Religions in Colonial Korea: Traditions, Reconfigurations, and New Beginnings
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 22
Special Issue Editor
Interests: Korean Buddhism and religions; East Asian Buddhism and religions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The modern era in Korea was marked by profound and disruptive transformations. The influx of Western powers and ideas introduced new institutions and technologies, accompanied by the sweeping tide of modernization, yet the Japanese annexation foreclosed the possibility of Korea’s development into a sovereign, reformed nation-state. Within this altered landscape, religious traditions were compelled to renegotiate their identities. Buddhism, long regarded as a “traditional” religion, confronted the challenge of modernity by adopting Japanese Buddhism as a model while also responding to Protestant Christianity, which had entered the peninsula as both a symbol of Westernization and an agent of educational and cultural reform. At the same time, new religious movements such as Won Buddhism arose to articulate spiritual and national aspirations that established world religions could not fully satisfy. While the study of Christianity in this period has been extensive, comparatively little attention has been paid to how Korea’s “traditional” religions or newly founded religions rooted in Korean culture and philosophy responded to the rapid diplomatic, political, social, and cultural upheavals of the early twentieth century. This Special Issue seeks to address this lacuna by exploring the ways in which diverse religious traditions such as Buddhism, Won Buddhism, and other new religions in colonial Korea were reshaped, reinterpreted, or newly founded under the constraints of colonial modernity. It also encourages examinations of how these traditions interacted with one another as they negotiated unprecedented challenges and opportunities, thereby offering new insights into the religious, social, and cultural landscape of colonial Korea. We invite original research articles focusing primarily on religions other than Christianity, although comparative perspectives on the intersections between Christianity and other traditions are also welcome.
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Dr. Seong Uk Kim (sk4236@columbia.edu), and CC the Assistant Editor, Margaret Liu (margaret.liu@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Seong Uk Kim
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- modernization
- westernization
- colonialism
- modern Korean religions
- Korean Buddhism
- Won Buddhism
- Korean new religions
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