Welsh Journals

political interests with a pivotal event on which a considerable amount of mythology has been erected. He became a hero to the Korean church largely due to the researches and writing of 0 Mun-hwan who wrote a number of books about Thomas, the first being published in 1926, sixty years after the tragedy. This was subjective and adulatory and eschewed historical objectivity although it contained valuable material. However, in 1910 Korea had been annexed by Japan and there was a general feeling of disillusionment and despair in the country. In 1919 a Declaration of Independence was prepared by a group of thirty-three outstanding leaders: 15 Chiritsian, 15 Chondokyo (a syncretic religion) and 3 Buddhists. In September 1926 at the 15th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea at P'yongyang the book of Mun-hwan was published against a background of continued Japanese domination. Dr Goh writes: 'Moreover, it was a time when the Korean churches needed a hero in order to concentrate their efforts towards strengthening themselves internally against the Japanese regime externally. So, there was a good reaction to O's book by the delegates from all over the country. They bought the book and it became a best seller among Christians'. In 1932 the Thomas Memorial church was dedicated, preserving the name of the missionary and making him a hero of the Korean church. Dr Goh's research aims to remove the layers of paint that have overlaid the true portrait of Thomas, (see Figure 6) Fig. 6: The Thomas Memorial Church in Korea