대순진리회의 이상사회론 연구

This paper aims to cast light on the theoretical characteristics of Korean new religions’ utopian theory from the perspective of theology and apply the findings to the utopian theory of the new religions in Korea. The utopian theory of the new religions in Korea occurred to meet people's aspiration towards a new world on the background of the national ordeal and its consequential psychology in the late Chosun dynasty. As a result, it has the characteristics of a shift from a pure religious framework to participation in reality to realize religious ideals 'right here, right now'. Thus, it basically defined an utopian theory as the product of a society and history, and explained the utopian theory as the projection of the thoughts about current conflicts. However, an approach in this way may leave the likelihood that the individual characteristics of Daesoonjinrihoe would be overlooked and the utopian theory would be limited to the byproduct of the age, only. Thus, this paper has dealt with the religious experience of the founders as the lead of discussion, not a sociological approach. In this context, the religious experience of founders can be more significant clues to view the characteristics of an utopian theory.

This directivity of a study can be understood as an attempt to improve the previous sociological methodologies, the leading discourses, and to contribute to the different perspectives on an understanding of the utopian theories of Daesoonjinrihoe. Furthermore, this paper is anticipated to give salience to the individual characteristics reflected in the new religions in Korea and to enhance its status in the history of thoughts, not as the trend of the thought limited to the past.