• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.185-194
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• 2004

This study examined the characteristics of 45 sects of seven new aboriginal religious groups in Korea including Jeungsan sect, Tangun sect, Soowoon sect, Won Buddhism, Bongnam sect, Gahksedo sect, Shamanism sect that had given a considerable influence on the modem Korean society since the end of 19th century through the field study and the review of documents. The purpose of the study was to elucidate how their religious ideas were reflected in their ceremonial costumes and what characteristics these costumes had. The results were as follows: 1. The new religious groups in Korea modified or mixed the designs or the names of existing outfits to convey their ideas or beliefs through their costumes. 2. The costumes of new religious groups had common characteristics of the times, Korean tradition and ancestor worship. 3. All the ceremonial costumes symbolized the creeds and ideas of each religion in their names, designs, and colors. The names of the costumes such as Way-Robe, Law-Robe, and Ceremony-Robe, and of the headpieces such as Sky-Crown, Lotus-Crown, Ceremony-Crown, and Sevenfold-Crown, for instance, were related with Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The most common design of costume was consisted of traditional hanbok and some type of headpiece and robe for men, and hanbok modified to Western-style for women. Most sects adopted hanbok as their ceremonial costume, but they tend to simplify its design. The color scheme of the costumes reflected the influence of the Yul-Yang and Five Elements idea but the colors varied depending on seasons and occasions to suit their creeds and philosophy. 4. These religious costumes were worn at various ceremonies, ritual, and various anniversary services for the master and other dignitaries of the sect to render greater piety to those gatherings, to distinguish the sect from other religious groups, to clarify the meaning of the ceremony, and to heighten the devout feelings of the participants. Thus, the structure (the symbol, names, and types of the outfit, and their color scheme) and religious background of the costumes of the new aboriginal religious groups in Korea turned out to have inherited and mixed various elements of traditional Korean outfits and those of existing religions to symbolize their religious ideas.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.39
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• pp.69-97
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• 2021

'Déconstruction' is a system of thought that induces the emergent property that characterizes contemporary philosophy. The tradition of ancient Greek philosophy evolved over and over again, giving rise to the Renaissance and Enlightenment. It seemed to have reached its end under the historical perspective of modernity. However, contemporary philosophy wanted to see more possibilities through the deconstruction of modern philosophy. If modern philosophy dreams of a strange cohabitation between God and man with the humanistic completion of Plato's philosophy, modern philosophy rejects even that through deconstruction. Although Plato's classical metaphysics is a stable system centered around the absolute, it is ultimately based on God and religion. Under that system, human autonomy is only the autonomy bestowed by God. Contemporary philosophy is one of the results of efforts that try to begin philosophy from the original human voice through deconstruction. Instead of epistemology dependent on metaphysics, they wanted to establish epistemology from human existence and realize the best good that would set humans free through deconstruction. As such, it is no mistake to say that deconstruction is also an extension of the modern topic of human freedom. Deconstruction and human freedom act as one body in that the two cannot be separated from each other. Oddly enough, Daesoon Thought, which seems to have religious faith and traditional conservatism as main characteristics, has an emergent property that encompasses modern and contemporary times. The period of Korea, when Kang Jeungsan was active and founded Daesoon Thought, has an important meaning for those who have a keen view of history. Such individuals likely think that they have found a valuable treasure. This is because that period was a time when ideological activities were conducted due to an intense desire to discover the meaning of human freedom and envision a new world without copying the ways of the West. Instead they looked to face internal problems and raise people's awareness through subjectivity. In other words, the subtle ideas created by Korea's self-sustaining liberalism often take the form of what is commonly called new religions in modern times. Among these new religions, Daesoon Thought, as a Chamdonghak (true Eastern Learning), aims to spread a particular modern value beyond modern times through the concept of Haewon (the resolution of grievances) that was proclaimed by Jeungsan. The Haewon espoused in Daesoon Thought is in line with the disbandment of modern philosophy in that it contains modernity beyond modern times. First, Haewon means to resolve the fundamental resentment of human existence, which arose from Danju's grievance. Secondly, Haewon in Daesoon Thought encompasses the Haewon of the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity centers on a Haewon-esque style of existence called Injon (Human Nobility). Haewon in Daesoon Thought can be understood in the same context as Derrida's philosophy of Deconstruction. Modern deconstruction attempts to expose the invisible structures and bonds within human society and attempt to destroy them. In a similar way, Haewon endeavors to resolve the conflicts among the Three Realms by releasing the bonds of fundamental oppression that hinder the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.41-59
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• 2022

