• 수완나부미
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.149-180
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• 2023

This article explores religious responses to significant cultural and social change in a northern Vietnamese delta village from 1996 to 2008-the second decade after de-collectivization. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork in both the village and surrounding religious networks, the article teases out the meanings of the new religious movements for northern rural people in the new era of market economy; the symbols, language, and metaphoric resources people used in response to their uncertainty and mistrust of the new social landscape; and the unintended consequences of rapid societal development such as marginalization, tensions, and social disintegration. The article argues that as in milleniarism elsewhere, new religious movements in northern rural Vietnam embody unorthodox syncretism between world religious and local traditions, thus linking past, present, and future. However, when drawing upon a common reservoir of memories and experiences to cope with risks and challenges of the new market world, local people not only drew on the power and imperial metaphor of deities in their traditional religion and belief, but became more creative to recuperate meanings, standards, and symbols from revolutionary discourse to reorient themselves, and overcome alienation and marginalization.

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.17-37
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• 2021

Scholars of new religious movements have emphasized the role of "second founders," such as Judge J.F. Rutherford for the Jehovah's Witnesses, Brigham Young for the Mormons, or Deguchi Onisaburo for Oomoto. They systematize and structure movements often created by the "first founders" with a minimal organization only. The paper argues that the model for the sequence first founder/second founder described by these scholars is the relationship between Jesus and Paul of Tarsus at the origins of Christianity. It proposes a comparison between Jesus of Nazareth and Kang Jeungsan, who established the tradition leading to present-day Daesoon Jinrihoe. It then summarizes the biography of Jo Jeongsan, recognized by Daesoon Jinrihoe as its "second founder" within the same tradition, and discusses the analogies between his connection to the "first founder," Kang Jeungsan, and the connection Paul of Tarsus established with Jesus Christ. The paper considers recent scholarship about Paul, often described as the "New Perspective on Pauline Scholarship." Paul never personally met Jesus Christ, except after the latter's death through a spiritual revelation, just as Jo Jeongsan never met Kang Jeungsan, except after his death, when he manifested himself to him in spirit. Nonetheless, Paul was able to decisively shape the largest branch among the followers of Jesus Christ, just as Jo Jeongsan originated the lineage leading to Daesoon Jinrihoe, currently the largest religious order among those recognizing Kang Jeungsan as the incarnated Supreme God.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• 제22권11호
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• pp.222-228
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• 2022

In today's era of digital technologies, the problem of religious communication in the cyberspace is being actualized, since the globality and accessibility of the WWW makes it one of the most effective and promising channels for transmitting various kinds of messages, including those of a religious nature. Today, religious organizations and movements pay the closest attention to the virtual media space, not only using it to attract new followers, but also for religious PR, image-making and branding, informing the world about themselves through news from the life of the organization and its followers. An equally important form of electronic communication in the online sphere is currently the interaction of various religious movements and religious cultures in general, or the dialogue of confessions in particular. Research in the digital space makes it possible to identify important trends in religious spheres based on the analysis of the flow of information on the Internet, to demonstrate the specifics of individual media outlets and the consequences of their activities for interreligious dialogue, to study the role of the Internet in changing religious beliefs, the possibility of changing religious identity, retrospective development of religious enlightenment at the turn of the century, to determine the vectors of possible interreligious interaction and discuss the role of digital technologies in the work of religious structures, to state the need to continue an active dialogue between representatives of religious movements, to hold expert seminars on interreligious dialogue on a regular basis, and to record the risks generated by the digital space. Thus, the coronavirus pandemic served as a background and context, a litmus test and a catalyst for accelerating and intensifying interreligious, interfaith dialogue and dialogue between religious organizations and society.

