Critical Readings on Christianity in Korea

Until the last quarter of the eighteenth century, there were no Christians in Korea. Today Korea is one of the most Christian countries in Asia, with over 30% of South Koreans claiming Christianity as their religious affiliation. The articles in these volumes trace the history of Christianity in Korea from its eighteenth-century beginnings to the present day. These articles address differences in how Catholicism and Protestantism were received, as well as the changing relationship of Christianity to political power, and the impact of Christianity on gender roles. They also examine how Christianity has interacted with the other religious institutions in Korea, and how Christianity has become Koreanized. They present the most sophisticated and the most recent research on the remarkable transformation of the religious culture of Korea over the last two and a half centuries.

Donald Baker, PhD (1983), is a professor of Korean history and religion in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on traditional religion, philosophy, and science in Korea as well as the introduction of Christianity to Korea and the reactions of Koreans to it. His most recent book is Korean Spirituality (2008). He has also published several articles on Tasan Chŏng Yagyong, a late Chosŏn dynasty philosopher.