본 글은 미국남장로교 한국선교회가 선교 초기(1902-1925)에 행한 한국인 전도부인 양성과 교육 정책을 연구한다. 한국선교회는 학생들의 다양한 사회적, 경제적 상황을 감안하여 4가지 형태 즉 4일 시골교회 사경회, 10일 선교부 성경반, 1달 성경학원, 2개월 선교회 성경학교를 운영하였다. 변화하는 1920년대 상황은 2년제 선교회성경 학교의 예비과정으로 2년제 초급여자성경학교를 1923년에 세우게 하였다. 한국선교회는 이 2개 학교의 학생들을 위하여 자조적 산업부를 만들어 학생들의 학업을 도왔고 재정적으로 지원하였다. 본 글은 이 연구를 위하여 주로 제1차 자료인 한국선교회의 연례회의록과 선교사 들의 선교보고를 분석하였다.

Christian Education and theological education in the secular age has to change their traditional framework. Theological Education which regards and addresses secularization as a negative phenomenon cannot properly serve the contemporary pluralistic society. The traditional understanding of both Christian Education and Theological Education is that they serve as the “light“ of world. The traditional position of theological education in the West is that education should serve as a light that brightens the dark world with the Christian spirit. Theology was considered the most superior discipline which lit the world from its ivory tower. There is the position of Christian and Theological Education as the “salt“ which purifies the secular things of the world as well as the secular aspects which have penetrated Christianity through the process of secularization. This is the position maintained by the school of fundamental Christian and Theological Education which is against secularization. The problem of this position is that, according to the dualistic world-view, the church is not willing to go into the world but attempts to purify the world and bring it into the church. Thus it does not complete the secularization of Jesus Christ who was incarnated to come and serve the world. As such, Christian Education and Theological Education has to play the role of “leaven“ in the world just as the Church has to be the leaven of the world. Education should be like leaven which spreads the Christian spirit and the Gospel by changing the world in the pluralistic fields of mission of the secular age. For this kind of education, Christian Education and Theological Education need to become concrete and practical to befit contemporary pluralism, and further to be changed into mission-oriented education. In this sense, I would like to propose the reform of Theological Education focusing on practical Biblical Theology, practical Church History, practical Systematic theology and missional Practical Theology.