Through a Glass Darkly: Contemporary Korean Catholic Portrayals of Paul Yun Jichung

For centuries, Gregorian chant has served as a monophonic song written for the religious services of the Roman Catholic Church, but Korean Catholics first encountered this chant in the early nineteenth century. Korean Catholics ultimately became more attracted to the Korean translations of these chants, as opposed to the original Latin versions. This article introduces some issues related to the language translation of Gregorian chant, especially for chants performed in Holy Week. The issues include discrepancies in the number of syllables, shifts in melismatic emphasis, difficult diction in vocalization, briefer singing parts because of space limitations, challenging melodic lines, and translation losses from neumes to modern notes.

A Catholic community emerged in Korea at the end of the eighteenth century but Korea’s Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith openly until the end of the nineteenth century. The official persecution Catholics endured for most of the nineteenth century left the Catholic community in Korea weak and battered, and dependent for survival on foreign missionaries. The Korean Catholic Church did not become a truly Korean church, one with a clergy that was predominantly Korean, until after the Korean War. Today, however, the vast majority of Catholic priests and nuns are Korean, and every bishop is Korean, a sharp contrast with the 1930s when none were. This Koreanization of the clergy has been accompanied by a Koreanization of Catholic rituals and parish life, including the use of Korean rather than Latin in major rituals and a greater role for lay believers in the management of parishes. In addition, since its leadership is now Korean, the Korean Catholic Church has taken a much more active role in such local issues as democratization and protection of the environment. As a result, the Korean Catholic community has attracted many more members, almost tripling in size since 1985.

[Objective] This study aims to analyze the Shalom: Catholic Catechism Guidebook for Young Children in accordance with the standards of the Directory for Catechesis, and to explore the applicability of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd(CGS) as an alternative model for early childhood faith education in the Korean Catholic Church. [Contents] To this end, the study examined the structure and teaching methods of the Shalom guidebook based on the criteria outlined in the Directory for Catechesis, identifying its limitations. Subsequently, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd(CGS), which is rooted in Maria Montessori’s philosophy of religious education, was analyzed using the same criteria to assess its suitability for early childhood catechesis in the Korean Catholic context. Based on these findings, the study proposes future directions for early childhood faith education in the Korean Catholic Church. [Conclusions] The results of the study highlight the need for a shift in how we understand and approach young children in catechesis, emphasizing that such a change is essential to fulfilling the evangelizing mission of early childhood religious education. Furthermore, it demonstrates the importance of a catechetical approach that integrates elements of being Christ-centered, mystagogical, and experiential. These findings suggest the necessity for parishes, educational institutions, and families to collaborate organically, not only by developing systematic teaching strategies, environments, and catechetical materials, but also by fostering adults who can accompany children in faith as spiritual companions.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of servant leadership on leader commitment and organizational commitment, and members’ participatory behaviors in church service and events, based on 1232 members in 28 Catholic churches in South Korea. We found that those who perceived a high level of servant leadership from their priest(s) tended to commit more to the priest (i.e., leader) and to the church (i.e., organization). Members attended in weekday worships in addition to Sunday Mass more often, and participated in church activities and services, when highly committed to the church. Based on structural equation modeling, we found a linear relationship from servant leadership to leader commitment, to organizational commitment, and eventually to members’ participatory behaviors. A potential contribution lies in that this study confirmed the mediating roles of leader commitment and organizational commitment on the relationship between servant leadership and participatory behaviors in the context of Korean Catholic church.Abbreviation: SL: servant leadership; LC: leader commitment; OC: organizational commitment; PB: participatory behaviors

