A Study on Three Contextual Theologians in Korea:SungBum Yun, TongShik Ryu, and SunHwan Pyun

Abstract

This paper mainly investigates the life and thoughts of the three Korean theologians (i.e., SungBum Yun, TongShik Ryu, and SunHwan Pyun), who tried to make Korean and/or contextual theology. SungBum Yun (1916-1980), who regarded “Revelation” as the main content of the Gospel, offered the Confucian concept of “Sung” ( , sincerity) 誠 as the replacement for the Western theological notion of revelation for the Far East Asians who live in the Confucian cultural context. The main contextual theological concern of TongShik Ryu (1922-the present) has changed or developed from religions in Korea (1960s), Shamanism (1970s) to PungRyu (풍류, 1980-90s), and then Ryu is more recently interested in YeSul(예술, Art or Beauty) theology. The Korean theology of SunHwan Pyun (1928-1995) is generally called “ToChakHwa (토착화),” which means “contextualization” or “Religious Pluralism” in Korea. Pyun paid attention to the religious pluralistic context in Korea, and he asserted that Korean Christianity should overcome three aspects (i.e., the Western prejudice toward other religions, Ecclesiocentricism, and the exclusive absoluteness of Christology) of Western Christianity. The three figures might be Koreanized theologians in that they dealt with the Koreans’ cultural and spiritual mind through various ways such as Korean traditional religions. However, it is hard to say that they were authentic contextual theologians, because they ignored the Hanful (suffering or oppressed) social situation as well as the need and tradition of most Korean churches. Thus, an authentic Korean and/or contextual theology must meet the demands of people’s cultural, traditional, spiritual and religious mind; socio-politically and economically variable situation; and Korean churches; under the guidance of Triune God.