한국 정신문화와 기독교의 새로운 요소

Abstract

In this article, the writer will try to see how religions, societies and cultures of Korea have been affected for recent centuries by christianity, which came here along with other modern European cultures. It is also his aim to verify that by meeting with christianity, the korean religious cultures came to acquire a worldwide universality beyond its asian regions. Furthermore, he will make efforts to establish that prototype of Korean religious culture is the "faith of the clear and authentic Hannim", and explain its inclusive characteristics. Those new elements which christianity is generally known to have brought into the Korean spiritual culture include interest in history, emphasis on personality and creativity, sense of justice, fierce concept of sin, emphasis on individuality, and repentance in the form of inner spiritual renewal. The meeting between the spiritual culture and christian spirit must have inspired the korean people to spurt out their life force and launch fearlessly achievements as for independence and democratization. Last. while the korean spiritual culture, with its emphasis on "harmony and accord", is characterized by its themes of "round fusion into one", christianity, stressing the spirit of resistance, burning sense of sin, righteousness, values uprightness in character. Only when and where these points are joined together it is possible to form well rounded-upright culture.