This finding aid is made available for public use following the Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons designation.
This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
This collection was assembled from records in the Missionary Research Library before its 1976 closure. These records were accessioned by the Burke Library at the time of the MRL's closure in 1976.
Christianity in Korea can be traced back for centuries, with Protestantism and Catholicism emerging as the two main sects of Christianity in Korea. A variety of missionary organizations had interests in Korea, such as the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the United States and the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first Presbyterian missionary arrived in Korea in the mid-1800s; more missionaries arrived up until World War II. The major concerns for missions in Korea, as outlined by the Continuation Committee of the World Missionary Conference, were: evangelization, the Christian Church, Christian leadership, training and efficiency of missionaries, education, literature, occupation of the field, cooperation and medical work. Missionaries in Korea have left a lasting impact on the nation, starting hundreds of hospitals and universities. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, Christianity became intertwined with Korean Nationalism. After the Korean War, the majority of Christians moved to South Korea. The religion is still popular and widely followed.
Missionary Research Library Archives: MRL8, Korea
Item description, MRL8: Missionary Research Library collection on mission work in Korea, 1904-1964, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
Metal clips and staples were removed from materials and folded items were flattened. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. A group of unprocessed and unorganized material was added to the collection in 2014 as part of the Henry Luce Foundation project; this material begins in Box 2. The finding aid was created by Aram Bae in 2007, reviewed and updated by Brigette Kamsler in 2014 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.
This collection contains materials compiled by the Missionary Research Library that document foreign mission work in Korea during the early 20th century, including reports, correspondence, publications, conference records, and maps. Missionaries with correspondence in this collection include L.T. Newland in Kwangju; Margaret P. Boggs in Chungju; Margaret Pritehand in Kwangju; Janet Crane in Junten; Lloyd K. Boggs at the Chungju Hospital; Kellum and Ruth Levie in Kwangju; W. F. Bull in Kunsan; and R. M. Wilson of Soonchun.
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
This collection is arranged in rough chronological order.