Origins by Ruiz de Medina proves to be a unique study that sheds light on the history of Christianity in Korea. While some sources claim that Christianity in Korea initially occurred in the 19th century, the author uncovers the true date of the Korean Church’s birth. Using manuscripts and archives, the structure of the work focused on helping the reader understand the introduction of Christianity to Koreans and the main characteristics of the Korean Church.
The first example Maxima, written by Sebastian Vieira S.J., uncovers the martyrdom of a Korean woman in the court of Arima in 1614. The story shows the agony of a Christian confessor Maxima, who received punishment for throwing a rosary at a monk. The woman refused to abandon her hope, and along with the insult she imposed on the monk, Maxima locked herself in the tower, tied to a column, and unable to move (Ruiz de Medina 242). While pagans tried to change her set of beliefs, their attempts tended to be futile.
As per Maxima’s recollections, the woman survived with the support of the Lord. According to the woman’s words, whenever she experienced thirst, God gave her rain that moistened her lips (Ruiz de Medina 243). During the night, kind women gave Maxima food to maintain her health (Ruiz de Medina 243). The faith of Maxima and the Lord never forsaken her. Consequently, after much suffering and blessing, the woman proceeded to practice the religion and show her example to others. The case of Maxima tended to show everybody the strength of Christian character and the power of the faith.
The story about Pak Marina, written by Francisco Colin S.J, proves to be another example of martyrdom that contributed to the faith of the Korean Catholic community in 1655. According to the story, pagans desired to punish the women for their faith by taking them to the street and putting them in sacks (Ruiz de Medina 246). However, no attempts of the gentile resulted in success, and the Christians refused to relinquish their belief in God.
When the soldiers wanted to release the believers, they faced a challenge. The Christian confessors refused to leave the sacks alive since, for the pagans, it could mean that they freed the women (Ruiz de Medina 245). No matter how intense and brutal the punishments were, the representatives of the Christian community saw the such experience as their triumph. The women saw this martyrdom as an encouraging experience to pay tribute to Lord.
Hence, the Origins by Ruiz de Medina not only showed the agony and martyrdom of the exiled Korean Catholic community but proved that the true origin of Koren Christianity dates back to the 16-17th century. Through the first example, Maxima, the reader has a chance to observe the inseparability of Korean Christians from the Lord during hardships. Meanwhile, in the second example, Korean Christian women showed the fearlessness and resilience of the believers.
Work Cited
Ruiz de Medina, Juan G. The Catholic Church in Korea: Its Origins. South Korea, Royal Asiatic Society, 1994.