Chongshin University

Overview

Chongshin University is a theological university operated by the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong). It maintains a graduate school of theology that trains ministers for the denomination. Theologically, it follows Reformed theology (Presbyterian theology in the tradition of John Calvin) and takes the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Dutch Reformed theological tradition as its foundation. Its founding ideals are expressed in the motto "Be a believer, be a scholar, be a saint, be an evangelist, be a shepherd." It is regarded as a leading institution of conservative Presbyterian theological education in Korea.

Founding and History

• Pyongyang period: By resolution of the Council of the Presbyterian Church in Chosun, the school opened as the Chosun Presbyterian Theological Seminary on May 15, 1901, in the home of missionary Samuel Moffett (Korean name Ma Po-sam-yeol), beside the Taedong Gate in Pyongyang. Its first students are said to have been two men, Bang Gi-chang and Kim Jong-seop, both elders of Jangdaehyeon Church. In 1908 the school moved into a building in Hasugu-ri, Pyongyang, constructed with a donation from Mrs. McCormick of the United States. In March 1918 it launched the scholarly journal Shinhak Jinam (The Theological Guide). The school closed in 1938 after refusing to take part in Shinto shrine worship, although some studies date its official closure to 1940.
• Reestablishment and division: After Korea's liberation, by resolution of the 35th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in May 1948, the school reopened on Namsan in Seoul as the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, with Park Hyung-nong as president. This reestablishment is understood to have been led by conservatives concerned about the theological direction of the Chosun Theological Seminary (today's Hanshin University). In September 1951 the school was renamed the General Assembly Theological Seminary and moved to Daegu. When the Presbyterian Church split into the HapDong and Tonghap branches in 1959, the seminary was likewise divided, and the HapDong side continued the General Assembly Theological Seminary (see Division of the Korean Presbyterian Church).
• University status: In the 1960s the school moved to Sadang-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. In 1969 it received authorization to establish a four-year college, and it later changed its name to Chongshin University. In 2013 the name of its educational foundation was changed to "Educational Foundation of the Presbyterian Church in Korea Chongshin University." The school marked the 120th anniversary of its founding in 2021 and its 125th anniversary in 2026.

Principal Activities

• Through its undergraduate programs and graduate school of theology, it trains pastors, missionaries, and Christian educators. It operates the Sadang Campus and the Yangji Campus.
• It continues to publish Shinhak Jinam, first issued during the Pyongyang seminary era, and carries on research in Reformed theology.

Relationship with the Denomination

Chongshin University is closely tied to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong). Because a large share of the denomination's ministers are graduates of the school, its administration has been a major concern within the denomination.

Controversies and Assessments

Both Chongshin University and the Tonghap branch's Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary claim the 1901 Pyongyang seminary as their root. Some, however, argue that direct succession is difficult to recognize, because the Pyongyang seminary was completely dissolved during the Japanese colonial period and the schools established after liberation had different founding and governing bodies. The Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary states that it held the academic register (the roster of graduates) at the time of the 1959 split. When the presidents of the two schools met officially for the first time in the 65 years since the division, they exchanged materials: the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary presented a copy of the pre-division academic register, and Chongshin University presented the missing issues of Shinhak Jinam.