Shamanistic Influences In Korean Pentecostal Christianity: An Analysis

Introduction

Spring 2000
By Jeremy Reynalds

Although Protestant Christianity in Korea is only about 100 years old, it has grown dramatically. At the end of World War II only approximately 8 percent of the population was Christian. But by 1994 that figure had increased to over 33 percent of the South Korean population.

Korean Christianity could not be called "other-worldly." After the 1951 ending of the Korean War, South Korean Christians mounted a fierce opposition to the authoritarian regimes of Syngman Rhee and Chung Hee Park, during which time many believers were beaten and jailed.

Korean Christians invented their own version of "liberation theology," which they called "minjung theology" (Cox 1995). In addition, today's average Korean churchgoer believes that by embracing Christianity, he or she will get plenty of material success in this world and their spiritual rewards in the next (Tongshik: 9-21 quoted in Yoo 1988:104).

A key element of understanding "minjung" is being able to comprehend the concept of "han," which has been deemed as "untranslatable" by some Koreans but called by others an indispensable key in being able to understand the Korean soul (Cox 1995).

But more exactly, what is "han?" One scholar calls it a "feeling of unresolved resentment against injustices suffered, a sense of helplessness because of the overwhelming odds against one, a feeling of acute pain in one's guts and bowels, making the whole body writhe and squirm, and an obstinate urge to take revenge and to right the wrong -- all these combined (Nam-dong:55-72 quoted in Yoo:221).

Han is very deep rooted in Korean culture and the country's entire way of life has been profoundly shaped by the doctrine/concept (Yoo 1988).

Suh Nam-dong writes:

Koreans have suffered numerous invasions by powerful surrounding nations so that the very existence of the Korean nation has come to be understood as Han. Koreans have continually suffered the tyranny of the rulers so that they think of their existence as Baeksong (individually or collectively, those under the control of a sovereign. This term is nowadays used to mean common people). Also, under Confucianism's strict imposition of laws and customs discriminating against women, the existence of women was Han itself. At a certain point in Korean history, about half of the population were registered as hereditary slaves and were treated as property rather than as people of the nation. They thought of their lives as Han. These four points may be called the fourfold Han of the Korean people. Indeed, as the poet Ko Bun exclaims, "We Koreans were born from the womb of Han and brought up in the womb of Han." (Suh Nam-dong:55-72 quoted in Yoo 1988:222)

Another scholar says that Han is an underlying feeling of the Korean nation. While one aspect of Han manifests as a feeling of basic worthlessness, on the other hand it can also be displayed as a zest for life which comes to weaker beings. The first aspect can sometimes be sublimated to result in a demonstration of great artistic expression and the other aspect can result in a revolution or a rebellion (Yoo 1988).

Minjung theology has had a huge influence on Korean Christianity, including on that of Korean pentecostalism. For example, during a "Here's Life Korea" campaign, in addition to being encouraged to pray for new converts, believers were also exhorted to pray for the justice of the Kingdom of God as well as national reconciliation (Cox 1995).

Interestingly, the missionaries who brought Christianity to Korea passed over Korea's ruling elite and took the gospel message to the poor and rural areas. They also translated the Bible into Hangul, the language of the common people (Cox 1995).

"As a result, Korean Christianity quickly became associated with the national resistance to Japanese imperialism and, in part, because it has blended with shamanism, it has retained a strong hold on the masses" (Cox 1995:239-240).

But what about the massive eruption not just of Korean Christianity in South Korea but more specifically of Korean Pentecostalism? How can the phenomenal growth be explained? Some explanations attribute the growth to the painful aftermath of the Korean War and the resulting economic and social changes. Others cite the mushrooming of large cities and pentecostalism's emphasis on healing. However, healing and the growth of large cities are not unique to Korea. They also occur in various other locations throughout the world far removed from Korea (Cox 1995).

There is an additional uniquely Korean reason which worries many observers. It has been described as "Korean pentecostalism's unerring ability to absorb huge chunks of indigenous Korean shamanism and demon possession into its worship ... What troubles people everywhere about the Korean case is that the degree of importation is so extensive that some wonder out loud what has absorbed what" (Cox 1995:222).

However, not all observers are as concerned. One wrote, "Many people think that Korean Christianity is strongly influenced by shamanism. However, like all other countries in Asia, shamanism was a popular religion in the ancient society. Therefore shamanism is just one of (the) religious soils of Christianity" (Lee, e-mail to the author, 2000).

Harvey Cox summarizes the situation well when he asks whether this is a case of "the so-called indigenization of Christianity in an Asian culture? Or is it merely the continuation of the most salient forms of previous Korean folk religion wearing a Christian mask?" (Cox 1995:222).

Cox cites Paul Yonggi Cho as being a vivid example of Christian shamanism. This research will investigate whether that is, in fact, the case. But before we look at whether Cho meets the qualification for being a Christian shaman, it is important to define what exactly shamanism is.