Continuity and Transformation: Religious Synthesis in East Asia

Using two nineteenth- and twentieth-century Korean religious developments (Donghak and Minjung Theology) against the Confucian-Shamanist cultural milieu, Sang Jin Ahn describes religious synthesis as the key to cultural transformation in East Asia. The synthesis involves the melding of the past (various religious traditions) in view of the present (sociohistorical context). From the particular vantage point of one who is thoroughly familiar with Eastern and Western cultures, Dr. Ahn draws a sketch of East Asian religious traditions and then engages in a dialogue with the contemporary global theological trend.