Caodaism is a new religion from Vietnam which began in late 1925 and spread rapidly across the French colony of Indochina. With a broad syncretic aim, the new faith sought to revivify Vietnamese religious traditions whilst also incorporating religious, literary, and spiritist influences from France. Like Catholicism, Caodaism kept a strong focus on its monotheistic nature and today Caodaists are eager to label their religion a monotheism. It will be argued here, however, that the syncretic nature of this new faith complicates this claim to a significant degree. To make this argument, we will consider here the nature of God in Caodaism through two central texts from two important stages in the life of the religion. The first is the canonized Compilation of Divine Messages which collects a range of spirit messages from God and some other divine voices. These were received in the early years of the faith. The second is a collection of sermons from 1948/9 that takes Caodaist believers on a tour of heaven, and which is entitled The Divine Path to Eternal Life. It will be shown that in the first text, God speaks in the mode of a fully omnipotent and omniscient supreme being. In the second text, however, we are given a view of paradise that is much more akin to the court of a Jade Emperor within an East Asian milieu. In these realms, the personalities of other beings and redemptive mechanisms claim much of our attention, and seem to be a competing center of power to that of God. Furthermore, God's consort, the Divine Mother, takes on a range of sacred creative prerogatives that do something similar. Additionally, cadres of celestial administrators; buddhas, immortals, and saints help with the operation of a cosmos which spins on with guidance from its own laws. These laws form sacred mechanisms, such as cycles of reincarnation and judgement. These operate not in the purview of God, but as part of the very nature of the cosmos itself. In this context, the dualistic, polytheistic, and even automatic nature of Caodaism's cosmos will be considered in terms of the way in which they complicate this religion's monotheistic claims. To conclude, this article seeks to demonstrate the precise relevance of the term 'monotheism' for this religion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.152-164
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• 2014

Korean people have revered the white color and enjoyed wearing white clothes. Various kinds of white clothes have been worn by the Korean people, ranging from everyday wear(便服), and scholar's robe(深衣) for the upper class, to religious costumes like Buddhist monk's robe(僧服), shaman costumes(巫服) and costumes for ancestral rites(祭服), or mourning(喪服). There have been many differing opinions by historians regarding the background of this Baekeuihosang(白衣好尙, the preference for white clothing) tradition and even now, it is frequently being discussed. This study aims to consider and discuss the background of this Baekeuihosang tradition, focusing on Chang-seon Yoo's Baekeuigo(白衣考, the consideration of white clothing), which was published in Dong-A Ilbo in 1934. The purposes of studying literature such as the Baekeuigo is to analyze the arguments on the origin of Baekeuihosang, to analyze Chang-seon Yoo's claim of its origin, and to discuss the culture of Baekeuihosang. Chang-seon Yoo claimed that the existing discussions on the background of Baekeuihosang based on the lack of dyes, or undeveloped technique, economic privation and national control strayed from historical facts, according to literature review. It is not worth discussing the farfetched arguments such as the use of costumes for ancestral rites as everyday wears, or the nation of sorrow. Baekeuihosang tradition mostly originated from the effects of many religions and the taste for innocence, or naturalness. White clothes were infused with the sorrow and emotion of Korean people and were also worn to show resistance to foreign power as symbols of ethnicity. Therefore, there should be a new view of the discussion of white clothes and Korean aesthetic sense, away from the logic distorted by the Japanese colonial view of history.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.3
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• pp.115-126
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• 1982

