Ahn and Minjung Theology
Ahn Byungmu (1922-1996) studied sociology at Seoul National University. In 1946 Ahn established the Kidok Haksaeng-hoe [Christian Students Union] at his university and became its first President. During the Korean War he had an opportunity to read Ham's book, Korean History from a Biblical Perspective. Ahn was fascinated by Ham's view of Korean history, which saw the common people as the main theme of history, and related their experience to the Bible. From that time Ahn maintained close contact with Ham through various correspondence. In 1956, Ahn went to study abroad at Heidelberg University in West Germany and, influenced by Ham pursued "the historical Jesus rather than theology."
In 1963, Ham visited Ahn and they travelled for a month together throughout Scandinavia and Western Europe. During their travels Ahn urged Ham to react to Park's military coup. Eventually Ham cancelled his plans to visit India and Africa and returned to South Korea. Ham's involvement in the political reality of South Korea was vitally influenced by Ahn's "friendly persuasion", especially concerning the military coup in 1961. The fact that Ham was also influenced by Ahn is an indication of the closeness of their relationship and their mutual respect. During his interview with me, Ahn remembered Ham's attitude to the country's political situation at that time:
"Ham was too humble and modest, and never thought of himself as a country's leader, although his position meant he was remarkably influential in Korean society. Ham gave me the impression of being a kind of Moses in the wilderness. So I urged him rather strongly to return to Korea and mobilise a public assembly against the military junta. But again Ham doubted his ability to be a national leader and kept repeating, 'I am not a leader of Korea, how could I dare to be?'. However, when I persistently pushed him, and finally faced him with his country's disaster he wept. He could not even eat his meals. Then he returned to Korea immediately."
It was from this time that Ham's more direct socio-political involvement began, such as mobilising public rallies and demonstrations against Park's dictatorial measures. Later on, even Ham himself admitted that Ahn's urging from Germany constituted the main turning point for his socio-political participation and activism in South Korea.
In 1965 Ahn returned from Heidelberg University with his Doctors degree in Divinity (DD.), the first Korean to earn a Doctorate of Divinity from Germany. On his return to South Korea, Ahn established the non-denominational Han'guk Sinhak Yon'guso [Korean Theology Institute], through which he provided regular public lecture courses for students and the intelligentsia of Korea. He also started a monthly magazine, Hyonjon [Existence], and a quarterly magazine, Sinhak Sasang [Theology and Thoughts], acting as Chief editor of both. Ahn's interest in the historical and socio-political aspect of Christianity continued and through the above activities he was able to communicate his views, becoming the most influential figure in the progressive school of theological thought in Korea.
During the 1970s, Ahn also worked as one of the main editors of Ham's magazine the Ssial-ui Sori [Voice of the People], at the same time teaching theology at Han'guk Theological Seminary as a professor. In June 1975, when Park's regime became more oppressive, Ahn was expelled from his Seminary for his socio-political tendencies. In March 1976, Ahn, along with others, including Ham, was arrested for his participation in the political statement, the March First Declaration. Ahn was imprisoned for one year during which time he was physically beaten, becoming chronically ill.
It was during these difficult 1970s that Ahn produced the Minjung theology, or the Theology of the People. The two leading discourses on the theme of the Minjung theology were first published in 1975. These two are as follows: Suh Namdong's article, "Jesus, Church History and the Korean Church" in Kidokkyo Sasang [Christian Thought] magazine in the February edition, and Ahn Byungmu's paper, "Nation and Minjung Church" in Kidokkyo Sasang in the April edition. In this writing Ahn portrayed Jesus as one of the Minjung. Before the emergence of the Minjung theology, in January 1972, Ham had defined Jesus as Ssial. Minjung and Ssial both refer to the common people, and in this respect Ahn's view on the Minjung theology was influenced by Ham's view on Ssial. However, there are also differences between the Ssial and Minjung. Suh Namdong defined them as follows: "Ssial could refer to the more cosmological and ontological aspects of people. On the other hand, Minjung refers to the more political and sociological aspects of people". Therefore, Ahn can be said to have further developed Ham's idea of Jesus' relation to the common people.
