The Religious Revolution in Modern Korean History : From ethics to theology and from ritual hegemony to religious freedom

Abstract

In pre-modern Korea, religion was not a separate and distinct realm in society. The government did not grant religious activities any more freedom from government interference than any other public activity enjoyed. In fact, the government exercised ritual hegemony, claiming control over religious rituals. Moreover, the average Korean did not profess a specific religious orientation. Though many Koreans frequented Buddhist temples and patronized shamans, only a few Koreans, those who were religious professionals, wore religious labels. That began to change in the late 18th century, when Christianity entered Korea and introduced a new paradigm of religion, and of church-state relations. By the second half of the 20th century, Koreans in the Republic of Korea enjoyed religious freedom, and that accelerated the rate at which Korea’s religious culture changed. One way Koreans exercised that new freedom was to identify with specific religious organizations. By the beginning of the 21st century, over half of them did so. Moreover, most of the organizations they identified with are unlike traditional religious communities in that they are confessional and congregational. This has dramatically transformed the religious culture of Korea.