본 논문의 목적은 해방 이후 38선 분단 상황에서 북한 지역 감리교회를 위한 신학교로 평양에 설립되어 1946년부터 1950년까지 5년간 존속하였던 성화신학교의 역사를 개괄적으로 살펴보려는 데 있다. 감리교회의 교리적 특색인 ‘성화’를 차용한 성화신학교는 1946년 6월 평양 수옥리에 성화여학교의 교장인 배덕영의 주도하에 태동하였는데, 처음 학제는 예과와 본과였다. 이듬해인 1947년 개최한 기독교조선감리회 서부연회에서 “남북통일이 될 때까지”라는 조건하에 서부연회의 잠정적인 신학교로 인준 받은 직후 성화신학교의 학제는 야간부와 고등성경학과(약칭 고성과)가 추가로 설치되었다. 학제가 추가되면서 성화신학교는 사회주의 정권이 들어선 북한 지역에서 반공적인 신학교로서의 역할을 확연하게 수행하였다. 특히 고성과는 공산주의 교육, 유물주의 교육을 싫어한 가운데 퇴학을 당하거나 자퇴한 18세 이하 학생들에게 배움의 길, 진학의 길을 열어주기 위해 설치한 부설 학과였다. 그런고로 이 학과에는 교파를 초월하여 반공 신앙을 지닌 학생들이 대거 몰려왔다. 이러한 학생들 때문에 성화신학교는 교파신학교였으나 초교파적인 신학교로 자리매김하였다. 이처럼 반공적인 정치적 성격을 지닌 성화신학교는 1948년 9월 9일 조선민주주의인민공화국이 수립된 이후 북한 사회주의 정권으로부터 제한과 탄압을 넘어 말살을 향한 수난을 당하였다. 1949년 12월 16일 성화신학교의 교장인 배덕영의 납치로부터 본격화된 성화신학교에 대한 수난은 성화신학교를 폐쇄하고 몰수하는 등 일사천리로 진행된 가운데 결국 성화신학교의 이사장인 송정근이 평양신학교와의 합병에 서명하는 것으로 마무리되었다. 서명이 이루어진 직후인 1950년 2월 성화신학교는 졸업장이 없는 제2회 졸업식을 마지막으로 역사의 뒤안길로 사라져 단명한 신학교가 되었다. 두 신학교를 강제 합병하여 북조선기독교도연맹이 설립하고 운영한 조선기독교신학교, 일명 ‘김일성신학교’도 6·25전쟁이 발발한 직후인 1950년 7월 폐교를 당하며 신학교육의 종식을 고하였다. 한편, 월남한 성화신학교 교수와 학생들은 다양한 교파에서 활동한 가운데 ‘평양 성화신학교 동문회’를 조직하여 끈끈한 결속력을 현재까지 수십년 동안 유지하고 있다. 특히 기독교대한감리회에서는 성화신학교 동문들이 성화신학교의 이름을 차용한 ‘성화파’라는 정치 서클을 조직하여 강한 존재감을 드러내며 1960년대부터 1970년대까지 한국 감리교회 정치 지형의 한 축을 담당하기도 하였다.

The goal of this thesis is briefly to examine the history of Sunghwa Theological seminary, which had lasted for 5 years between 1946 and 1950 after it was established in Pyeongyang as a Theological seminary for the Methodist church in the side of North Korea, which was a north part of divided Korean peninsular by 38th parallel after 8·15 Liberation Day. Sunghwa Theological seminary that borrowed “sanctification” which was characteristic of Methodist Church was begun by Mr. Bae Deok-Young who was a principal of Sunghwa Women's School at Suok-ri, Pyeongyang on June 1946, And this Theological seminary had a Preparatory Department and Regular Department as its first educational system. A year later, right after Sunghwa Theological seminary was approved as a provisional Theological seminary of the West Annual Conference during the West Annual Conference of Korea Methodist Church, which was held in 1947, under the condition saying, “until the North and the South will be unified,” the educational system of Sunghwa Theological seminary began to have additional courses such as Evening Department and High Bible Department(which is commonly called HBD for short). As the new departments in the educational system were added, Sunghwa Theological seminary performed a distinctive role as an anti-communism Theological seminary in North Korea which had a socialistic government. Especially, High Bible Department was an auxiliary study program to open doors for more learning and advanced school for those students under age 18, who were dismissed from the school or dropped out of the school because they disliked the education for communism and materialism. therefore, many anti-communist Christian students of all denominations attended lectures at this department of Sunghwa Theological seminary in big groups. Because of these students, although Sunghwa Theological seminary was a school of Methodist Church, this Theological seminary had become an inter-denominational school. Like this, Sunghwa Theological seminary which had politics of anti- communism had suffered from the threat in which the communist government of North Korea tried to destroy the school, and which went beyond a simple restriction and persecution after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) was established on September 9, 1948. The persecution against Sunghwa Theological seminary, which had become serious by taking the principal of Sunghwa Theological seminary, Mr. Bae Deok-Young away forcibly on December 16, 1949, was finally ended when the North Korea communist government completed the merge with great speed by closing and confiscating the Sunghwa Theological seminary after the chief director of Sunghwa Theological seminary, Mr. Song Jeonggeun signed to merge into Pyeongyang Theological seminary. On February 1950, right after the merge was signed, Sunghwa Theological seminary was closed and became a school which had a short history by disappearing into the mist of history with the second graduation ceremony that was the last graduation ceremony without diploma. Chosen Christian Theological seminary, which is called “Kim Il-Sung's Theological seminary”, which was established and operated by Christian Federation of North Korea after two Theological seminaries were forcibly merged by them was also closed on July, 1950 right after 6·25 Korean War, and there was no more theological education institute in North Korea. Meanwhile, professors and students who came from North Korea have maintained strong friendship for several decades until the present time by organizing a alumni association of “Pyeongyang Sunghwa Theological seminary” as they played active role in various denominations. Especially, in the Korean Methodist Church, the alumni of Sunghwa Theological seminary served Korean Methodist Church as one part of its political group between 1960s and 1970s as they revealed a strong presence by organizing a political group called "Sunghwa Group" which borrows the name of Sunghwa Theological seminary.

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Bae Deok-Young, 38th, Sunghwa Theological Seminary, Pyeongyang, West Annual Conference, Anti-Communism Theological Seminary, Pyeongyang Theological Seminary, Sunghwa Group