Nobody denies that to detect a view of children agreeable to us is one of our tasks. Studying the Early Buddhist Scriptures, for the purpose of finding and the view of children entered the priesthood of Buddhism rooted deeply in our culture, I can find out the following conclusions. 1. Buddha regards that adults and children are same in that both of them are equally able to attain Nirvana, and he recognizes the differences between adults and children appeared in body and mind in the process of spiritual discipline. 2. He consideres that parent's worldly love is needed to the children priests below the age of 12. 3. He called priests over the age of 12 to 20 children priests, and he said that they have to be under a certain guard in particular, because unlike adults they have a lot of problem in the discipline process. 4. In the view of human being's growth and development, it is assumed that the group of children priests played a part as a group of spiritual discipline for youths. 5. It's regarded that the group of children priests also had function as a group of child welfare of today. 6. In other side, we can see Buddha's strict view of education for children priests, that is, even though they were children they had to discipline themselves thoroughly according to the view of values of Buddhism as far as they are priests who entered the temple. 7. Even if they are children, only minimal living things are permitted to them, and an ascetic life is required to them. In modern sense, how can such views be accepted and used? I think, this is our new task deeply looked into again in the standpoint of education of whole man rooted in religions psychology.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.925-932
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of the study is to improve autonomous decision-making ability by analyzing the relationship between autonomy and decision-making ability. Methods : The subjects were 176 dental hygienists in Busan. Self-reported questionnaire was fill out from May 2012 to January 2013. Results : The average of the degree of autonomy was $2.20{\pm}0.29$. Buddhists showed the highest score of $2.37{\pm}0.37$ (p<0.05). Buddhists had the higher education than other religions (p<.05). Clinical decision-making ability was $2.21{\pm}0.25$. Among the subcategories, statistically significant differences (p<.05) was shown by gender, degree of education, and religion in the domain of "Exploration of Choice and Alternatives"; Buddhists showed a higher score in the domains of "Assessment and Re-evaluation of Decisions" and "Review of Values and Goals," with significant difference of p<.05. Autonomy and clinical decision making revealed a positive correlation in the categories "Assessment and Re-evaluation of Decisions" (r=.518, p=.000), "Review of Values and Goals" (r=.610, p=.000), and "Investigation of Information and Synchronization of New Information" (r=.314, p=.000). Conclusions : To improve the performance of dental hygienists, working systems and training will be intensified to develop the autonomy and clinical decision making.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.85-96
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• 2015

Objectives: This study aims to identify the influencing factors of using postnatal care among illiteracy women who live in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods: Household survey was done from February 1 to 8, 2013 in the Kwango district of Democratic Republic of Congo, and 400 childbearing women who has under 5 years old children and pregnant women was randomly selected and answered through the interview with a questionnaire. For analysis the data, ${\chi}^2$ test and logistic regression analysis were used. Results: Woman who can read, write and mathematical calculation was 195 (47.4%) of total 411 answers and 161 (39.2%) used postnatal care for their latest pregnancy. Age at first marriage (${\chi}^2=18.481$, p<.001), religions (${\chi}^2=11.165$, p=.011), languages (${\chi}^2=35.586$, p<.001), the experience of children death (${\chi}^2=16.507$, p<.001), antenatal care over 4 times (${\chi}^2=15.315$, p<.001), postnatal care (${\chi}^2=15.558$, p<.001) is significantly different from literacy level. Among illiterate women group, who are protestant (OR=.330), using Lingala (OR=.128), took elementary education (OR=.223) and farmer (OR=.040), used less postnatal care. Conclusions: For increasing usage of postnatal care among illiterate women, new approach method should be considered such as a visual communication method and a community health workers' training program for giving an outreach service to pregnant women care.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.469-480
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• 2006

