이병헌의 孔敎운동에 나타난 神道論 연구­性卽理에서 心卽神으로의 전환

Abstract

Yi Byung Hon, an unusual neo-confucianist who had been affected by Kang You Wei, encouraged the Confucian Religion in Korea. His religionization of Confucianism was based on the new interpretation on the concept of god. He insisted that the status of god should be created and Confucianism be embossed as a driving force of harmony and ultimate existence. And he claimed that Confucianism should be the universal religion and hold a predominant position, which was able to rescue the coming crisis of civilization. However, connecting with the way of god in occidental (western) religions and superstitions, he made propaganda that Confucianism was the advanced religion laid stress on humanity. Thus he placed a limit on range of religionization and finally reverted to the ethical argument of Confucianism itself. Nevertheless, he intended to defend the universality of Confucianism as a religion, and aggressively propagate for superiority of Confucianism, in the middle of the religious discourses such as criticism on Confucianism in falling Chosen Dynasty and Christianity under the rule of Japanese imperialism. According to Yi Byung Hon, the ways that Confucianism was secured its territory as a religion were to reconstruct the god concept of Confucianism, to reinterpret Confucianism on the basis of logics such as the way of god and Mind is God, and to develop into social religious movement. Meeting criticism and repulsion of conservative Confucians, even though his Confucian Religion movement failed, the theory of 「Mind Is God」 which was come form modern religionaization of Confucianism in turbulent period, should be recorded as another result of Korean Confucianism.