Evaluating the Revival Experience of Korean Missionary Robert A. Hardie (1865–1949) in View of Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what are Jonathan Edwards’ (1703–1758) “religious affections” and “distinguishing marks” for judging the genuineness of affections, and to evaluate the revival experience of Korean missionary Robert A. Hardie (1865–1949), who initiated the Korean Great Revival (1903–1910) in view of Edwards’ religious affections. Edward’s book, Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, was written in the historical background of the Great Awakening of the early 1740s, and the concept of religious affections originated from his personal experience in childhood and from the influence of John Locke’s empiricism. Rejecting the positions of the revivals of his day as unshackled emotionalism, Edwards defended revivalism by emphasizing the significance of “spiritual sensation”. However, he believed that revivals must be evaluated for their genuineness in terms of religious affections and suggested distinguishing marks to assess whether revival experiences were true or not. A number of descendants of the Great Awakening came to Korea as missionaries and contributed to the Korean Great Revival. In particular, Hardie’s repentance started the revival and the revival movements spread to the whole country in a similar pattern. This paper suggests that Hardie’s revival experience proves to be true gracious affection in light of Edwards’ distinguishing marks.