조선후기 불교사 연구 성과의 검토와 과제

Abstract

The recent study on Buddhist history shows qualitative and quantitative increase. Despite effects of colonial history and negative perspective, Buddhist policy of total oppression of Buddhism is reviewed again and forced labor of monks was reviewed within the change of the collection system, raising the questions from the perspective of devoted plunder and exploitation of the Buddhist society so far. This established a background for reviewing again the prior negative perspective of research recognizing the social title of monk as being of the lowest class. The popularity of study and education about religious tradition and missiology of the Buddhist society showed clear difference from the Buddhism in prior times. More, through publication of Buddhist books and history of temples, Chosun Buddhist history is restored and its independence is explained. On the other hand, the study of the Buddhist history in the late Chosun Dynasty has series of task to solve. The first is the negative perspective of the study. So far, stereotypes and lack of interest caused research on the Buddhist history in the late Chosun Dynasty to be done poorly and prevented accumulation of various studies. Second is clear recognition about the period. Buddhism in the late Chosun Dynasty clearly spread more diversely than during early Chosun Dynasty. In the process of overcoming the chaos of the war, the basis for the existence of Buddhism was procured, missiology to grow the Buddhist society which had been destroyed was set up and a religious tradition was established. Emphasis on collection of works, epitaph and religious context were born in the midst of trend of the leading class which passed the chaos of war. The spread of the Buddhist society in the late Chosun Dynasty cannot be explained only by internal element. More so, reduction in population, natural disaster and destruction of farming lands after the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 inevitably conceived socioeconomic changes and confusions. Namely, objective study on Buddhist history in the late Chosun Dynasty is thought to be able to explain the diversity and identity when it is done under the understanding of circumstances of the era.