This paper discusses the life of Yi Byeok and the characteristics and aspects of the formation of Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok. As a 19thcentury dream-journey narrative (mongyurok), Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok is a condensed form of the genre, containing Catholic ideology and an unusual narrative structure that has not yet been fully explored in discourse. The typical characteristics of mongyurok have disappeared, and the work uniquely combines dialogues between Catholic figures with a biographical style, creating a distinctive piece. In Chapter 2, I examined the social landscape of the late Joseon period and the acceptance of Catholicism, tracing the presence of Yi Byeok through various records of his life in Korean Catholic history. Yi Byeok greatly influenced Dasan Jeong Yak-yong academically, converted the renowned Confucian scholar Yi Ga-hwan, and played a pivotal role in converting Dasan’s brothers. Moreover, Yi Byeok served as a practical church leader in the early days of Korean Catholicism, responsible for preaching and explaining doctrines. His significance is closely tied to the ongoing beatification and canonization process of “John the Baptist Yi Byeok and 132 Companions” within the Catholic Church. Based on various historical records, it is evident that Yi Byeok could not have died as an apostate, and his lasting influence on the Korean Catholic Church is undeniable. His position within the Church, as someone who fiercely defended the truth of the faith he had voluntarily embraced through rigorous spiritual study, is highly regarded. In Chapter 3, I explored the aspects of Yi Byeok’s portrayal, focusing on how he appears as a heavenly Taoist hermit, with a mystical atmosphere. While this may reflect the influence of secret faiths like Jeonggamrok that were popular in the late Joseon period, Yi Byeok was also praised for his deep scholarship and noble character, akin to a Taoist immortal. Such circumstances likely contributed to early Catholic believers revering him as a teacher, a fact that also led to his veneration within the Church. In this sense, Yi Byeok’s appearance as a Taoist hermit should not be seen merely as a depiction of a Taoist figure but rather as a reflection of his esteemed status within the Catholic community. Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok also includes prophecies about persecution, along with records of the political upheavals and natural disasters of the late Joseon period, to the extent that it can be considered a chronicle of Catholic persecution in Korea. However, aside from the events of 1846, the earlier prophecies are not predictions but rather descriptions of events that had already taken place — essentially, historical facts. The author of Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok uses the protagonist’s meeting with Yi Byeok to restore memories of past events through allegorical prophecy. As these past memories are revived, historical truths collide with the present moment when the protagonist awakens from the dream, creating new meaning in the context of divine judgment and discourse on societal reform. Although the protagonist’s awakened reality conflicts with the prophecy, this allegorical restoration of social and political corruption serves to critique the past and guide new perspectives. This work is significant in that it restores past memories and generates new awareness, offering lessons through the combination of narrative and discourse within the dream-journey genre. Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok inherits the critical consciousness of mongyurok and demonstrates cultural reception patterns similar to those found in secret faiths like Jeonggamrok, while also critiquing contemporary social issues and ideological conflicts arising from Catholic persecution. The mongyurok genre, far from being a simple fantasy narrative, serves as an allegorical tool to critique the social and political corruption of the time and foster critical thinking and new awareness of the past.

The eschatology is the ultimate hope that man aims for. Therefore, it drives human collective behavior and acts as a major variable of social change. In fact, many researchers who were interested in the relationship between religion(eschatology) and social change have confirmed that religion can either suppress or promote social change.
 In order to deal with the relationship between Christian eschatology and social change, this paper divides the relationship between religion and social change into ideal types. And through this work, the relationship between the Catholic Church and social changes in Korea has been analyzed.
 The Catholic Church and Korean society have been mutually influenced, forming relationships each other. And within it, the Korean Catholic Church has shown unique eschatological characteristics in each era. In particular, since the Second Vatican Council, the Korean Catholic Church has played a role in triggering social change as a Church in the world. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catholic Church, which is strongly demanded to play a role as a public religion, is expected to carry out its prophetic calling more actively so that the kingdom of God can arrive in Korean society.

Since it was founded in Korea in 1784, Korean Catholic Church has grown rapidly even under persecution. And now, its various activities have considerable influence on Korean society. However, the Korean Catholic Church record management not much is being done in excess of general record management for administrative purposes. Therefore, this study attempted to construct records management system that could systematically manage records of the Korean Catholic Church with Diocese Archives as the central figure. In order to do this, first the special characteristics of the Catholic Church records were analyzed, and the actual status of records management of Catholic Church was investigated. Next, applied the theory of records management to the Catholic Church system.

The introduction of Western theater in early 20th century and Korean Catholic Church - “The Understanting of Theatre”, Kyunghyang Magazine, Feburary 15, 1917

The ceasing of public Catholic Masses just before Ash Wednesday 2020 in response to Corona-19 posed a significant problem as it meant Catholics could no longer easily receive Holy Communion, the center of Catholic faith life. Thus, one might have expected the Korean Catholic Church to oppose the limitation or cancellation of religious gatherings. But in fact, the opposite happened, with the Catholic Church being singled out for its support of such policies. This paper explores this response of Catholic leaders to Corona-19 and the theology that undergirded it through an examination of the bulletins of two archdioceses, Seoul and Daegu. It argues that the bulletins promoted a particular Catholic theology that understood adherence to public health measures as analogous to love of neighbor, and that such acts of love would bring a triumph over the virus. However, for such efforts to succeed they had to extend from Korea to embrace the entire world, particularly disadvantaged countries. Moreover, this study also argues that rather than being treated as a singular event, Corona-19 was understood as akin to issues like climate change, which were presented as sharing the same root cause of human selfishness.

