[KS] CFP: JKS Special Issue "Between the Sacred and the Secular: Christianity as Lived Experience in Modern Korea"

[Frank Joseph Shulman]

Dear Colleagues,

And may I please ask: What about the Mormons, the subjects (for
example) of the following two doctoral dissertations:

CHOI, Dong Sull  (1937- ).
    A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in
Korea, 1950-1985.  Brigham Young University [United States], 1990
(Ph.D. in History).  Chairperson-Major Adviser: James B. Allen.  viii,
350, 1p.  DAI 51, no.4 (Oct. 1990): 1270-A; UMI 9021640.
    Choi, a convert to Mormonism and a graduate of both Korea
University in Seoul (B.A. in English Language and Literature, 1987
[sic]) and Brigham Young University (M.A. in International Studies,
1984), traced the activities of the Mormon Church in Korea from its
beginnings through 1985. He specifically addressed the following
issues: "how the religions of Asia and Christianity laid the
foundation for the introduction of Mormonism into Korea"; "the nature
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a church with an
international spirit and mission"; "how Mormonism began in Korea as a
predominantly American church"; "the basic historical development of
the Mormon Church in Korea", including the pioneering activities of
Dr. Kim Ho-jik (1905-1959) (Gim Ho-jik/Kim Ho Jik); "the process
through which it gradually developed Korean leadership as it moved
towards 'Koreanization'" (or indigenization); and "the critical
transitional events in that process". Choi concluded with "his own
suggestions for the further Koreanization of the Church".
    Contents: Introduction. 1. The Historical and Religious Setting of
Korea. 2. The Rise of Christianity. 3. The Korean War and Mormonism's
Introduction into Korea. 4. Dr. Kim Ho Jik and His Contributions to
the Korean LDS Church. 5. The Latter-Day Saints in the 1950s. 6. The
Korean LDS Church on the Move: The 1960s. 7. The Church Takes Root:
The 1970s. 8. The Church Reaches Maturity: The 1980s. 9. Building a
House of the Lord in Korea. 10. Retrospect and the Problem of
Koreanization. Conclusions. Appendices [1-5]: pp.323-31. Bibliography:
pp.332-50.
    Master's thesis: "Marks of Success in American Mission Policies in
Korea", by Dong Sull Choi. M.A. in International Studies, Brigham
Young University, 1984. iv, 82p.


TARK, Ji-il  (1964- ).
    Establishing the Kingdom of God on Earth: Transitions in the
Family-Centred Beliefs and Practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints and the Unification Church, 1945-1997.  University
of St. Michael's College (Toronto) [Canada], 2002 (Ph.D. in Theology).
Chairperson-Major Adviser: Phyllis D. Airhart.  viii, 255p.  DAI 63,
no.10 (Apr. 2003): 3610-A; UMI NQ73451.
    This dissertation, a comparative study of two successful new
religious movements, argued that "in spite of various tensions and
conflicts with their host society [the United States and Korea
respectively] due to their sociological natures and religious beliefs
and practices, both churches constantly strove to proclaim their
gospels throughout the world and made several transitions in the way
in which they focus on the family for the purpose of establishing the
Kingdom of God on earth". Tark, an ordained Presbyterian minister and
a graduate of the Presbyterian College and Seminary in Seoul, Yonsei
University (also in Seoul), the San Francisco Theological Seminary and
the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, paid
particular attention to the anthropology of the Mormon Church and the
Unification Church as well as to their respective understandings of
marriage and of family.
    Contents: Introduction. 1. Sect, Cult, or New Religious Movement?
2. Prophet, Promise, Plan, Possibility, and Place: Historical
Background. 3. Anthropology: The Need for the Kingdom of God on Earth.
4. Marriage: The Gate to the Kingdom of God on Earth. 5. Family: The
Basic Unit of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Conclusion. Appendices
[1-10]: pp.224-39. Bibliography: pp.240-55.
    Published as Family-Centered Belief and Practice in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Unification Church, by Ji-il
Tark. New York and Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 2003. xii, 192p.


Should Mormonism be explicitly included as well within the holistic
view of Christianity in Korea?

Best wishes,

Frank

January 27, 2018

Frank Joseph Shulman
Bibliographer, Editor and Consultant for Reference Publications in Asian Studies
9225 Limestone Place
College Park, Maryland 20740-3943 (U.S.A.)
E-mail: fshulman at umd.edu

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: James Grayson <j.h.grayson at sheffield.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2018 09:07:50 +0000
Subject: Re: [KS] CFP: JKS Special Issue "Between the Sacred and the
Secular: Christianity as Lived Experience in Modern Korea"
To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreanstudies.com>

17.1.18

Dear Carl,
I hadn't seen the announcement - but I am 'gobsmacked' !  Christianity is
Christianity with a wide range of representations.  I agree that not only
should Roman Catholicism be brought inside the tent, but it would be
worthwhile to learn something of the Orthodox experience.  It's time that a
holistic view be taken of Christianity and its experience in Korea.

