 로버트 알렉산더 하디 선교사이다. 본 논문에서는 같은 남감리회 소속이었던 윤치호와 하디 선교사가 농촌계몽운동에 관심을 갖게 된 시기와 이유, 그리고 구체적인 활동을 우선 살펴보고, 이들이 목표했던 농촌계몽운동 은 단순히 경제적인 발전만을 추구하는 것이 아니라 누구나 자신의 재능을 개발하고 더불어 행복한 삶을 살아갈 수 있도록 의식을 변화시키 는 하나의 사회변혁운동이었음을 고찰하고자 한다. 이를 통해 생명 경시, 자살률 증가, 인간 소외현상 등이 만연한 21세기의 대한민국에서 한국기독교(개신교)가 진정한 계몽운동의 주역으로 자리매김하는 데 이바지하기를 바란다.

This paper is to examine Yun Chi-ho’s public theology in terms of Diakonia mission. Though the separation of politics and church is emphasized in the public area, the religious view of politicians and public servants actually plays an important role of deciding political issues and transforming social life. As a case study, I explore the characteristics of Yun's Diakonia mission by analyzing his diaries. First, before his conversion to Christianity, Yun served as servant at the Ministry of Foreign Affair. He tried to reform society by introducing Western educational and medical system into Korea. His political exile helped himself to experience Western civilization in China and the USA. Under the new worldview of Christianity, Yun realized the importance of education for the future of Korea. Second, after his overseas study and visit to Europe, Yun became the leader of the Independence Club to reform Korean government from the absolute monarchy into a constitutional one. King Gojong dissolved the party and appointed Yun as a local government officer. He encouraged his people to organize the systematic resistance against the injustice of Japanese settlers in Wonsan. He criticized the unlawful deed of Catholic missionary and mad him recalled home. He believed that a Korean servant of Confucian government should act partially to religious issues and that a particular religion, even Christianity, must not have any absolute position in Korea. Third, Yun didn't overlook the racial and cultural arrogance of Western missionaries. His perspective of mission has been formed under the influence of other religions. He owed the corruption and impoverishment of Korea to the egoism and classism of Confucianism. Putting the gradual transformation over the sudden conversion, Yun argued that the motive of conversion should be based on the fear of God, not on the freedom from the oppression of corrupt officers. He proposed the new directions of Korean mission in the 20th century: ① the cooperation and union of churches for mission, ② the concentrated mission in Songdon, ③ the importance of vocational education, ④ the education of women, and ⑤ the contextual mission strategy. Fourth, Yun's Diakonia mission focused on the need of Korean people rather that that of missionaries. His pen name means “a serving old man”, who contributed to the formation and development of Christian education in Korea. Yun's visit to Hawaii also reminds us of his vision for the independence based on the moral and economic development. In conclusion, reflecting on the legacy of Yun Chi-ho, I suggest three viable agenda for the 21st century mission: ① Diakonia mission under lay leadership, ② the cooperation of churches and the dialogue among religions, and ③ the paradigm shift toward the solidarity between missionary churches and indigenous churches.

Yun Chi-ho(1865-1945) was the first Korean to study theology in the United States of America. After returning to Korea, he contributed largely to Korean independence movement and Christian higher education. This paper examines Yun’s thought on mission and education, claiming that Yun was a pioneering theologian of mission in paving a way to renewing the Christian education for life. He criticized the racially-distorted theological position of Western missionaries and changed the direction of mission from evangelism for conversion to transformation in individual life and social structure. As his diary shows, Yun’s early experience of the USA allowed him to recognize the racial prejudice of American missionaries toward indigenous people in mission fields. He argued that non-Christians should be treated as the same spiritual and intellectual beings as the missionaries. For him, Christian mission was a necessary step for widening the freedom of religion among non-Christians because it gave them more options to cultivate themselves both intellectually and morally. He believed that it was not human agents but God that was the ultimate subject of mission. His participation at the World’s Parliament of Religions strengthened his confidence in Christian mission. At the World Missionary Conference in 1910, Yun presented his ideas of mission to Western missionaries and theologians. According to him, Korean Christianity was Bible and common people centered. Pointing out three dangers(① the revival of Buddhism and Confucianism, ② the introduction of Western philosophy, and ③ the emphasis on sudden conversion), he put the principle of Christ over the first principle in the matter of financial planning and distribution decision. He believed that the self-determination of indigenous leaders through the cooperation with missionaries was more important than the needs of missionaries and their home churches. For Yun, Christian mission was deeply related to Christian education for life. He contended that Christian life was the life of faith and community open to culture and the world. In conclusion, Yun proposed a viable form of Korean Christianity which seemed to be more sympathetic to the hearts of Korean people and their culture in the early 20th century Korean context. His contemporaries, however, failed to recognize the importance of vision and strategy developed by Koreans themselves.

본 논문은 윤치호가 1885년부터 1888년까지 중국 상해에 머물며 남감리회 미션스쿨인 중서서원에서 수학하던 시기를 그 연구대상으로 삼아, 윤치호가 중서서원에서 받은 근대교육과 종교교육에 대해 살펴보면서, 미션스쿨이 윤치호의 개종에 미친 영향에 대해 고찰해 보는 것을 목표로 하였다. 이에 대해 본 논문은 첫째, 윤치호가 상해에서 수강한 과목들을 당시 중서 서원의 8년 학제에 포함된 교과목들과 비교하면서 윤치호가 그 중 3-6학년 도 과정을 수학한 것을 밝혔으며, 둘째, 중서서원의 종교교육을 검토하면서 중서서원은 세속학교가 아닌 전형적인 미션스쿨로서, 윤치호도 그가 받은 모든 수업에서 성경이 교재로 사용되었고 매일 두 차례씩 종교예식을 갖고 토요일에는 성경강독 수업을 받았음을 살펴보았다. 셋째, 선행연구에서와 달리 윤치호가 처음 예배당에 간 것은 1885년 2월 15일이 아닌 2월 8일이었으며 교회에 데려간 사람은 알렌이 아닌 로얄 선교사였음을 밝혔고, 이를 통해 윤치호가 중서서원에 입학한 직후부터 선교사들의 특별한 선교적 관심을 받았을 가능성이 컸음을 추론하였다. 결국, 윤치호는 윤리적 종교에 대한 개인적 관심 및 근대 사상에 대한 관심에서 스스로 기독교 에 접근하기에 앞서, 이미 미션스쿨의 종교적 학풍과 선교사들의 전략적 전도 과정을 통해 이미 기독교적 환경에 놓이게 되었던 것이었다.