Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott Its Introduction, Reception and Effect in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze how the German hymn of Martin Luther’s song lyrics Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A mighty fortress is our God) has been transferred to the Korean hymnal and to explore the historical and actual influence of that hymn in Korea. The hymn is contained both in the German hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch and the Korean 21 st Century Hymnal. However, there are several differences between the two hymnals. First of all, the two hymnals will be compared and it will be shown which differences can be noticed between the two versions. On the basis of the comparison the study will be extended on the reasons of these findings which relate to the history of Christian mission in Korea. Thereafter, the influence of the hymn on Korean Christians will be explored. The hymn played a great part in Korean history: Under the Japanese regime (1910–45), the Korean Church and the Korean believers participated in the liberation movement for their country singing Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. Furthermore, this hymn gave strength and comfort to the Korean Christians who didn’t accept the Japanese religion of Shintoism. Nowadays, the hymn can be heard not only in church but also on the stage: In 2011, Park Chae Hoon composed the opera Son Yang Won which includes Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. This study will demonstrate and explain the independent reception of the German hymn in Korea.