• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.15 no.1
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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.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.2 no.1
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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.

• The Journal of Korean-Japanese National Studies
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• no.32
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• pp.35-68
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• 2017

The map where so-called 'New Religion' of Korea in the Colonial Era is entangled with 'Religion (Christianity, Buddhism, Shindo)' recognized by the Japanese Government General of Korea and nationalism. Accordingly positive research on how religious ideal and ideology in 'New Religion' in Korea was practically applied and practiced in the society is a crucial task. Meanwhile there is survey data representing the status in the long term from 1860s to early 1930s in regard to 'New Religion' of Korea in the Colonial Era. In other words it is 'Pseudo Religion in Joseon' by Murayama Jijun published in 1935. Most part of them are shown through statistics data. In particular he took a look at the distribution of 'Pseudo Religion', ups and downs of religious influence, faith consciousness, its impact and religious ideological movement and social movement. Therefore, if this statistical data could be utilized through quellenkritik, it is thought to have value of significant reference in research on Korea's 'New Religion'. This paper utilizes many statistics included in the survey data among critical review on recognition in Murayama's 'New Religion in Korea' as basic texts. During the procedure this paper seeks to look at the geology of Korean 'New Religion' and attempts basic consideration in the quantitative term related to trend and ups and downs of the groups. Through this basic research I hope that 'public concern of New Religion' in modern Korea and research on re-establishment will move forward.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.81-102
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• 2021

This study attempts to investigate the role of children in the Korean new religious movement, Daesoon Jinrihoe. The research method combined archival studies with qualitative research; interviews with two members involved in educating youth through the establishment of Youth Camps and Donggeurami, the order's youth magazine. Our four research questions were: 1. Do children play a central role in the millennial vision of this NRM? 2. Are children separated from the world? 3. Have Daesoon childrearing methods been challenged by secular authorities or anticult groups? 4. Are there procedures to educate children in the religious beliefs and values of their parents and the community? Our results found that Daesoon Jinrihoe appears to be a religion designed for adults. Children do not usually participate in religious activities. On the other hand, since 2005 there has been a strategic effort to educate the children in the faith of their parents, through the establishment of Youth Camps and the youth magazine, Donggeurami.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 1997

This thesis is a study on the properties of new religious ritual dress in Korea to help understand new religions more completely. A new religion means 'Newly born religions'and it is an opposite conception of the existing religion. The new religions in Korea have been established, changed and become extinct beginning with 'Dong-Hak'movement by Choi Jea Woo in 1860. Sometimes they've caused social problems with their number increasing after the rapid industrialization in 1970's. There are about 350 new religions and 2,000,000 christians in Korea now. Some of theme are pseudo religions wearing the mask of religion and also there are great new religions that will contribute to our spiritual history. The latter shows the thoughtful properties of the union of religion, postnatal creation, nation's independence, and human's centralization. There are properties of pluralism, nation's independence, symbolism, and thoughts in a new religious ritul dress.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.21
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• pp.409-452
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• 2013

This paper aims to cast light on the theoretical characteristics of Korean new religions' utopian theory from the perspective of theology and apply the findings to the utopian theory of the new religions in Korea. The utopian theory of the new religions in Korea occurred to meet people's aspiration towards a new world on the background of the national ordeal and its consequential psychology in the late Chosun dynasty. As a result, it has the characteristics of a shift from a pure religious framework to participation in reality to realize religious ideals 'right here, right now'. Thus, it basically defined an utopian theory as the product of a society and history, and explained the utopian theory as the projection of the thoughts about current conflicts. However, an approach in this way may leave the likelihood that the individual characteristics of Daesoonjinrihoe would be overlooked and the utopian theory would be limited to the byproduct of the age, only. Thus, this paper has dealt with the religious experience of the founders as the lead of discussion, not a sociological approach. In this context, the religious experience of founders can be more significant clues to view the characteristics of an utopian theory. This directivity of a study can be understood as an attempt to improve the previous sociological methodologies, the leading discourses, and to contribute to the different perspectives on an understanding of the utopian theories of Daesoonjinrihoe. Furthermore, this paper is anticipated to give salience to the individual characteristics reflected in the new religions in Korea and to enhance its status in the history of thoughts, not as the trend of the thought limited to the past.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.42
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• pp.475-503
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• 2016