Reviewed by: Reconciling Cultures and Generations: Reflections on Today's Church by Korean American Catholics ed. by Simon C. Kim and Francis Daeshin Kim Angelyn Dries, OSF Reconciling Cultures and Generations: Reflections on Today's Church by Korean American Catholics. Edited by Simon C. Kim and Francis Daeshin Kim. Chicago: Catholic Theological Union, 2018. 142 pp. $14.99. Perhaps the earliest study of what happens to the faith of Catholic immigrants in the context of the United States was Gerald Shaughnessy, Has the Immigrant Kept the Faith? (1925). Ninety plus years later, editors Simon C. Kim and Francis Daeshin Kim have drawn upon diverse categories of thought to examine the historical background undergirding current issues in the life and identity of Korean American Catholics. While influenced by Korean history and culture and by American contexts, Korean, American, and Catholic identity has taken place in a situation where negotiating identity interfaces with an already racialized framework of White, Black, and Protestant. Another factor is the navigation of generational differences within families, often related to the Korean experience of arrival before or after the Korean War. Some common migration issues, albeit with individual particularities for Korean Catholics, are presented with diversity and breadth. Co-editor Francis Daeshin Kim shares his background—Korean heritage, English, and Protestant to Korean American Catholic, [End Page 81] when he married a Korean Catholic woman in California. Chapters are written by scholars in theology (Kevin P. Considine, who married a Korean), Elizabeth Anne Park (child psychologist), James K. Lee (history of Early Christianity), Elizabeth Oh (English), Mi-Kyoung Hwang (ministry), Franklin Rausch, a non-Korean married to a Filipina (historian, late nineteenth century to 1945 Korea and Catholicism), Irene Park (pastoral theology), and co-editor Simon C. Kim (theology). Analysis of cultural and religious factors in the transmission of Catholic faith is central throughout the book. Koreans are known for their strong evangelization efforts. Because women have assumed a key role in handing on culture and faith, Oh's chapter on the psychological effects for women of the misinterpretation of Confucian and Christian teachings about women is especially insightful. Park's chapter explores the role of stories in navigating difficult situations and bridging a generational gap in addressing acculturation issues in immigrant families. Co-editor Simon C. Kim has also played a large role in connecting the experience of Korean Catholics with the church in the United States through the document he wrote for the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference, Harmony in Faith: Korean American Catholics (2016), written for the jubilee celebration of Korean Catholics in the United States. The Kim and Kim edited volume is an excellent entrée to an underrepresented community in American Catholic history. Angelyn Dries, OSF Saint Louis University Copyright © 2019 American Catholic Historical Society

From its establishment on the peninsula in 1784 to Pope Francis’s visit to beatify 124 martyrs, in 2014, 230 years later, the Catholic Church in Korea has experienced massive change as it has sought to navigate persecution, imperialism, national division, war, dictatorship, and democratization. Despite the challenges it has faced, the Korean Catholic Church has managed to transform itself from a tiny, marginalized community into a highly respected part of Korean society with millions of members. This history can be divided into four periods: the time of hope, in which some Koreans came to believe that Catholicism would bring both spiritual salvation and this-worldly knowledge (the early 16th century to 1784); the time of persecution in which Catholics on the Korean peninsula suffered and died for their faith (1784–1886); the time of imperialism (1886–1945), during which Catholics had to balance the demands of nation, state, and faith in the face of increasing Japanese control of their country; and the time of development (1945–2014) as the Catholic Church in South Korea (the Catholic Church in North Korea being essentially destroyed) became an increasingly integral and active part of Korean society.

In light of the 2027 World Youth Day to be held in Seoul, there has been a rising interest in youth within the Korean Catholic Church. Specifically, there is growing support for the idea of closely examining the current si- tuation of youth and revitalizing youth ministry in the Church. This paper aims to sociologically explore the lives of youth living in Korean society and the Church, and to theologically interpret these findings in order to make even a small contribution to helping the Korean Church be engaged more actively in youth ministry. The research reveals that today’s youth are leaving the Church, and that those who remain often do not find joy or hope within her. Why is this the case? The reality these young people face is far from being easy. Korean society constantly pressures youth to push themselves toward success, while the Church, as part of the older generation, often overlooks their struggles. As a result, many youth would find solace and satisfaction outside the Church. Therefore, the Church must first and foremost listen to the voices of the youth to understand the situations they face. By showing them the true ha- ppiness of life, as taught by Jesus, the Church can offer hope, distinct from the worldly definition of success. Furthermore, it is essential that the Church be a willing companion to the youth, walking with them as they strive to live the life of true happiness taught by Jesus.

