A Study on the Understanding of Women by the Daesoon Thought and Its Contemporary Meanings

대순사상의 여성 이해와 그 현대적 의미

There are many discourses about 'religion and women,' but it is no exaggeration to say that there is none about 'religion and men.' This is because the existing religions have been male-centric and have produced legions of male-dominated cultures. In Catholic Church, even today, only men can become the Pope, and women are not allowed to enter priesthood. Meanwhile, in the Islamic cultural areas, the reality is that women are being victimized by men who do not recognize the bad habits such as honor killings, or honor crimes. It is certain that gender discrimination in religious and cultural areas cannot be overlooked. This study focuses on the understanding of women in the thought of Daesoonjinrihoe(大巡眞理會), that is, the Daesoon Thought, which claims to advocate world peace. Daesoonjinrihoe is understood as a thought which tries to overcome gender discrimination prevalent in the existing religions and presents the vision of a new religion which aims to realize a new world of peace by drawing a distinction between the Former Heaven and the Latter Heaven. This study examines the understanding of women by looking at the tenet of Daesoonjinrihoe that consists of 'YeumYangHapDeok(陰陽合德), SinInJoHwa(神人調化), HaeWon-SangSaeng(解冤相生), DoTongJinGyeong(道通眞境).' The tenet is thought of as the basis of creed on which the understanding of women by the Daesoon Thought can be grasped as it basically contains the essence of teaching of the order. In the Daesoon Thought, women have the same status as men; women can become holy and dignified beings by engaging in independent, active, and autonomous spiritual exercises, and serve as a driving force for the realization of the ideal world. This understanding of women by the Daesoon Thought contains the idea of peace which can turn 'the culture of discrimination' into 'the culture of equality,' and 'the culture of life destruction' into 'the culture of life care.'