This paper explores the extent of the Christian influence of Liang Fa's Quanshiliangyan and Isaachar J. Roberts on Hong Xiuquan and the Taiping Movement. Hong's religious background was in Confucianism, but when he encountered Liang Fa's Quanshiliangyan, he identified with Christianity. Subsequently, he studied with Roberts for two or three months. The religious experiences of Hong served as motives for the establishment of the Society of God Worshippers and the Taiping Movement. Therefore, this paper develops Liang's key ideas and Roberts' main teachings, describes Hong's beliefs and the actual practices of the Taiping Movement, as found in official documents of the Taipings, and compares their similarities and differences. Hong and his leaders received the new ideas of Christianity at the expense of their traditional culture. Furthermore, they attempted to combine Chinese culture with Christianity, as well as believe in Christianity to the limits of their understanding. Finally, this study finds that even though the Quanshiliangyan and Isaachar J. Roberts may have given the Taiping Movement its religious form and driving force, the theological vision of both Liang and Hong that also emerged from their Chinese culture energized the Taipings. The Taiping Movement resulted from a deliberate synthesis of Christian ideas and native Chinese practices in China.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.1 no.2
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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.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.518-531
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• 2016

This study aimed to find the architectural meaning and characteristics of L'Art Sacr? Movement advocated by Dominican Father Marie Alain Couturie. From 1936 till 1954 Father Couturier was the chief editor of the review L'Art Sacr? that became very influential among art critics no longer satisfied with what was considered outdated 19th century church interior decoration. Marie Alain Couturie was a French Dominican friar and Catholic priest who gained fame as a designer of stained glass windows. He was noted for his modern inspiration in the field of Sacred Art. Couturier's greatest ambition was to revive Christian art by appealing to the independent masters of his time. From these viewpoint, we investigated the background and process of the movement and analyzed the architectural meaning and characteristics which represented the Art Sacr? movement. The analyzed chapel buildings were as follows: 1) The Church of Notre-Dame de Toute Gr?ce du Plateau d'Assy, bringing together Braque, Matisse, Rouault, L?ger and Chagall, 2) The Chapel of Saint-Marie Rosaire by Henri Matisse, 3) The Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut and The Couvent de La Tourette by Le Corbusier, and 4) The Rothko Chapel by Mark Rothko and Philip Johnson. These L'Art Sacr? projects inscribedthemselveswithin what was the century's most serious attempt at the reintegration of Art and religious space. Courturier's interactions with artists and architects are traced and shown to have played a major role in the evolution of the priest's thinking and Church interior decoration. At the same time, Courturier's clear and vigorous L'Art Sacr? articles were both defining the theoretical basis of new vision and anticipating the renewal of the religious space.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.35
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• pp.39-71
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• 2020

Ever since gaining liberation in 1945, Korean society has constantly recalled memories of Japan's invasion and Korea's anti-Japanese movements for an independent state (AMIS). In the process, a small number of new religious groups were also identified as main subjects within AMIS. However, the logic necessary to connect these religious groups with AMIS was still weak. In order to solve this situation academically, the purpose of this article is to illuminate the activities of Mugeukdo (無極道) and Jo Jeongsan (趙鼎山) through the lens of AMIS and to reflect on the issues that will arise when linking the religion with AMIS. Regarding this purpose, this article analyzed the internal and external data collected by Daesoon Jinrihoe (大巡眞理會) about Jo Jeongsan and Mugeukdo's activities linked to AMIS. Later, this paper presents several tasks for future research on this subject matter. Specifically, according to Chapter II, the AMIS of Jo Jeongsan and Mugeukdo were generally centered on resistance at the family level, Jo Jeongsan's order to participate in the March 1st Movement, and Mugeukdo's industrial activities. In Chapter III, I reviewed the contents of Chapter II using Daesoon Jinrihoe's external materials. According to the results of the review, future research is required to discover and cross-check materials related to the AMIS of Jo Jeongsan and Mugeukdo believers. Likewise, further research is needed to highlight the theory of the enthronement of emperor (天子登極說) and the Great Opening of the later world (後天開闢) in terms of AMIS. These efforts can make contributions that increase the credibility of Daesoon Jinrihoe's internal data on the AMIS of Jo Jeongsan and Mugeukdo and expand the periphery of AMIS as it relates to certain religious groups. Subsequently, in Chapter IV, I present three items for reflecting upon the connection between certain religious groups and AMIS. The first is that criteria for establishing the category of AMIS is necessary to determine whether religious activities can be included. Second, reductionist approaches make it difficult to explain the reasons why some of the people who participated in AMIS did so while forming 'new religious movements,' and why these groups have maintained their religious identity even after liberation was achieved in 1945. Third, it is necessary to distinguish between the primary and the secondary dimensions to elaborate on the connection between these religions and AMIS. This means that researchers should be expected to look at whether the activities in question are based on a religious worldview and whether the goal of the activities is the realization of AMIS or the implementation of some aspect of that religious worldview. In the future, considering the mechanisms that make AMIS memorable in Korea, religious groups and religious studies should take greater interest in discovering and accumulating data that facilitates research on these topics. At the same time, effort should be made to find the basis for AMIS within religious worldviews. It can also be made possible through specific interest in further elaboration on the various AMIS-related activities of Jo Jeongsan and Mugeukdo.