Reformed Theology

Definition and Meaning

Reformed theology (Korean gaehyeokjuui, 改革主義; also called gaehyeok sinhak) refers to the theological tradition that continues the movement within the Reformation that began in Switzerland. The Korean term translates the English word "Reformed." The name distinguishes this tradition from the Lutheran tradition, which in the same period followed Martin Luther. Because of the great influence of John Calvin, the term is often used synonymously with Calvinism, but Reformed theology denotes a broader tradition that is not limited to Calvin alone.

Reformed theology has the following characteristics:

• It emphasizes the sovereignty of God (God's authority to govern all things).
• It holds Scripture to be the final standard for faith and life.
• It interprets the whole of Scripture through covenant theology.
• It accepts the doctrine of predestination.
• It places great importance on confessions of faith (official statements of belief formulated by the church), such as the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism.

It shares with other Protestant traditions the principles of the Reformation summarized in the five solas.

Historical Background

The tradition began with Zwingli in Zurich in the 1520s, was carried forward by Calvin in Geneva, and spread to Scotland and the Netherlands and among the English Puritans. In the seventeenth century, the Synod of Dort and the Westminster Assembly codified its doctrines. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck in the Netherlands, along with the theologians of Princeton Theological Seminary in the United States, carried the tradition forward and developed it further.

Reformed Theology in the Korean Church

Korean Presbyterianism received this tradition through Presbyterian missionaries from the United States, Australia, and Canada. Park Hyung-ryong and Park Yune-sun are known as figures who systematized conservative Reformed theology.

In Korea, the term "Reformed" is frequently used to define a denomination's identity. Denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin), the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong), and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) champion a "sound Reformed faith," and in this usage the term often also implies a conservative theology distinct from liberal theology. The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea also profess the Reformed tradition. However, these two denominations are more open to ecumenical activity and social engagement, so the emphasis given to the same word "Reformed" varies from denomination to denomination. Differing understandings of Reformed theology are cited as one of the factors behind the divisions within Korean Presbyterianism.

Some non-Presbyterian denominations take positions that differ from this tradition. The Korean Methodist Church, the Holiness churches, and the Full Gospel churches, under the influence of Wesleyan theology or Arminianism, place greater emphasis on the free response of human beings. Among Baptists, some streams follow Reformed theology and others do not.