• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.115-132
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• 2022

Caodaism officially came into existence in 1926 in Southern Vietnam and soon became a spiritual phenomenon, in the sense of spiritual and social influence. Despite being sandwiched between political forces and ruling governments, Caodaism steadily grew far beyond its national boundary. After 95 years, Caodaism eventually reached Taiwan when a new small Cao Đài Congregation, approved by top Cao Đài Dignitaries in Vietnam, was established in Zhongli District, Taoyuan City by a group identifying as 'Vietnamese New Immigrants' in Taiwan. This article traced this religious organization's doctrine, philosophy, prophecy and relevant socio-cultural factors and found that (1) Caodaists see the successful spreading of Caodaism to Taiwan as having been prophesied long ago; (2) Caodaists believe that any human efforts by Cao Đài missionaries to spread Caodaism overseas without approval from Divinities could end up in failure; and (3) the similarities in social, cultural, and religious practices between the peoples of Vietnam and Taiwan lay a strong foundation for Caodaism to further develop in Taiwan.

• 한국아프리카학회지
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• 제43권
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• pp.89-111
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• 2014

This article deals with the characteristics and limitations of Edwin W. Smith's study of African religions. He was born as son of British Primitive Methodist missionary in South Africa, 1876. He was trained to become a Bible translator. After marriage he moved to Africa with his wife and translated the Bible into the Ila language. Most Western missionaries despised African cultures and religions, but Smith proposed a new way to study African cultures and religions on the anthropological basis of respect and understanding. Though he kept the mission mind to convert Africans to Christians and supported the fulfillment theology, he accepted the values and significance of African religions. With scientific and object approaches, Smith regarded Africans as rational and philosophical human beings. He rejected the traditional concept of mission that Western form of Christianity should be forced upon the mind and heart of Africans. Rather Smith encouraged Africans to build up their own churches and theologies with creative and dynamic worldviews including magic, Dynamism, Spiritism, ancestor worship and the faith to the Supreme Being. In conclusion, despite his limitations as missionary, Smith has been remembered as 'the founder of African Studies' and 'the ancestor of British phenomenological school.' His missionary experience became the solid foundation for becoming scholar of African religions.

• 대순사상과 동아시아종교
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• 제1권2호
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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.