<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">A few comments on the responses to the question about the Korean name for "God" in Korean.<br><br>First of all, I was glad to see Brother Anthony's post that mentions that there are Buddhas who appear very close to being the type of God seen in theistic religions. In discussing Buddhism, we have to be careful to distinguish between the philosophy of most meditating monks (which tends to downplay theistic elements in Buddhism) versus the practices and beliefs of most lay Buddhists. (For more on this distinction, see my recent Korean Spirituality.) I would argue that most lay Buddhists treat the various Buddhas (and even some of the Boddhisattvas) as Gods. When you affix yeorae to a Buddha's name, such as Yaksayeorae, it seems to me that you are talking about a God. Sakyamuni is simply Sakyamuni or Bucheonim, so Sakaymuni as a teacher is not seen as a God. But when you talk about Vairochana, for example, you are talking about a God. Yet no pre-modern Korean Buddhist texts that I know of ever refer to any of those god-like Buddhas as hananim or haneunim. That suggests to me not that theism was not a part of Korean Buddhism but that before the arrival of Christianity Koreans did not think of the term haneunim or the term hananim as meaning "God."<br><br>In response to some of the other posts, I looked at the suggested download, "Modern History of Korean Religions. " It provides the standard argument that Koreans have a long history of worship of Hananim. However, I find no evidence in any Korean records for such a religious tradition. More to the point, the first Catholics in Korea didn't use Hananim or Haneunim in their early vernacular theological texts, so it would appear that they were not very familiar with that term. In fact, neither term shows up in the first Korean dictionary, a dictionary French missionaries compiled in the middle of the 19th century. If there was a common vernacular word for God, you would think they would have listed it in their dictionary.<br><br>As for Donghak, a look at early Tonghak writings shows that the preferred term for God was Cheonju or Sangje. When Tonghak poetry required three syllables, and they wanted to use a vernacular term rather than a Sino-Korean term, they used "Hannulim." If Hananim or Haneunim were common terms for God, why didn't they use one of those terms instead of coining Hannulim (which was not that common in Tonghak writings until the 20th century)?<br><br>I might add that my dictionaries of Joseon-era language (based on 19th century Korean) clearly distinguish between Hana (one) from Haneul (for Heaven). I am out of town right now, and don't have my dictionaries in front of me, but, if my memory serves me right, hana was spelling with the arae-a in the first syllable and haneul was spelled with the arae-a in the second syllable. Moreover, the early Protestant missionary discussions on the proper term for God show that they distinguished between Haneunim as a vernacular translation of Lord of Heaven and Hananim, which most of them took to mean the One God and therefore different from Haneunim. In fact, this is why more conservative Protestants prefer Hananim to Haneunim. They consider Haneunim to be a reference to a god of Korea's traditional animistic worship of nature. Hananim, on the other hand, they believed to be a traditional term for the Supreme Being, who transcended nature.<br><br>As for shamans using haneunim in their rituals, I suspect that is a modern innovation. (I've seen a recent shaman "bible" that includes references to Hananim.) If Joseon dynasty officials had learned that shamans were worshipping heaven, they would have been even more antagonistic toward shamanism than they already were. As for as I know, the charge that they worshipped hananin or haneunim was never made, though they were criticized for many other reasons, including the criticism that they engaged with ritual interaction with the spirits of deceased officials they were too low in the social order to interact with. Also, shamans usually have paintings of their gods. Has anyone ever seen a shaman painting of hananim? I've seen paintings of the Jade Emperor but not of Hananim or Haneuni. <br><br>Even though there are a few rare cases of pre-modern use of the term "haneunim" (as in Pak Il-lo's poem mentioned by Gari), they are usually synonyms for the Chinese Confucian term for Heaven and don't carry the usual theistic connotations we associate with the term "God."<br><br>In short, I remain convinced that the tradition of an indigenous Korean monotheism, of worship of a Supreme God called Hananim or Haneunim, is an invented tradition. Moreover, as a proud Canadian, I am convinced that the Canadian missionary James Gale played a major role in creating that tradition.<br><br>Donald Baker<br>Department of Asian Studies<br>University of British Columbia<br>Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 Canada<br><a href="mailto:dbaker@interchange.ubc.ca">dbaker@interchange.ubc.ca</a><br><br><br><div><div>On 29-Jul-08, at 8:57 PM, sung oak wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div class="hmmessage" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; "><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3">Hello,</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"> Just an addition to the discusion.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"> Between 1893-1903, when the Protestant missioanries in Korea debated what should be the best Korean term for God, they experimented many names and used them freely, even though majorly the two camps--the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Ch'o^nju<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>camp and the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Hana^nim<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>camp--competed each other. Initially the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Ch'o^nju<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>camp prevailed because the term was best for the unity of the Christian Church (it has been used by the RCs and Anglicans.) and it was an invented Christian name, not a name borrowed from the existing non-Christian religions. So James S. Gale, who belong to the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Hana^nim<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>camp, wrote in his letter to Dr. Ellinwood, on May 19, 1894, as follows:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><font size="3"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">"Our mission I think and most of the Methodists likewise desire the pure native word,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Hanamim</i>, but the Bible Society will print in two or three different names if we so desire, and I am quite certain that the apparent division need be no real division at all, for the natives will understand any of the names upon hearing the teaching of the Bible in reference to it and this is certainly necessary in using any names whatsoever."