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.171-173
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• 2022

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.57-85
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• 2023

The politico-economic waives of Western imperialism and colonialism, along with Christianity, affected East Asia's geopolitical landscape in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While the Korean people (of the Joseon Dynasty) witnessed the incompetence of Buddhism, Confucianism, and folk religions in maintaining social cohesion with a sense of frustration, the new religious movements (NRMs) emerged to provide altrnative teachings of hope through historical figures like Choe Je-u, Kang Il-sun (or Kang Jeungsan), Na Cheol, and Pak Chungbin. In terms of popularity, colonial Korea (1910-1940) was impressed by the native groups of Cheondogyo (=Donghak), Bocheongyo, and Mugeukdo. Son Byong-hee (1861-1922) was the third leader of the first Korean NRM, but both Cha Gyeong-seok (1880-1936) and Jo Cheol-Je (= Jo Jeongsan) (1895-1958) participated in the post-Jeungsan grassroots movements. How, then, did both of these new religions originate? How did they conceptualise their deities and interpret their teachings differently? What was their policy for national independence? The article explores the socio-religious leaders, historical origin, organizational structure, deities, teaching and doctrines, patriotism, and conflicts of both NRMs in a comparative context. As such, this article argues that they both maintained patriotic characteristics, but that Cha's Bocheongyo community with its ' 60-executives' system (60 bang) failed to manage their internal conflicts effectively. Meanwhile, Jo Cheol-Je of Mugeukdo had the charismatic leadership needed to maintain Mugeukdo, despite being seen as a pseudoreligion under the colonial pressure of Shintoism.

• 대순사상논총
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• 제29집
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• pp.241-278
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• 2017

이 논문은 한국 종교에 대한 비판적인 견해의 대대적인 표출 현상(안티 종교운동)을 정리하고 유형화한 뒤 그 의미를 분석한 글이다. 이를 위해 먼저 현대의 범세계적인 종교변동부터 살폈다. 세계종교는 지구촌 의식 출현에 영향을 받아왔다. 그 결과 그들은 과거와의 연속성을 유지한 채 여러 종교의 공통 기반 위에서 보편성을 획득하려하고 있다. 그러한 모습은 스스로의 정체성을 계속 유지하려들거나, 전통을 재창조하려하거나 혹은 현대에 맞게 변용시키거나, 혁신적으로 변화를 추구하거나, 민족주의와 결탁하거나 하는 여러 유형으로 중첩되어 나타나곤 한다. 세계종교에서 살필 수 있는 이러한 변동들이 한국 사회에서는 어떻게 관찰되는가? 대체로 현 시대의 한국 종교상황은 개신교에 대한 비판이나 혁신 요구, 소수종교에 대한 공격, 학계와 언론의 종교 개혁요구, 종교무용론 전파, 유튜브 등 인터넷과 멀티미디어를 활용한 종교 비판 등으로 나타나고 있는 것으로 보인다. 이러한 종교 비판은 안티 종교운동으로 읽혀진다. 종교 외적으로는 서구 학자들이 제기하고 있는 종교무용론이나 과학 또는 역사적 관점에서의 종교 비판 이론이 서점을 중심으로 전파되고 있으며, 종교 내적으로는 개신교를 중심으로 자신의 내부를 반성하고 새로운 초종교적 영성을 강조하는 방향으로 흐르고 있다는 것이 그 내용이다. 과거에도 물론 종교 일반과 특정 종교에 대한 비판은 제기되었다. 그러나 최근에 우리나라에서 진행되고 있는 안티 종교운동은 그 내용과 맥락에서 과거와는 다른 양상으로 전개되고 있다. 특히 개신교에 대한 적극적이고 전반적인 비판 운동은 분명 새로운 현상임에 틀림없다. 적어도 개신교가 주요 대상이기는 하지만 현재 우리나라에서 진행되고 있는 안티 종교운동은 앞으로 우리나라의 종교변동을 살필 수 있는 주요 자료가 될 수 있을 것이다.

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.51-72
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• 2023

This article explores the intersection of freedom of religion, sangsaeng, and symbiosis when considering the post-COVID study of religions, especially new religions. When it comes to the study of new and alternative religious groups, where there is more potential for misunderstanding and misinformation, it becomes all the more important-and indeed mutually beneficial, in the areas of religious liberty, religious freedom, and cross-cultural dialogue-to learn about a tradition by taking into account the spiritual life and practices of members themselves and their own sacred writings and practices. Daesoon Jinrihoe offers a case study of the importance of this principle and the notion of sangsaeng in particular is a fruitful utilitarian lens for thinking about how scholars, journalists, and others might approach the study of religion in our complex and global digital age of (mis) information. Daesoon Jinrihoe is also considered in light of Roy Wallis's typology of world-rejecting, world-affirming, and world-accommodating new religious movements. Open areas for sociological research are proposed and the nascent field of Daesoon studies is compared to some similar scholarly endeavors within NRM studies.