Thank you for pointing this out!
James

On 16 January 2018 at 17:38, Carl Young <carlfyoung at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Dear all,
>
>
> I don't have too much invested in this, but am I the only one to be
> disturbed by the phrase in this announcement "...Protestant Christianity
> (hereafter Christianity)..."?  I know that it is common for Protestants in
> Korea to exclude Catholics from being Christian and to consider themselves
> as the only Christians, but when a major US institution such as Columbia
> and the *Journal of Korean Studies* reproduces this, it seems a bit
> disturbing to me.  This is especially in view of the fact that Catholics
> were strongly involved in the democratisation movement and that today,
> Catholicism is the fastest growing Christian denomination in Korea.  I
> think the workshop organisers and the editors of the *Journal of Korean
> Studies* should be strongly encouraged either to open the workshop to
> Catholicism (and possibly other Christian traditions like Eastern
> Orthodoxy), or affirm in the title that this workshop is exclusively
> centred on Protestant Christianity by using the phrase "Protestant
> Christianity" or "Protestantism" in the title, rather than making
> Christianity exclusively Protestant, which goes against the definition of
> Christianity in most of the major English language dictionaries in the
> world.
>
>
> Carl Young
>
> Department of History
>
> University of Western Ontario
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Koreanstudies <koreanstudies-bounces at koreanstudies.com> on behalf
> of Jooyeon Kim <jk2857 at columbia.edu>
> *Sent:* January 16, 2018 4:52 PM
> *To:* koreanstudies at koreanstudies.com
> *Subject:* [KS] CFP: JKS Special Issue "Between the Sacred and the
> Secular: Christianity as Lived Experience in Modern Korea"
>
> *CALL FOR PAPERS*
>
> *“Between the Sacred and the Secular: *
>
> *Christianity as Lived Experience in Modern Korea” *
>
> *For a special issue of the Journal of Korean Studies*
>
> *A One-day Workshop at Columbia University, November 6, 2018*
>
> We invite proposals for a workshop on the theme, “Between the Sacred and
> the Secular: Christianity as Lived Experience in Modern Korea.”

> Modern Korea has been characterized as a "secular" country, but since its
> introduction to Korea in the late nineteenth century Protestant
> Christianity (hereafter Christianity) has long been a critical force in
> shaping virtually every aspect of modern Korean life. Christianity in Korea
> has been intertwined with shifting political conditions, such as Western
> imperialism, Japanese colonialism, modern nation-state building, democracy
> movements and neoliberalism. It has also had a significant impact upon
> class formation, gender relations and everyday life practices. Furthermore,
> South Korea has become a prominent player in global Christianity, a leader
> in sending missionaries overseas. How should we understand the ubiquitous
> presence of Christianity in “secular” modern Korea? Recent scholarship
> suggests that the boundary between the sacred/religious and the
> secular/material has never been clear-cut; rather, it has been and remains
> fluid and constitutive.
>
> We invite proposals that shed new light on the dynamic, sometimes
> conflicting and sometimes synergistic relationships that exist between the
> sacred and the secular in Korea. We are particularly interested in analyses
> that tease out the subtle but pervasive influence of Christianity within
> the sociopolitical, economic, cultural and affective domains. Taking Korea
> as a case study, we aim to offer significant insights into the intersection
> of the religious with the secular, material and social.
>
> The workshop is being organized by the Center for Korean Research (CKR) of
> Columbia University with generous support from the Academy of Korean
> Studies (AKS-2016-OLU-2250006). The cost of accommodation, meals, and
> transportation will be covered for workshop participants, contingent upon
> budget availability. Please send a 300-word abstract and a brief
> biographical sketch that includes a list of representative publications by *March
> 31, 2018* to the workshop organizer, Hyaeweol Choi (
> hyaeweol.choi at anu.edu.au).
>
>
> Jooyeon Kim
> Managing Editor
>
> *The Journal of Korean Studies
> <https://www.facebook.com/thejournalofkoreanstudies/>*
>
> Weatherhead East Asian Institute <http://weai.columbia.edu/>
>
> Columbia University
>
> 420 West 118th Street, Office 907
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=420+West+118th+Street,+Office+907+%0D+New+York,+New+York+10027&entry=gmail&source=g>
> New York, New York 10027
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=420+West+118th+Street,+Office+907+%0D+New+York,+New+York+10027&entry=gmail&source=g>
>
> http://jks.weai.columbia.edu/

-- 
Emeritus Professor James H. Grayson
School of East Asian Studies
The University of Sheffield
6/8 Shearwood Road
Sheffield S10 2TD

(tel) 07780 70-1116
(fax) +44 114 222-8432
(email) j.h.grayson at sheffield.ac.uk