A Study on The Old Testament Selections as Lectionary for High Church

This article analyzes the historical context surrounding the emergence of The Old Testament Selections, examines the characteristics of its translation, and traces its original intentions and theological significance. In particular, it seeks to explain why the earliest Korean translation of Genesis took the form of selected excerpts rather than a complete rendering, and how Bishop Corfe’s work was intertwined with the objectives of Protestant mission in Korea. In the nineteenth century, the Korean Peninsula stood at the center of intense international rivalry among imperial powers. On the one hand, it was a site of turmoil, fear, and political upheaval; on the other, it constituted fertile ground for the burgeoning hopes of Christian mission in Korea. Within this contested landscape, The Old Testament Selections emerged as the first fruit of the Korean Church’s engagement with the Old Testament. As Western missionaries awakened the long-dormant potential of Hangul, new cultural and religious vitality began to spread across the peninsula. Although presented in the outward form of the Korean vernacular, these efforts were fundamentally driven by the translation of Scripture and the spirit of the gospel, carried by missionaries who entered the country in devoted service to their calling. The “good news” that first took flight in Shenyang, China, was disseminated throughout Korea in the form of various Korean-language biblical texts, including The Old Testament Selections. Just as the Hebrew Scriptures had earlier been transmitted through koine Greek and Latin translations adapted to the languages of the people, these Korean translations likewise sought accessibility and wide circulation among the broader population. Within this broader movement, the Anglican publications Lumen ad Gentium Revelationem and The Old Testament Selections followed the tradition of vernacular transmission while simultaneously adopting a strategic orientation toward educated elites. This approach materialized in the publication of parallel editions pairing Classical Chinese with Hangul, thereby addressing both the literati and emerging vernacular readership. The Old Testament Selections and Lumen ad Gentium Revelationem thus constitute, in the first instance, distinctive assets of the Anglican Church of Korea, while also belonging to the shared heritage of Korean Christianity as a whole. Both translations were conceived as lectionary texts for a High Church tradition. In this respect, their character may be compared to the Targums, which historically supplemented Scripture with interpretive exposition, or to the Diatessaron, the second-century harmonized Gospel compilation. Their aim was not to provide a strictly philological or academic translation of the biblical originals, but rather to avoid confining Scripture to a purely literal sense while fulfilling the requirements of the first reading in a liturgical setting. In this process, the recognition of The Old Testament Selections as the earliest Korean translation of Genesis stands as an unintended yet significant byproduct of this broader ecclesial endeavor.