Abstract
Religion in a crisis works as a system of imagination and techniques to manage the difficulties. In such conditions, existing religious symbols and concepts are reorganized into new meanings. This article deals with the transformation of religious symbols during socio-economic crises in early modern East Asia. (1) Maitreya, the future Buddha, had been a deity to prayer for reincarnation into paradise and good fortune in Buddhism and folk religions. However, rebels in premodern China and Korea, who resisted state power, imagined that Maitreya would immediately appear and bring an end to the world. (2) In classical literature, Kaebyŏk was a concept to describe the creation of the world. Kaebyŏk as a radical cosmological transformation in the future, which have been generally accepted by new religions in Korea until the present, gradually emerged during political crises after the 18th century. (3) The concept of Yonaoshi, which had initially meant to pray for the abundance of agriculture, extended its meaning to demanding a radical renewal of the existing world in the period of natural disasters and political upheaval in the 19th century.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
