"Jesus of Korea is a fascinating book that tells us how Korea received a western Christ and made him Korean, undergirded by Confucian teaching in the 19th century. This book explores how missionaries planted seeds for robust church growth in the 20th century Korea. Jesus of Korea is captivating and poignant!”
Jesus of Korea: Savior of the People
In 2010, nearly 30 percent of South Koreans—a country with a Confucian tradition over one thousand years old—identify as Christian, the second largest percentage of Christians in an Asian nation. Korea boasts of having the largest church in the world; it also has the largest Presbyterian, Methodist, and Pentecostal churches in the world. Its vibrant spirituality, devout church life, and missionary zeal are well-known around the world; its number of missionaries—nearly twenty thousand—is second only to US churches.
How can we explain this religious revolution in modern Korea? Many people look to the 1970s and 1980s to find the cause of the rapid growth of Christianity in Korea. But to understand the real story behind the growth of the Korean church, we need to rediscover the story of the American missionary enterprises of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There, we will learn how the story of the “American Christ” came to Korea and gradually became a part of the Korean people’s story. After the missions, he is no longer the American Christ, but Jesus of Korea.
- Publisher Fortress Press
- Format Paperback
- ISBN 9781506406817
- eBook ISBN 9781506406824
- Dimensions 6 x 9
- Pages 192
- Publication Date April 1, 2016
Reviews
Review in The Christian Century
Endorsements
Andrew Sung Park | United Theological Seminary
"Jesus of Korea is a landmark study both in the history of Korean Christianity and the missionary movement in general. Paul Hyoshin Kim has done meticulous research and has produced a readable work. Indispensable reading for anyone interested in the remarkable growth of Christianity in Korea."
Sang Hyun Lee | emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary