Confucian Filial Piety as a Challenge for Korean and Asian Churches

Confucian filial piety and ancestor worship have influenced on not only Korea but also Asian countries, specifically in China, Taiwan, and Japan as a common barrier to evangelism . The main difference between Confucian and biblical teachings on filial piety and ancestor worship is that Confucian filial piety was taught by Confucius, while the origins of biblical filial piety are rooted in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible teaches that filial piety is directed toward living parents, but Confucianism teaches that filial piety is to both living and dead parents. Confucianism teaches that dead ancestors are able to protect their own families, to bring fortunes to their descendants, to reward the right, and to punish the wrong. Thus, they practice ancestor worship as filial piety. The Bible emphasizes filial piety as much as does Confucianism but ascribes to ancestor worship as idolatry as taught in the second commandment. This book will help non-Christians to understand the Christian perspectives of filial piety and ancestor worship and also help Christians confirm their beliefs, and give wisdom on how to create harmony with non-Christian family members.