Revision #17101
Reformed Theology
Localized for English-speaking readers
Status: approved
Changes from the previous English revision
= ## 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 refers to the theological tradition that continues the movement within the Reformation that began in Switzerland. 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 as a synonym for 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 emphasizes the sovereignty of God, that is, 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 places great importance on confessions of faith, the 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.
+ The tradition began with Zwingli in Zurich in the 1520s, was carried forward by Calvin in Geneva, and spread to Scotland, the Netherlands, and 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.
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- ## 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.
+ ## Reformed Theology in Korean Churches
+ Presbyterianism in Korea 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.
=
- 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.
+ In Korean Protestantism, the term "Reformed" is frequently used to declare 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. These two denominations, however, are more open to ecumenical activity and social engagement, so the emphasis given to the same word "Reformed" varies from one denomination to another. 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.
+ Some non-Presbyterian denominations in Korea 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 Korean Baptists, some streams follow Reformed theology and others do not.
Reformed theology is a Protestant theological tradition that continues the line of Zwingli, Calvin, and others within the sixteenth-century Reformation. It emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the authority of Scripture, and in Korea it is represented chiefly by the Presbyterian churches.
Reformed theology is a Protestant theological tradition that continues the line of Zwingli, Calvin, and others within the sixteenth-century Reformation. It emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the authority of Scripture. In Korea, it is represented chiefly by the Presbyterian churches.
Full revision
Reformed theology is a Protestant theological tradition that continues the line of Zwingli, Calvin, and others within the sixteenth-century Reformation. It emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the authority of Scripture. In Korea, it is represented chiefly by the Presbyterian churches.
Definition and Meaning
Reformed theology refers to the theological tradition that continues the movement within the Reformation that began in Switzerland. 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 as a synonym for 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, that is, 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, the 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, the Netherlands, and 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 Korean Churches
Presbyterianism in Korea 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.
In Korean Protestantism, the term "Reformed" is frequently used to declare 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. These two denominations, however, are more open to ecumenical activity and social engagement, so the emphasis given to the same word "Reformed" varies from one denomination to another. Differing understandings of Reformed theology are cited as one of the factors behind the divisions within Korean Presbyterianism.
Some non-Presbyterian denominations in Korea 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 Korean Baptists, some streams follow Reformed theology and others do not.