<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><font color="#000000">What is important is the fact that many<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font color="#000000">nams of God were allowed at least until 1903 because the Koreans could understand them as the names for the Christian God, or idenitfy them with the Christian God.</font></span><br><br></font></font></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><font size="3"> At that time, Roman Catholics and Anglicans in China, Japan, and Korea used "<em>Tienzhou"</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(<em>Ch'o^nju</em>). The Protestant Chinese Scriptures used "<em>Shangdi</em>" (publihsed by the British and Foregn Bible Society) or "<em>Shen</em>" (published by the American Bibel Society). Most Japanese Protestants used the ABS editions of the Bible, so thye adopted "<em>Shen"</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Kami). In Korea, many educated Christians used the Chinese New and Old Testaments, publihsed by the BFBS, so "<em>Shangdi</em>" (Sangje) became their name for God. (Hence we can say sometimes the monopoly of a certian region by a Bible Society and the distribution of its editions were more important than the debates among the missionaries and native Christians in the field.) In the vernacular Korean vesions, both "<em>Hana^min"</em> and "<em>Ch'o^nju</em>" (at that time "Tyo^njyu) were simutaneouly used in the Korean Scriptures in 1894-1903. For example, the 1900 NT was printed with both names in the same book.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"> My last point: In terms of the official names for God,</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"> 1. Before 1904, the Protestant Church in Korea used "Shangdi" (of Chinese Christian literature), "Tienzhou" (for the ecumenical purpose--with RCs and Anglicans), and "Hana^nim" in vernacular literature (for the differenciation from RC). = Three names co-existed.</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"> 2. From 1904 when "Hana^nim" became the authorized Protestant (excludign Anglicans) term for God in Korea, "Shangdi" (in Chinese Scriptures and Chinese-Korean Mixed Scriptures) and "Hana^nim" were used as the official names for God. = Two names co-existed.</font><br><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Sung-Deuk Oak</font><br><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">UCLA</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size="3"></font> <br> <br> <br><br>> From:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:Emilia.Szalkowska@amu.edu.pl">Emilia.Szalkowska@amu.edu.pl</a><br>> To:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws">koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws</a><br>> Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:46:03 +0900<br>> Subject: Re: [KS] Name used for "god" in Korean language<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Hello,<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Many answers for your questions can be found in the following chapter of sb's dissertation:<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "Modern History of Korean Religions" -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2003-1215-112739/c3.pdf">http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2003-1215-112739/c3.pdf</a><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> All chapters are available on-line (from .../c1.pdf, .../c2.pdf and so on) but what is missing in this archive it is the title page with the name of an author. I hope you can find it anyway.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Emilia Szalkowska<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> ----- Original Message -----<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> From: <<a href="mailto:erichwein@hotmail.com">erichwein@hotmail.com</a>><br>> To: <<a href="mailto:koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws">koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws</a>><br>> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 3:30 AM<br>> Subject: [KS] Name used for "god" in Korean language<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > 1. What is the word in Korean for "God"? (Transliteration, please)<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > 2. Is this an original Korean word, or one introduced by Christian<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > missionaries?<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > 3. Is it the same word used in traditional Korean folk religion (e.g.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > shamanism) and in Buddhism?<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > 4. Is the same word used in both North and South Korea?<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > 5. In North Korea, is the same word for "God" used both in reference<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > to the Christian God (e.g. in worship services of the Korean Christian<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > Federation) and in reference to the "Great Leader"? (Explanation: I am<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > told that the word "god" is not used in reference the the GL. However,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > on several occasions my interpreters in the DPRK did use the word<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > "god" in reference to KIS. This may have been a wrong translation.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > Example: Referring to the young age at which KIS founded the PKA, one<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > interpreter told me, "That is why I consider him a god.")<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > 6. If not, what distinguishes the two words/concepts used?<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> > Thanks for any clarifications you can render.<br>> > Erich Weingartner<br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> ><br><br></div></span></blockquote></div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Donald Baker</div><div>Department of Asian Studies</div><div>University of British Columbia</div><div>Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 Canada</div><div><a href="mailto:dbaker@interchange.ubc.ca">dbaker@interchange.ubc.ca</a></div><div><br></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></body></html>