Paul Tillich’s ‘Method of Correlation’ and the Unification of Korea: From Correlation to Co-Reconstruction

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to demonstrate the theological relevance and significance of Paul Tillich’s ‘method of correlation’ with regard to the Korean political situation, with a particular focus on the issue of the unification of North and South Korea. The first part of the article critically appropriates Tillich’s philosophical‐theological concepts such as the ‘demonic’, the ‘polarities’ and the ‘kingdom of God’ in order to analyse how the historical existence of the Korean people has been deeply shaped by the division of Korea. The second part of the article constructively applies an in-depth reading of Tillich’s theology of peace, in presenting a theological perspective on how the unification of the two Koreas might be attained through a co-reconstructive endeavour between the divided peoples of North and South Korea.