Pyongyang Theological Seminary

Pyongyang Theological Seminary
Type	Seminary
Established	1901
Affiliation	Korean Christian Federation (KCF)
Location	Pyongyang, North Korea
	(1995)

The Pyongyang Theological Seminary (also known as Presbyterian Theological Seminary^[1] and Pyongyang Theological Academy^[2]) is a Protestant theological seminary in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It is ran by the government-controlled Korean Christian Federation (KCF).

Founded in 1901, it has historically been associated with Presbyterianism.

History

The Pyongyang Theological Seminary was founded in 1901 by Samuel Austin Moffett,^[3] the father of Samuel H. Moffett. Samuel Austin initially taught his students at home. He was its president until 1918 and a faculty member until 1935.^[1] The Seminary was the center of Korean Christianity of the early 20th century.^[4]

In 1905 it became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the United States.^[3]^[5] The first class graduated in 1907.^[6] Until 1940, it was the only seminary in Korea maintained by the Presbyterian Church.^[7]

By 1916 Moffett was in disagreement with a teacher in at the school, James Scarth Gale. Their differences concerning the quality of teaching, materials, and admission would develop into a schism between conservatives and liberals.^[8] Initially, the Seminary remained conservative and mission-oriented.^[9] In 1959 the seminary finally split due to the doctrinal differences into the conservative Chongshin University and the more moderate Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary.^[3]^[10]

The seminary was temporarily closed in 1938 following the Japanese occupation of Korea. The Japanese occupiers demanded Shinto practices that the Seminary could not agree to.^[11]

In 1972, the seminary was reopened and assumed by the government-controlled Protestant body Korean Christian Federation (KCF).^[12]^[13] The seminary ran under KCF until 1995 when it ran out of funds. In April 1999, the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) of South Korea offered to fund the seminary to secure the continuation of its operation. KMC bid $600,000 to provide funding for three years.^[13] It reopened in 2000,^[14] and a new building was completed in 2003.^[2]

Today, in addition to the KCF-affiliated seminary located in Pyongyang, two South Korean Presbyterian institutions trace their legacy to the original Pyongyang Theological Seminary: Chongshin University and the Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary.^[3]

Operation

It is ran by the KCF,^[15] which chooses its students and devises its curriculum. KMC, however, is consulted each semester. The seminary is located in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.^[13]

The seminary trains pastors and evangelists for the KCF.^[2]^[14] Before 1995, the seminary had produced some 60 graduates.^[13]

Attendees

Yi Seung-hoon^[16]
Hahn Sang-dong (1933-1936)^[17]

Graduates

Yoo Jae-kee (1932)^[18]

Kil Sun-joo^[6]
Chu Ki-chol;^[19]
Kang Ryang-uk^[13]
Kang Yong-sop, both presidents of KCF^[13]
Park Yune-sun (1934)^[20]
Song Yang-wong (1938)^[20]

Professors

Hyuk Namkung, first Korean Doctor of Divinity^[4] and first Korean professor at the seminary.^[21]
Park Hyng-nong, the second Korean professor at the Seminary^[21]

References

^ ^a ^b Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Moffett, Samuel Austin (1864-1939)". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Aid Group to Set Up Church in North Korea". sermonindex.net. 11 October 2004. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Chongshin University". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ ^a ^b Hallmark, Kara Kelley (2007). "Joshel Namkung (1919-), photography (Korea)". Encyclopedia of Asian American Artists: Artists of the American Mosaic. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-313-33451-1.
^ Kim, Sebastian C. H.; Kollontai, Pauline; Hoyland, Greg (2008). Peace and Reconciliation: In Search of Shared Identity. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-7546-6461-1.
^ ^a ^b Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Chu, Ki-chol (1897-1944)". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ Koreana Quarterly. International Research Centre. 1961. p. 123.
^ Cho 2010, p. 147.
^ Sunoo, Harold Hakwon (1976). Repressive State and Resisting Church: The Politics of CIA in South Korea. Korean American Cultural Association, CMC. p. 41.
^ Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ Journal of Korean Affairs. Research Institute on Korean Affairs. 1973. p. 8.
^ Religious and Theological Abstracts. Religious and Theologial Abstracts. 2004.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "North Korea's only seminary will be reopened with help from the South". Union of Catholic Asian News. 29 May 2000. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
^ ^a ^b "2012 International Religious Freedom Reports: Democratic People's Republic of Korea". U.S. Department of State. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
^ Do, Kyung-ok; Kim, Soon-am; Han, Dong-ho; Lee, Keum-soon; Hong, Min (2015). White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea 2015 (PDF). Seoul: Korea Institute for National Unification. p. 221. ISBN 978-89-8479-802-1.
^ Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Lee (Yi), Seung-hoon (1864-1930)". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Hahn Sang-dong (1901-1976)". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ Benedetto, Robert; Guder, Darrell L.; McKim, Donald K. (1999). "Yoo, Jae-kee (1907-1949)". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches. Vol. Lanham (1st ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 355. ISBN 978-0-8108-6629-4.
^ Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (2009). "Kil, Sun-joo (1869-1935)". Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches (2nd ed.). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9.
^ ^a ^b Cho 2010, p. 149.
^ ^a ^b Chu, Weon Yeol (2006). The Confucian Roots of Fundamentalist Ethos in the Korean Presbyterian Church. Edwin Mellen Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-7734-5738-6.

Works cited

Cho, Paul Hang-Sik (2010). Eschatology and Ecology: Experiences of the Korean Church. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. ISBN 978-1-870345-75-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)