The Origin Of The Roman Catholic Church In Korea

Hailed by leading South Korean academics as the most significant research on the history of Korean Catholicism to date, Professor Jai-Keun Choi of Yonsei University in Korea explores the origin of the Roman Catholic Church in the Korean peninsula. Professor Choi raises important historical questions as: What were the historical forces that allowed Roman Catholicism to take root in the 19th century Choson Korea despite official governmental efforts to stamp out Catholicism through systematic persecution? What was the Korean populist reaction to Roman Catholic missions? What was the role that native Korean converts played in the spread of Catholicism throughout Korea? With a keen eye to the delicacies of conflicting historical forces, Professor Choi adroitly explains the complexities of the clash of civilizations in the experience of Choson Korea, where Korean Confucianism responded with greatest hostility to Roman Catholicism from the West. This book makes a significant scholarly contribution not only in the study of Korean history but also in such academic disciplines as sociology of religion, anthropology, political science, and international relations.

Catholicism in Korea has a history of two hundred years. It has played a unique role in Korea, with many of its initiatives originating from the laity rather than the clergy. After prolonged cultural conflict, the number of Catholics has grown to around 8% of the total population. Yet, there is a paucity of English language materials dealing with the faith in Korea. This volume tries to fill the gap.

A concise work rich in new information collected from unedited documents found in five European libraries, about the history of the Korean Catholic Church before the time of its officially recogniz

Despite the significance of Korea in world Christianity and the crucial role Christianity plays in contemporary Korean religious life, the tradition has been little studied in the West. Christianity in Korea seeks to fill this lacuna by providing a wide-ranging overview of the growth and development of Korean Christianity and the implications that development has had for Korean politics, interreligious dialogue, and gender and social issues. The volume begins with an accessibly written overview that traces in broad outline the history and development of Christianity on the peninsula. This is followed by chapters on broad themes, such as the survival of early Korean Catholics in a Neo-Confucian society, relations between Christian churches and colonial authorities during the Japanese occupation, premillennialism, and the theological significance of the division and prospective reunification of Korea. Others look in more detail at individuals and movements, including the story of the female martyr Kollumba Kang Wansuk; the influence of Presbyterianism on the renowned nationalist Ahn Changho; the sociopolitical and theological background of the Minjung Protestant Movement; and the success and challenges of Evangelical Protestantism in Korea. The book concludes with a discussion of how best to encourage a rapprochement between Buddhism and Christianity in Korea.

With a third of South Koreans now identifying themselves as Christian, Christian churches play an increasingly prominent role in the social and political events of the Korean peninsula. Sebastian Kim and Kirsteen Kim's comprehensive and timely history of different Christian denominations in Korea includes surveys of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions as well as new church movements. They examine the Korean Christian diaspora and missionary movements from South Korea and also give cutting-edge insights into North Korea. This book, the first recent one-volume history and analysis of Korean Christianity in English, highlights the challenges faced by the Christian churches in view of Korea's distinctive and multireligious cultural heritage, South Korea's rapid rise in global economic power and the precarious state of North Korea, which threatens global peace. This History will be an important resource for all students of world Christianity, Korean studies and mission studies.

Preliminary Material /James Huntley Grayson -- The Theory of Emplantation /James Huntley Grayson -- The Advent of Buddhism in Korea /James Huntley Grayson -- The History of the Late Chosŏn Dynasty, From the Hideyoshi Wars to the Opening of the Nineteenth Century /James Huntley Grayson -- The Catholic Church in Korea /James Huntley Grayson -- The Protest ant Church in Korea /James Huntley Grayson -- Summary and Conclusions /James Huntley Grayson -- References and Works Consulted /James Huntley Grayson -- Glossary of Chinese Character Terms /James Huntley Grayson -- Index /James Huntley Grayson.