Kim, Jai-Jun

(b. 1901)

   Theologian and Denomination Founder.

   Kim is remembered as the first systematiser of Korean political theology. The early Protestant missionaries to Korea were strict fundamentalists and they had discouraged involvement in political activity. Despite this, Korean Christianity became a focus of radical protest against Japanese domination. Kim himself believed that the Christian scriptures must be interpreted politically and he inveighed against fundamentalism. In consequence he was expelled from the Korean Presbyterian Church and founded a new group known as the Kitokyo Presbyterian Church. He is thus seen as an anticipator of the Min- Jung theology which emerged in the 1970s. Min-Jung is the indigenous Korean theology which shares some of the characteristics of liberation theology in Latin America.

   S.H. Moffet, The Christians of Korea (1962);

   H.A. Rhodes, History of the Korean Mission: Presbyterian Church (1934).