본고는 한국 청소년 사목의 재고(再考)를 위해서 보편 교회 문헌 속에 나타난 청소년 상의 변화를 살펴보는 초석 연구이다. 본고의 연구 목적은 한국 가톨릭 교회 청소년 사목이 청소년들을 위하여 현재 다양한 노력을 보이고 있으나 계속 감소하고 있는 청소년들의 신앙생활 참여율에 문제의식을 가지고, 한국 청소년 사목 개선을 위한 다양한 실천적인 노력 이전에 혹시나 간과하고 있는 점은 없는지 살펴보기 위하여 좀 더 본질적으로 접근하여 보편 교회의 문헌 속에서 청소년 상의 변화를 살펴보는 데 있다.BR 제2차 바티칸 공의회를 전후로 청소년에 대한 인식은 크게 변화되었다. 공의회 이전에는 청소년들을 그저 올바른 신앙관 확립을 위한 신앙교육의 대상으로 이해했다면, 제2차 바티칸 공의회를 기점으로 교회는 본격적으로 교회와 사회의 미래이자 희망인 청소년들의 사도성(apostle)을 바탕으로 세상 복음화를 위한 교회 선교 사명에 능동적인 참여의 책임을 강조하기 시작한다. 그러면서 사도성을 바탕으로 한 교회의 선교 사명 참여에 청소년들의 주체 혹은 주인공성(protagonist)을 강조한다.BR 한국 가톨릭 교회 청소년 사목은 이러한 보편 교회의 흐름을 존중하여야 한다. 개선을 위한 다양한 방법론적이고 실천적인 접근 이전에 반드시 본질적으로 접근하여 교회 선교 사명의 주인공인 청소년들이 하느님의 부르심에 자신 있게 응답하며 각자에게 주어진 성소를 찾아 살며, 긍정적인 신앙생활을 할 수 있도록 도와야 할 것이다. 그리하여 모든 젊은이들이 이 세상에서 ‘착한 그리스도인, 선량한 시민’(Good Christians, Honest Citizens)을 지향하는 삶을 살 수 있도록 동행해 주어야 한다.

The Korean Catholic Church is usually considered to be a unique case in the whole history of Christianity, since its evangelization was supposedly started without foreign missionaries in the 1780s. The early Korean converts did indeed study Jesuit books and convert prior to the arrival of European priests in Chosŏn. This article is aimed at rethinking this topic beyond a Korea-centered perspective. More precisely, it focuses on Chosŏn envoys in Beijing through a comparison of Chinese and Korean historio- graphies. My main idea is to present Beijing as a “contact zone” where the Catholic experience of Chosŏn envoys was not just limited to visiting the four churches and their European missionaries. To be sure, Chosŏn officials also gained much knowledge about Catholicism through their encounters with Chinese literati and converts. Stated differently, this article explores several facets of the early encounters between Koreans and the Catholic faith. It demonstrates that these encounters and the birth of the Korean Church were not only linked to reform-minded Korean literati, but also to the complexity of Sino- Korean relations in Qing times and missionary methods used in Beijing (such as the conversion from top to bottom and the apostolate through books). This article more generally suggests a new research direction which explores the emergence of the Korean Catholic Church beyond national boundaries and on different scales.

본 논문은 제2차 바티칸 공의회(1962-5)로 인해 변화된 가톨릭교회의 세계관을 종교의 ?성찰적 근대화?의 차원에서 이론적으로 접근해서 한국천주교회의 사회 참여 현상을 설명하고자 한다. 종교적 성찰성이란 종교 공동체가 공적 영역에서 자기 성찰을 바탕으로 현대사회에 참여하는 방식을 의미한다. 특히 공의회가 현대세계에서 제시하는 종교의 성찰적 근대화는 세 가지 영역의 분석의 틀, 1) 초월적 원리에 입각한 정치공동체에 대한 지향성, 2) 공동선의 증진, 3) 타종교에 대한 관용성으로 제시된다. 또한 성찰적 근대화로서의 사회참여는 종교의 근본주의나 기능주의적 사회통합과는 달리 다원주의 사회에서 공공 종교의 의미를 반영한다. 본 논문은 한국 천주교회가 1970-80년대 공적 영역에서 전개한 사회참여의 전형적인 사례를 대별하고, 특히 한국천주교회의 수장인 김수환 추기경의 강론, 회고록 등의 문헌 자료를 통해서 공의회의 세계관 패러다임과 성찰적 근대화의 과제 간의 상관성을 해석하였다. 또한, 한국천주교회 내부에서 성찰적 근대화의 과제를 담고 있는 공의회 정신의 수용 여부에 따라서 사회참여를 향한 입장의 차이가 표출되는 갈등 현상에 관해서도 논의하였다. 요컨대, 성찰적 근대화의 과제를 포괄하는 종교적 세계관은, 현대사회에서 종교가 사회참여의 방식을 형성하는 담지자 역할을 할 수 있다. 이는 막스 베버의 세계관 개념이 ?전철수?(a switch man)로서 종교인들의 공적 영역에서 사회참여를 형성하는 방법을 이해하는데 타당하고 유효함을 함의한다.