Page 62 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

this world’s blessings of wealth, health, and longevity; the focus is not on human morality or

social justice. 135

Buddhism was first introduced through China in A.D.372. 136 In addition to Buddhism,

the Yi Dynasty (1392-1910) adopted Confucianism as a national religious ideology in 1392. 137

Consequently, the religions of Korea became blended and syncretistic. 138 Since Shamanism as a

folk religion in Korea has “neither doctrine nor organizations, even though it has a unique belief

system,” it was easily wedded to the higher religions of Buddhism and Confucianism. 139 Hence,

Buddhism came to be a Shamanistic Buddhism. 140 Confucianism became Shamanistic

Confucianism. 141 As a result, no single religion claimed dominance over Korean culture. 142 It is

135 Hyun Mo Lee, “A Missiological Appraisal of the Korean Church in Light of
Theological Contextualization” (Ph.D. diss., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1992).
136
For a succinct introduction to Korean Buddhism, see Donald Baker, “Buddhism” in An
Introduction to Korean Culture ed. John H. Koo and Andrew C. Nahm (Elizabeth, NJ and Seoul:
Hollym International Corp., 1997): 155-71. For Buddhism and Mission in Korea, consult James
Huntly Grayson, Early Buddhism and Christianity in Korea: A Study in the Emplantation of
Religion (Leiden, Netherlands : E.J. Brill, 1985) and Jung Gil Hong, “An Effective Mission
Strategy in Buddhist Cultural Society, South Korea,” Th.M. proj., Fuller Theological Seminary,
1994.

137 For Confucianism in Korea, see Martina Deuchler, The Confucian Transformation of
Korea: A Study of Society and Ideology (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press,
1992).

138
For Syncretism as a religious phenomenon, see Paul G. Hiebert, Anthropological
Insight for Missionaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1985).

139 Jong Lee, “The Effect of Korean Shamanistic Worldview,” 1.

140 For a historical example, see Pankaj N. Mohan, “Shamaic Buddhism of Early Shilla,”
in Perspectives on Korea, eds., Sang-Oak Lee and Suk-Soo Park (Canberra, Australia: Wild
Peony Pty Ltd, 1998), 333-352.

141
Tong-Shik Ryu, “The Religions of Korea and the Personality of Koreans,” in Korea
Struggles for Christ: Memorial Symposium for the Eightieth Anniversary of Protestantism in