In the 1930s, new theologians who studied abroad, due to Japan’s cultural policy of the 1920s, wanted to recognize the Bible and theology of their own subjective opinion, and get out of the fundamental conversation of theology of the early Western missionaries. It caused a debate between Conservative and Progressive theology in the early churches in Korea. Through the “Hypothesis of Moses Copyright negation” and “Problem of the Interpretation of Women’s Rights”, which were condemned issues by Presbyterians in 1934, and also the “Abingdon Bible Commentary Incident in 1935”; early Korean church leaders, pastors, and even missionaries, who were educated by Conservative western missionaries, judged the change of the new theologians’ view. Pastor Sun Joo Kil, a leader of the “Pyong Yang Revival Movement” which was initiated by Missionary Hady in 1907, held his Bible crusades, and his successful spiritual revival movement kept until 1910. After him, Pastor Ik Doo Kim started the Healing Crusade, as a new step of the spiritual revival movement in 1920. There was also another man who wanted to revive the Korean church, based on the contemporary churches. He tried to reform the churches, not to be conservative but to be focused on spiritual approaches. His name was pastor Yong Do Lee. Unfortunately, Pastor Yong Do Lee’s Shimuyan, works were only recorded for five years from 1928 to 1933. He died when he was only 33. In spite of his short life, the Korean Churches were influenced greatly and changed by him. He was also thought as an enthusiastic and mystic theologian, and also even a preacher who had the element of heresy. The main theme of this thesis focuses on the renewal missions of today's Korean Churches based on Pastor Yong Do Lee’s works for renovating them. This research guides and provides the material to find out a certain way to build up the revival of the Korean Churches’ growth and advance.

본고에서는 이용도의 시대인식과 조선적기독교를 연구하였다. 먼저 그의 시대인식을 파악하기 위해 그가 조선교회, 선교사 및 서구교회, 그리고 일본을 어떻게 인식하였는지를 고찰하였다. 또 이런 시대인식이 예수교회의 설립과는 어떻게 연결되는지를 살펴봄으로써 그의 조선적 기독교 운동의 특징이 무엇인지를 고찰하였다. 이용도는 조선교회의 정통주의적 주류 신앙에 만족하지 않았으며, 선교사 및 서구교회에 대해서도 비판적이었다. 그러나 그를 전형적인 반교회적, 반선교사적인 인물로는 평가할 수 없다. 그는 협성신학교를 입학한 후 정치적 민족주의를 포기하였다. 때문에 예수교회의 설립은 일본에 대한 민족주의적 동기가 내포되어 있었던 것은 아니다. 결론적으로 이용도가 예수교회를 설립한 이유는 조선교회의 신앙적 체질을 바꾸고자 한 그의 시도가 장로교회의 견해와 상충되었기 때문이다. 조선적 기독교 운동의 관점에서 예수교회는 서구교회로부터의 신학적, 경제적 독립보다는 신앙의 본질에 대한 견해 차이에서 발생하였다. 체험적이고 실천적인 신앙을 추구하였던 이용도 지지자들은 기성교회의 권위에 부딪히자 독자적인 교회의 설립으로 나아갔던 것이다.