Patterns in clothing symbolize some specific meaning that differs across cultures and religions, although patterns have been mostly used to realize human desires to overcome natural hazards in every culture or religion. This research aims to compare animal patterns of Korea (Confucian/Buddhism culture) with those of Byzantine (Christian culture), based upon a research method of literature survey. It is found through the research that both cultures used common patterns, such as dragon, butterfly, bat, honeybee, peacock, fish, and chicken. In the case of dragon patterns, Korea used it to symbolize emperor, dignity, or authority, while Byzantine used it for devil. Bat patterns had different symbolic meanings in both cultures: they mean happiness, longevity, prosperity or many off-springs in Korea while they mean misfortune or unhappiness in Byzantine. On the other hand, the rest of animal patterns, including butterfly, honeybee, peacock, chicken, had quite a similar symbolic meaning. Butterfly means change of life or beginning of new life in Korea, whereas it means resurrection in Byzantine. Honeybee symbolizes diligence, order, and cooperation. Many animal patterns were used in both cultures at the same time. Another difference can be found in terms of the kind of animals; for example, Korea used wild goose, pheasant, giraffe, deer, mandarin duck & turtle, while Byzantine used eagle, snake, pigeon. Of course, each and every animal has its own meaning, mostly positive. Except dragons and bats, both cultures have a similar meaning in most of animal patterns. Generally speaking, Korea used imaginary animals to pray for human happiness, but Byzantine used real animals to pray for resurrections.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.22
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• pp.539-565
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• 2014

This paper provides the meaning of sacred places and pilgrimages in Daesoonjinrihoe, the most representative of the new religions in Korea. Daesoonjinrihoe stipulates Dojang(道場, it means temple complex) as the sacred places, which presently functions as the center of their religious faith. Also, The Daesoonjinrihoe devotees worship 15 deities at a sacred place, Yeongdae(靈臺). By seeing meanings of sacred places and pilgrimage in Daesoonjinrihoe, This article focuses on the process of the sacrificial rite of Daesoonjinrihoe related to the importance of religious ritual or place of faith and sacred places as pilgrimage sites. At this time, I explain the properties of sacrificial rite of it. The sacrificial rite of Daesoonjinrihoe, one of its major rites, is performed at both regular and irregular intervals. It is performed by either an individual or a group at a fixed time and place. The study of sacred places should focus not only artificial structures such as buildings but also the meanings given to them and the mechanism that created these meanings. Pilgrimage is journey undertaken by person who consider their destination sacred. By seeing meaning of pilgrimage, this paper focus on Daesoonjinrihoe' role in making a place pilgrimage sites and pilgrimage functions. The reason I focus on sacred places and pilgrimage in Daesoonjinrihoe is that these sacred places reflect people's attempt to invent religious memory and identity. Thus, I elucidate the role that Daesoonjinrihoe's sacred places and pilgrimage plays in remembering religious memory. I examine the messages that Daesoonjinrihoe's sacred places intend to convey to the followers through the created sacred places and pilgrimage. Sacred places are significant because it reflect important symbolic features of religion. Sacred places and pilgrimage are vehicles for remembering the religious memory and reinforcing various memories. Finally, Handing down of our valuable Daesoonjinrihoe's cultural heritage is our duty. So it is necessary to make an effort to conserve Daesoonjinrihoe's cultural heritage such as sacred places and concentration upon our interest continuously.

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.13-34
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• 2024

This article is a compilation of civilizational crises and their overcoming from the worldview of Daesoon Jinrihoe, based on the premise that religion can offer advice on the crises faced by modern civilization. It is a reinterpretation of human history from a religious perspective, focusing on mutual contentions, grievances, grudges, and their overcoming. Daesoon Jinrihoe explains that modern civilizational crises were first recognized by divine beings in the 18th and 19th centuries, and then later recognized by humans in the 20th and 21st centuries. Unable to resolve the civilization crises, the divine beings asked the Supreme God to intervene in human history, and the Supreme God was born in a human body to reveal the root causes and development of various civilizational crise sand to propose solutions to overcome them. These solutions encompass setting the world aright and ushering in a new era through the Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth (天地公事), attaining enduring peace by practicing grievance resolution for mutual beneficence (解冤相生), and reconstructing the relationship between divine beings and humans in harmonious coexistence. Devotees hold that Daesoon Jinrihoe is a religion that originated as a solution to a problem faced by God rather than humankind. As such, it considers the crises of civilization and their overcoming as the reason for existence. According to the religion's worldview, the Supreme God has already provided the solution to these civilizational crises. With a tip of the hat to the film Interstellar (2014), it could be said, "God Found a Way. He Always Has." Now, Daesoon Jinrihoe posits that it is up to humans to implement the way that God found.