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.

역사는 주어진 사료(史料)을 기술하는 것(history)으로는 충분하 지 않다. 왜냐하면 역사는 해석된 역사(Geschichte)일 때 진정한 역사 이기 때문이다. 초기기독교는 박해가 극심했음에도 불구하고 복음이 급속히 확산되었다. 그 이유를 유세비우스는 하나님의 계획에 따라 이루어진 것이라고 하였고, 그린은 확산의 저해요인을 들어 설명하였 다. 이와 반대로 페스틴저는 ‘인지적 부조화이론’을 들어 심한 박해가 도리어 열정적인 선교를 하게 했다고 보았고, 이를 수정한 게이저는 임박한 종말의 기대가 땅 끝까지 복음이 전파될 때까지로 대체되었고 하였다. 이에 비해 야코프 부르크하르트는 지금까지의 수용사(受容史) 중심의 선교역사에서 벗어나 전달자와의 관계에서 재해석함으로써 역사의 객관적 사실을 재구성하려고 하였다. 이를 초기기독교 확장사에 적용하면 복음의 확산에 기여한 흡인력으로서 내적요인과 추동력으로 서 외적요인으로 재해석할 수 있다. 흡입력으로서의 내적 요인은 선교 를 위한 신학, 순교자로서의 증인, 강력한 윤리적 공동체로서의 교회라 고 할 수 있고, 추동력으로서의 외적 요인은 세계를 통일하고 있었던 로마의 정치와 문화, 당시 문명이 서로 교차하는 세 개의 대륙이 서로 만나는 이스라엘의 지정학적 위치라고 할 수 있다.

This article aims to analyze the features of early christianity mission and mission tasks in Jeonju region. The mission in Jeonju started with the seven missionaries who were sent by the overseasmission department of the Southern Presbyterian Church of America(SPCA) in 1892. They arrived in Jemulpo in November 1892, and were assigned to Honam area. And they started their mission works in 1893. At that time, people in Jeonbuk were in the depths despair under the failure of Donghak revolution. In this dark period, people were lured to newlyemerged religions such as Jeungsangyo, Cheondogyo( Donghak), and Wonbuddhism. These religions were surprisingly originated in Jeonbuk area when the Buddhism and Confucianism were hopeless and became weak. So, the first feature of mission in Jeonju is that christianity started the mission work and approached to people as hope under this situation. Another feature of mission in Jeonju is that the triangle mission station which are based on the church, school and hospital was formed in Jeonjumission station. SPCA in 1893 purchased a house in Eunsongri, Jeonju for future purpose. This house became the place for worship later and gave birth to motherchurch( called as Seomoon church) in Honam. In 1902, Mattie B. Ingold and Mr. Harrison established Jeonju hospital on the mission site which is known to ‘Jesus’ hospital now. In 1899, missionary Harrison taught a few boys churcheducation on Sunday and he also started training 8 boys with his language teacher. From 1900, missionary Reynolds, the founder of ‘Shinheung’ school, started the regular curriculum at his house with his wife, Bolling. From April 24, 1900, Mattie Tate started training 12 girls churcheducation and regular curriculum twice a week at her house. This was the beginning of ‘Kijeon’ girls’ mission school. The third feature is that the activity of local layman missionaries were great. The early mission strategy of protestant in Korea adopted the ‘Nevius’ plan which are based on the ‘Three Self Principles’. This Nevius plan was very helpful to mission work by the layman at that time because there were absolutely short of leaders like pastor. Therefore, there are some mission tasks to solve for world mission in Jeonju region. First of all, churches in Jeonju region are to change their goals from expansion of each denomination to Missio Dei. In Missio Dei, the subject of mission is God, not the church. Also, the purpose of mission is the expansion of kingdom of God, not the church. And it is not the glory of church but the glory of God through His Son in Holy Spirit. Therefore the authentic mission is expanding the kingdom of God, not the church and setting the sovereignty of God firmly. Thus Missio Dei made the theological cofoundation between evangelical and ecumenical and opened up the interdenominational cooperation for world mission. Second, the mission needs to be shifted from the salvation of soul to holistic mission. The early christianity mission in Jeonju was the mission based on the social service with the church, school and hospital, but it was different from the Missio Dei which builds up the sovereignty of Christ. Early missionaries enlightened the people by education, evangelism, and bible distribution, and also they did medical work for aid and service. But it was a way for the salvation of soul, not today's holistic way. The holistic mission through social welfare is just to help the poor, to heal the wound, and to fill the poverty, and it is the anticipation about a new life, a new community and a freely world in the kingdom of God. The Missio Dei, which aims for the kingdom of God, should be the holistic mission. It should be changed from an individual salvation to a whole man salvation and social salvation. Third, It should be ecumenical mission with local people together. There was a surprising revival in the early Korean church but it was relatively slow in Jeonju which was assigned as the mission region to SPCA because it was the local culture of confucianism and rooted male domination and the antiecumenical theology of SPCA. Mattie Ingold who laid the foundation of Jesus hospital, is an example. Therefore, Mission plan has to be made in a most appropriate way to do the ecumenical cooperation among the ministers. Especially, the overseas Korean missionaries have reported that the biggest problem is the conflicts among themselves. It shows us how desperately urgent the ecumenical cooperation needs.