Chung, Kiyul."Donghak as the Most Authentic Korean Thought Tradition. "[Conference paper presented at 2010 International Conference on New Religions in Korea: New Religious Movements in Korea as a Paradigm Shift], Claremont School of Theology, Jan. 29. 2010. 27-73[English], 171-174[Korean]

Abstract


It is apparent the Donghak’s revolutionary spirit must have been deeply imbedded in the Korean people’s hearts and minds whose souls were yearning for liberation and self-determination. Donghak was examined as a case study of Korea’s socio-political and religious “inter-religious,” “inter-cultural,” “inter-ideological,” and “inter-traditional” tradition. This holistically inclusive (in other word syncretistic) tradition has been an integral part of Korean national history and is the foundation of Korea’s organically dynamic, holistically inclusive, and progressively dialectical thought tradition. In this respect, Suun (水雲) was in the 19th century, like Goun (孤雲) Choi Chi-won in 9th century, faithful to this Korean tradition of holistic inclusion (統/通全的 包含). I would thus argue that Koreans can be enthusiastic about the tradition of Inter-religious Dialogue. Koreans, as they have been shaped by their own history, are poised to work at the forefront of the Age of Dialogue in order to advocate and promote Inter-religious Dialogue.

Donghak illustrated a Minjung movement that galvanized and mobilized millions of people from their various forms of socio-political, religious, and theological captivities. However, the Western perspective on God (西 洋神觀) is now deeply imbedded in the religious minds of a not-so-small population of the world. Non-Western views of God have hardly been heard. The domination of Western Christian, specifically the conservative Protestant perspective on God, significantly influenced non-Western views of God. Indeed, today these Western traditions have largely shaped the popular culture(s) in many parts of the world, particularly in many third world counties.

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Thus this very Americanized dualistic (and thereby often very much simplistic) Christian mentality within the Korean society in areas of religion and politics is of grave concern. This is particularly true in terms of the issues regarding the continuation of foreign powers and their domination of Korean society, especially within the challenging processes aimed towards a reunified-Korea. This has become even more worrisome after the emergence of the neoconservative Bush administration in the election of 2000. In South Korean society, like many other societies now, religion has become one of the primary defining components of personal, ideological and/ or political identity. South Korea and USA are visible examples of this trend. In this situation the Donghak and like-minded Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western philosophies may become alternative to these sorts of social positions, and the grave global challenges that have largely resulted from religiously-oriented ideologies that maintain the classic paradigm of divide and conquer. This is very relevant now in Korea and other societies around the world. The alternative theological and ideological perspectives of Donghak philosophy as the most authentic Korean thought tradition presented in this paper may help in this task. [from author's conclusion]

고운의 포함삼교, 수운의 동학, 한사상 모두 다 단군사상 (檀君思想), 즉 “세상을 널리 이롭게 한다”는 뜻의 단군홍익사상 (檀君弘益思想)에서 그 연원을 찾을 수 있을 것이다. 홍익사상은 근본이 이타(利他)적이고 공동체(共同體)적 놀리다. “모두를 살려 더불어 함께 산다!”고 해석할 수 있는 홍익사상의 근본에는 평등(平等)과 조화(調和), 상생(相生)의 논리가 깔려있다. 하여, 홍익사상에 그 근본뿌리를 도고 있는 동학사상과 한사상의 핵심논리인 “통전적 포함”의 논리 또한 곧 평등과 조화, 상생의 논리라고 해석할 수 있다.

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서양 기독교의 배타적이고 공격적이며 인종-성차별적인 이분법적 선악 논리를 가장 쉽게 이해할 수 있는 예는 지난 5-6세기에 갈친 서양 백인 남성 중심의 식민주의 패권역사에서 찾을 수 있다. 김상일의 서양 백인 남성 문명과 오늘 급격히 몰락하고 있는 미국식 자본주의와 그들의 제국주의 침략역사, 그들의 패권적 사고와 논리에 대한 신랄한 비판은 멈추지 않는다. 서양 기독교를 지배한 유아독존적인 배타논리인 이분법적 세계관은 불행히도 오늘 지구촌 유일분단국인 한반도에서 더 맹위를 떨치고 있다. 김상일의 학문적 열정은 그가 평생을 가슴을 태오듯 씨름하고 있는 민족문제, 통일문제에도 이어지고 있다. 그는 한반도 분단과 통일의 문제를 비롯해서 세상의 숱한 도전과 온갖 인류사적 과제들을 풀어낼 “현묘지도”(玄妙之道)의 대안을 그가 평생을 연구한 한(韓)사상에서, 즉 “통전적 포함”논리에 기초한 겨레와 인류의 미래사상인 한(韓)사상에서, 즉 “평등과 조화, 상생”의 가치에 기초한 그래서 더불어 모두가 더 큰 하나가 되는 대안사상으로서의 홍익(弘益)사상, 동학(東學)사상, 즉 한(韓)사상에서 찾고 있다.