The Minjung theology is the contextual theology of Korea's socio-economic and political situation during the 1970s. It witnessed the repressed and exploited life of the people at the hand of an unjust regime, and strove to listen to the cry of the people as if to the cry of God. Thus in Minjung theology, the common people (Minjung) are the subjects of its theology rather than Theos (God). Can one have a theology without Theos? The answer can be 'yes', if one believes in the immanent nature of Theos within the common people.
Ahn's development of the Minjung theology was also influenced by Ham's view of the social responsibility of a Christian and his pursuit of democracy. The Minjung theology has two essential concepts, the Minjung (the people, grassroots) and han (the feeling of unresolved bitterness). In Minjung theology the hope offered by God is a straight reply to the torment of the deprived people. The Minjung theology therefore placed emphasis on the rights of the common people, provided an ideological justification for dissident activities, and led to a shift towards a progressive ideology within the Korean church, which had been predominantly fundamental and evangelical.
During his interview with me, Ahn indicated that: "I found the Minjung when I was in prison. The Minjung were oppressed by an unjust regime, just as Jesus and the Jews were under the colonial Roman Empire". Through the Minjung theology, Ahn highlighted the importance of Minjung as the subjects not only of the Bible, but also of history. Ahn emphasised the 'Theology of Events' with its continuities rather than the 'Theology of Words' with its credalism. We can see in Ahn's historical perspective on Jesus echoes of Ham's thinking, although Ham never systematised this thinking in an academic sense.
Through his Minjung theology, Ahn greatly influenced not only Korean society, but also Western theologies and human rights movements across the Third World. Notably in 1990 a German theologian, Andreas Hoffmann-Richter, at Heidelberg University wrote his doctoral thesis on Ahn Byungmu and Minjung theology. In 1992, the Han'gyore Newspaper reported on Ahn's theological achievements in world theology:
"Reading the Bible from below, from the point of view of the Minjung, rather than from above as is more common, from the point of view of the ruling power, Ahn Byungmu struck a path with his unique idea of examining Jesus as a historical rather than a purely religious figure. Ahn's Minjung theology has been established in regular lecture courses not only in European theology colleges but also in the United States."
An indication of the degree of the influence of Minjung theology and liberal Christianity within South Korea in the fact that the Park regime at times treated these dissidents as mediators during negotiation. For instance, in late 1977, KCIA director Kim Chaegyu (who shot and killed Park two years later), met Ahn, together with Rev. Pak Hyonggyu and Roman Catholic Bishop Chi Haksun, to disclose the plans of the Park regime to discharge political prisoners jailed under Presidential Emergency Measure 9, and to ask the co-operation of these Christian dissident leaders in drawing written assurances from the prisoners in exchange for their freedom.
From 1978 until 1983 Ahn worked as a regular lecturer for the Korean YMCA on the theme of 'An Invitation to the Bible'. In March 1980, Ahn was reinstated at Hansin University as a professor, but within three months, the second military coup meant he was once again expelled from the university and his magazine, Existence, was abolished.
In 1984, Ahn was once more reinstated at Hansin University as a professor and he taught there until his retirement in 1987, when he became an emeritus professor for that University. Ahn was also Head of the Han'guk Sinhak Yon'guso [Korean Theology Institute] until his retirement from the post in 1990. Although Ahn himself did not become a politician, his wife, Pak Youngsuk, was a Member of the National Assembly and a Senior Executive in the main opposition Party. Both have worked for democracy in Korea. Ahn passed away at Chungang University Hospital in Seoul on 19th October 1996, due to his chronic heart trouble.
In his interview with me, Ahn verified Ham's influence on his Minjung theology: "Due to Ham's influence, I extricated myself from the dogmatism of Christianity. Because of his Ssial philosophy, I gained the insight and inspiration of the Minjung theology. Ham's ideas continue to influence my ideas and the Minjung theology. Ham was a pioneer for people's Democracy in Korea." Ahn's remarks about Ham are very appropriate, considering that earlier in his life Ham had defined the role of Christianity as the liberation of the common people from their sufferings. As Ham's view had, Ahn's view also centred on the significance of Minjung (in Ham's term Ssial) in interpreting the Bible and the role the Minjung plays in world history as a 'loser'. Thus Ham provided the philosophical basis and inspiration for the Minjung theology and for Ahn's contribution to the democratisation movement. I consider Ahn to be a part of Ham's legacy in today's Korea.