James H. Grayson

The Accommodation of Korean Folk Religion to the Religious Forms of Buddhism: An Example of Reverse Syncretism

Although syncretism as a cultural phenomenon is a widely recognized feature of the transmission of religion from one culture to another, the particular adjustment made by the folk religions to world missionary religions is not widely mentioned as such in the literature of the history of religions. The A. explores the accomodation made by the folk religion of Korea to Buddhism. In doing so, two different types of syncretism are examined, and the concept of « reverse syncretism » is discussed.

Myths and Legends from Korea : An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials

Part 1 Introduction. Part 2 Foundation myths: introduction the myths of the ancient states of Korea Korean clan or royal clan origin myths foundation myths of the states of northeast Asia foundation myths and legends of northeast Asia comparison of northeast Asian foundation myths. Part 3 Legends and tales from the ancient period: etiological tales heroic tales edifying tales tales of magic adventurous and amusing tales. Part 4 Folktales from the modern period: etiological and etymological tales heroic tales edifying tales tales of magic, geomancy, and divination adventurous and amusing tales bear stories tiger stories fox stories. Bibliography, maps.

Ch'udo yebae : A Case Study in the Early Emplantation of Protestant Christianity in Korea

An early resolution of conflict of values is necessary if a missionary religion is to find acceptance in the culture of the receiving society. In East Asia, under the influence of Confucianism, filial piety came to be seen as the principal personal and social moral value, which was to be given visible representation in the performance of ancestral rituals. Christian missions, Catholic and Protestant, faced a conflict between filial piety and ancestral rites on the one hand, and the proscription of the performance of idolatrous rites on the other hand. From the end of the nineteenth century, Korean Protestants have resolved this conflict by developing a Christian ritual that is a substitute for Confucian ancestral rites. Within a century, this rite has become the centerpiece of a complex of Confucian-based Christian death and funerary rituals.

They first saw a mirror : A korean folktale as a form of social criticism

One of the most popular modern Korean folktales is Choi Tale Type 500, ‘The People Who Saw a Mirror for the First Time’. This tale however is neither a uniquely Korean nor East Asian tale, but an example of a general class of folktales found throughout the world. In the Aarne-Thompson Index it is classified as tale type 1336A, ‘Man does not Recognize his own Reflection in the Water (Mirror)’. The origins of the modern Korean tale may be traced back to the early years of the transmission and establishment of Buddhism in East Asia. The initial use of this tale in a Buddhist context, as a means to illustrate the illusionary nature of all things, had by the beginning of the twentieth century in Korea changed into providing a strong critique of certain features of contemporary society.

Susa-no-o: a culture hero from Korea

The Izumo area of Shimane Prefecture possesses one of the principal shrines of Shinto, the Izumo taisha, and a distinctive mythological tradition and ritual practice which is focused on Susa-no-o, brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu O-mikami, and which is different from the standard traditions concerning Susa-no-o contained in the Kojiki and the Nihon shoki . The mythic traditions of Shimane associated with Susa-no-o and references to him in ancient texts indicate that this great spirit is a culture hero who brought to Japan Korean metallurgic techniques and methods of afforestation.There are numerous shrines in the northern part of Shimane which are dedicated to this spirit. However, in the central part of the prefecture there is another complete mythic cycle about Susa-no-o and his son Isotake, which has left its imprint on the toponyms of the area as well as being remembered in contemporary annual rituals. Centred in the area of the city of Oda, this second Susa-no-o cycle is independent of the mythic cycle in the Izumo area and is not attested to in any ancient documents. Comparing ancient Korean documents with evidence from various Japanese materials, it is clear that the Shimane area of western Japan had sustained contact in antiquity with the south-western part of the Korean peninsula.

Elements of Protestant Accommodation to Korean Religious Culture: A Personal Ethnographic Perspective

The structure and form of contemporary Korean Protestantism gives the initial impression to the outsider that there is a radical disjuncture between Christian faith and Korean culture. Korean Protestantism would appear to have made no accommodation to the religious or philosophical aspects of Korean culture. The author argues that although he had originally held to this view, further reflection on the dynamics of the relationship between Christianity and Korean culture convinced him that there has been a very profound degree of accommodation can be shown to exist on three different levels of culture—the behavioral level, the ritual level, and the level of faith. Likewise, this process of accommodation can be shown to have both positive and negative aspects. For example, the Christian memorial service for the deceased members of ones family can be shown to be a positive accommodation to a perceived need in Korean culture. However, the idea that faith in God is primarily for the material blessings which will be bestowed on the believer can be said to be a negative aspect of Protestant accommodation.

The Shintō Shrine Conflict and Protestant Martyrs in Korea, 1938–1945

From 1930 to 1945, the Japanese colonial government of Korea pursued a policy of requiring attendance at the rituals of the State Shintō cult. Failure to comply met with severe punishment with 50 Koreans being known to have died as a result of their opposition to shrine worship. Although unquestionably holding nationalistic sentiments, these martyrs died as a result of their religious rather than their political beliefs. Refusal to comply with the colonial regimes demands led to differences within the Christian community, which in turn led to the subsequent creation of denominations which separated themselves from groups which were perceived to have compromised their Christian witness.

The Empire of Mt. Sion: A Korean Millenarian Group Born in a Time of Crisis

This paper is about a Korean Millenarian group called Sion-san cheguk (the Empire of Mt. Sion). Contrary to anthropological studies of “millenarian” movements in non-European societies, the study here shows that this Korean millenarian group is neither post-millennial in outlook, nor was it anti-European although it was anti-colonial. More importantly, this paper indicates that it is fundamentally wrong to assume that “millenarian” movements are principally movements of political protest, and not inspired fundamentally by religious beliefs.

Invading Mongols and the Preservation of Korean Traditions: The Monk Iryŏn and the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms

Abstract In the thirteenth century, when the Kingdom of Koryŏ—a state ancestral to modern Korea—was threatened culturally as well as politically by Mongol invasion and domination, a leading monk of that era, Iryŏn, undertook to record the folklore of the ancient period, the era of the so-called Three Kingdoms, and to compile it into a major work. This effort might now be called ‘salvage folklore’, but the way in which Iryŏn conducted his research and analysed his materials suggests that he should be regarded as Korea’s first folklorist, and that his work, the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, should be regarded as the earliest extant compendium of folkloric material from Korea.

Tan’gun and Chumong: The Politics of Korean Foundation Myths

Abstract Foundation myths by definition are politically focused tales, describing the origin of nations, states, ruling dynasties, clans, and other consanguineal groups. The myths of Tan’gun and Chumong are the oldest extant foundation myths of Korea, but only the Myth of Tan’gun has had a continuous influence on the affirmation of Korean polities and nationalism for over a thousand years. This article explores why that has been the case.