The Old Testament and Religious Reforms – The Case of Josiah and Its Modern Implication

Abstract

As of the 500th anniversary of the Religious Reform, many people agree that there is a need of another reform in the Korean church and theology. This paper deals with the reformation that we need through an investigation of the most famous reform in the Old Testament - Josiah’s religious reform, and studies the nature and content of his reform, and the lessons and implications that it gives us today. First, Josiah had the Book of the Law functioning as a driving force of his reform. He presented the Book with his ideology to the people through the process by which they are willing to follow. The reformers in the 16th century also followed almost the same pattern by presenting the Bible translated into their comtemporary languages, claiming ‘sola scriptura’ that is the basis of the reformed Christianity. In this way, they proposed their religious and spiritual ideology of the reform. The Korean church and theology should keep this in mind. Especially, the tradition of highly regarding the Bible should be preserved. Second, Josiah embraced and subsumed diverse social groups for the reform. In the diverse society of the post-modern age, the Korean church should embrace the diversity in order to achieve successful transformation. Unlike John Huss and Savonarola, Luther could be successful in the reform, because there were supporting groups from peasants to nobles. Third, Josiah made a covenant with the whole Judean people in the process of the reform, which assured their support to the reform. Through the covenant, Josiah well prepared for the future, and the reform was inherited to the future generations. As a result, his reform remains as one of the major events in the Old Testament even after twenty five hundred years. Reformation is a long-term process, and really essential is the preparation for the future. Without the preparation for the future, any reformation would end up with a failure. Thus, the Korean church should prepare for the future beyond the reform of our generation.