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.133-155
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• 2022

Throughout the Chinese sphere, that is, in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, tea houses, tea stores, and tea meditation groups often without a particular religious orientation have appeared in the past decades. Tea lovers groups with various philosophical discussions appear throughout cyberspace, where people show their appreciation for tea as a drinkable delicious product and a spiritual tool. The question to be asked here is whether it should be recognized as a religious or spiritual practice agent in and of itself? Should we then talk about the present-day movement of teaism? If we do recognize this as a spiritual phenomenon, should it then be labeled as a New Religious Movement? The trajectory of tea in China is intrinsically connected to religious traditions. This connection is historical, yet it plays a part in the contemporary religious and spiritual sphere. The article explores the continuation and developments of tea culture in the context of the religious sphere of China, looking at practices connected to tea of communities, religious organizations, and individuals. The author explores how tea drinking, commercializing and tea related practices intersect with politics, materiality, and spirituality in contemporary society. In this context it is then argued that tea is a cultural element, religious self-refinement tool, and an active material agent with social-political capacities. The study includes historical narratives, ethnographic data, and literary sources about tea, making up a genealogy of tea which encompasses ritualistic aspects, economic aspects, and power relations related to tea in Chinese society.

• 대순사상논총
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• 제23권
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• pp.109-152
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• 2014

This paper deals with the artistic expression of religious thought in terms of the uniqueness of different images and creativity. The relationship between religion and art is complicated but popular in modern society. Film becomes the icon of modern culture to enhance the knowledge of religious traditions. Among many Korean religious films, Kang Daejin's work, The Way of Peace (1984) contains the life and thought of Kang Jeungsan(1871-1909), the highest god of Daesoonjinrihoe. First, the film, The Way of Peace, pays attention to the legitimacy of succession from Kang Jeungsan to Cho Jeongsan(1895-1958). Korea was beset with trouble both at home and abroad. China, Japan, Russia, and the US had the colonial desire to conquer the lands of Korea and to explore natural resources. Though the people of Eastern Learning(東學) protested government and Japanese colonialists, Jeungsan applied the principle of non-violence to the world. In order to save all the living beings of the world, he reordered the universe and renewed the harmonic relationship of human beings and their spirit. Second, The Way of Peace proposed the soteriology of peace and change to audience regardless of seekers(道人) or not. Jeungsan transformed the closed society to the open society, changed divided religions to the transcendent truth(道). He empowered the marginalized people such as women, the lowly, the elderly, and the sick, who were oppressed in the Confucian society. And he redeemed the people from the disease by healing all diseases and correcting disorders. In conclusion, The Way of Peace is a good resource of religious education by which we can overcome the religious illiteracy. The knowledge of new religious movements and Daesoonjinrihoe is necessary for us to understand the diversity of human nature. In the near future, the new images of Jeungsan should be created through multi-media and cultural contents for the new generation.

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.13-39
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• 2022

The author examines three new religious movements in South Korea: Jehovah's Witnesses, the Unification Church, and the Daesoon Jinrihoe, and aims to identify the factors that are conducive to the growth of each. All three organisations believe in a coming paradise, and the article explores their respective attempts to interest the populace in their appeal. Discussion is given to membership statistics and the problems of measuring allegiance and moves on to consider methods of propagation. Most obviously, evangelisation strategy is important: Jehovah's Witnesses and Unificationists have tended to engage the interest of strangers, while followers of Daesoon Jinrihoe are more inclined to evangelise family and friends. Additionally, there are other factors that determine an organisation's progress: cultural appropriateness, engagement in social and educational work, and attitudes to conflict and peace, the latter being particularly important in a society that has experienced war and occupation. Reference is made to the ways in which these three organisations finance themselves, and it is argued that financial resources merit greater attention in the scholarly study of religion, since monetary assets are needed to secure a spiritual movement's existence. Of the three organisations under discussion, the Daesoon Jinrihoe has been the most successful, being South Korea's largest new religion, while Jehovah's Witnesses are in steady state, and the Unification movement is experiencing slight decline.