Keimyung University held Dongcheon International Forum under the Theme of 'History of the Bible' to Commemorate Its 125th Anniversary
- The 4th Dongcheon International Forum, themed 'History of the Bible,' convened on Monday, May 13, at 10:00 AM in the International Seminar Room, Dongcheon Hall, Keimyung University
Hugh G. M. Williamson, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford, gave a keynote speech titled ‘‘The Preservation of Scrolls and Scribes: A Historical Perspective.”
To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Keimyung University held the 4th Dongcheon International Forum at the International Seminar Room in Dongcheon Hall. The event took place on Monday, May 13, starting at 10:00 AM.
Dongcheon Forum is an academic forum aimed at commemorating the achievements and spirit of Chong Soon Mo, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Keimyung University, who devoted himself to the development of Keimyung University and the local Christian community. The forum intends to declare that Keimyung University has been established and grown by the Christian spirit, inheriting its values and traditions.
In 2014, the 1st Dongcheon Forum was held under the theme of 'The Role and Vision of Keimyung as a Christian University.' The 2nd Dongcheon Forum took place in 2017 with the theme commemorating the '500th Anniversary of the Reformation,' and the 3rd in 2019 centered around 'The 120 Years of Commandments to Shine Together: The Justice and Light of Love of King of Truth and Justice.
In his welcome speech, President Synn Ilhi remarked, “Holding the 4th Dongcheon Forum alongside the 125th Anniversary Celebration is particularly meaningful for us. Today, we anticipate exploring the profound influence of the Bible on human culture and history.”
The forum, themed 'History of the Bible,' was attended by prominent Christian figures who discussed the preservation, transmission, and the divine history confined in the translation process of the Bible.
The keynote speech was given by Hugh G. M. Williamson, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. His topic, 'The Preservation of Scrolls and Scribes: A Historical Perspective,' focused on explaining the meaning of the Bible, which has been translated into various languages since its first manuscript. Following this, Kim Hayeon, Director of the Gosin Bible Institute, led a discussion session. The first lecture, titled '300 Years of the Korean Bible - History of Translation and Interpretation,' was presented by Chung Jung-ho, honorary professor of Department of Christian studies at Keimyung University. The second lecture, 'The Korean Bible - A History of Translation and Acceptance,' was delivered by Min Young-jin, former president of Korean Bible Society. Subsequent discussions were led by Min Kyung-jin, professor at Busan Presbyterian University, and Kim Chang-rak, a former professor at Hanshin University.
The forum theme, 'History of the Bible,' is considered a very important and essential task to examine the history of the Hebrew Bible, especially in relation to the Masoretic Text and the text of the Dead Sea Scrolls. I became convinced that while the Bible, which has been transcribed by hand for a long time, has slight differences, there is no difference in its meaning and the word of God,' said Chong Soon Mo, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Keimyung University.