Seung-Tae Kim's counter-argument against my article “Re-evaluation of the Suffered Pastors of Soonchun Presbytery” made some helpful points. However, it reflected problems in Kim's interpretation of ecclesiastical events and in a documental approach to church history. Firstly, Kim denies that he identified the suffered pastors of Soonchun Presbytery with the Anti-Shinto Shrine Movement. But many pieces of evidence prove that he did so. Secondly, Kim disparages the Anti-Shinto Shrine Movement and highly respects the suffered pastors of Soonchun Presbytery. He interpreted the Anti-Shinto Shrine Movement as a separatistic, anti-church movement that existed outside the church. According to the Reformed view of the church, the movement was an act of faith to uphold the unity and sanctity of the church. Thirdly, Kim's works are inconsistent in interpreting Yong-Hui Park's theology. In one of his articles, he evaluated Park's theology as an acute Christian explanation, but in another paper he regards it as a fabrication of the Japanese colonial regime. Consequently, Kim's argument shows a lack of understanding the epistemological nature of history and the hermeneutical condition of himself as an historian. The Christian church is believed to be the body of Jesus Christ, and it is a confessional community. All ecclesiastical events have some sort of theological implications. To have a balanced and integrated evaluation, ecclesiastical history needs to be interpreted in light of the normative rules of the church: the Bible, a sound theology, and church politics.

Seung-Tae Kim's counter-argument against my article “Re-evaluation of the Suffered Pastors of Soonchun Presbytery” made some helpful points. However, it reflected problems in Kim's interpretation of ecclesiastical events and in a documental approach to church history. Firstly, Kim denies that he identified the suffered pastors of Soonchun Presbytery with the Anti-Shinto Shrine Movement. But many pieces of evidence prove that he did so. Secondly, Kim disparages the Anti-Shinto Shrine Movement and highly respects the suffered pastors of Soonchun Presbytery. He interpreted the Anti-Shinto Shrine Movement as a separatistic, anti-church movement that existed outside the church. According to the Reformed view of the church, the movement was an act of faith to uphold the unity and sanctity of the church. Thirdly, Kim's works are inconsistent in interpreting Yong-Hui Park's theology. In one of his articles, he evaluated Park's theology as an acute Christian explanation, but in another paper he regards it as a fabrication of the Japanese colonial regime. Consequently, Kim's argument shows a lack of understanding the epistemological nature of history and the hermeneutical condition of himself as an historian. The Christian church is believed to be the body of Jesus Christ, and it is a confessional community. All ecclesiastical events have some sort of theological implications. To have a balanced and integrated evaluation, ecclesiastical history needs to be interpreted in light of the normative rules of the church: the Bible, a sound theology, and church politics.

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suffering pastors of Soonchun Presbytery, Anti-Shinto Shrine Worship Movement, Yang-Won Son, Kosin group, Yong-Hui Park, nature of history, hermeneutical conditions, documental approach to church history, utopia of Positivism