Religions of Korea in Practice

There is nothing else in English--or probably even Korean--that collects and presents so many authoritative sources on Korea's rich and varied religious traditions. Religions of Korea in Practice sets a standard of interpretive insight and access to Korean religious voices that will be very hard to surpass. The contributors are the world's most important English-speaking scholars of Korean religions. -- Donald N. Clark, Trinity University, San Antonio With Religions of Korea in Practice, we finally get an anthology of highly reliable English translations of important Korean religious texts with scholarly commentaries that combine academic depth and readability. This is an extremely useful overview of the main traditions of Korean religions, with discussion of the focal issues of each tradition, as well as crucial personalities. -- Vladimir Tikhonov, University of Oslo

Offers the coverage of Korean religious practice, especially the various Christian denominations and new indigenous religions. It features chapters that include translations of the sources on Korean religious practice, accompanied by an introduction that frames the significance of the selections.Korea has one of the most diverse religious cultures in the world today, with a range and breadth of religious practice virtually unrivaled by any other country. This volume in the Princeton Readings in Religions series is the first anthology in any language, including Korean, to bring together a comprehensive set of original sources covering the whole gamut of religious practice in both premodern and contemporary Korea. The book's thirty-two chapters help redress the dearth of source materials on Korean religions in Western languages. Coverage includes shamanic rituals for the dead and songs to quiet fussy newborns; Buddhist meditative practices and exorcisms; Confucian geomancy and ancestor rites; contemporary Catholic liturgy; Protestant devotional practices; internal alchemy training in new Korean religions; and North Korean Juche ("self-reliance") ideology, an amalgam of Marxism and Neo-Confucian filial piety focused on worship of the "father," Kim Il Sung. Religions of Korea in Practice provides substantial coverage of contemporary Korean religious practice, especially the various Christian denominations and new indigenous religions. Each chapter includes an extensive translation of original sources on Korean religious practice, accompanied by an introduction that frames the significance of the selections and offers suggestions for further reading. This book will help any reader gain a better appreciation of the rich complexity of Korea's religious culture.