HKOB0108EU KOR, Korean Religions (Korean Studies Content Course 1) (E21)

This course examines Korean religious and spiritual thought from the earliest written records to the present day, in their historical context and contemporary representations. We examine the tension between unique aspects of Korean culture and universal values in these traditions and ask about their contribution to “Korean-ness”. We will pay special attention to the various academic definitions of the terms “religion” and “ritual”, and inspect the problems which arise from using those definitions.  
The course is organized into five study units, with the opening and closing of the semester making up the sixth unit. In each unit, we will focus on one spiritual tradition. We will survey the history of that tradition as well as its unique terminology. Each unit will also focus on a different branch of scholarship as the main methodological framework. The larger Korean context will allow us to utilize this knowledge to analyze and understand concrete cases.