| This dissertation has three objectives. First, in Part I, I will introduce the 1894 Donghak1 Peasant Revolution as a historical case study to examine dialectically, holistically, and organically interconnected relationships between religion and social transformation. Second, in Part II, I will mainly compare the Donghak's holistically inclusive concept of Heaven/God with Process theology's panentheistic2 concept of God. Third, in Part III, I will use the Donghak's holistically inclusive concept of Heaven/God to critically assess Korean Minjung and other third world liberation theologies' (still dualistic) Western concept of God.; In the Korean and Eastern ways of traditional thinking, people generally have a holistic (rather than a dualistic or dichotomous) perspective of Heaven/God, nature, human beings and the world. These are viewed as holistically and organically interconnected, interrelated, and inseparable. However, people from the Western tradition, particularly after the Greek/Hellenistic influences mixed with Christianity, tend to view things from a dualistic (i.e., "good and evil") perspective.; This dissertation argues that the Western dualism is also present in most of the third world (i.e., non-Western) liberation theologies, including Minjung theology. John Cobb, Jr., a pioneer in Process Theology , raises this issue of Western dualism: "[T]he Western tradition(s) were monolithically committed to its pervasive dualism and substantialism." 3 This dissertation contends that the dualistic worldview that has dominated Western traditional thoughts in academia, culture, politics, particularly in religion are logically interrelated with today's challenging issues of the world.; This issue of dualism will be further discussed in Part IV within the context of Inter-religious Dialogue. In an effort to further engage in this discourse between Eastern and Western thought traditions, this dissertation argues that a person's concept of Heaven and/or God can significantly influence and shape, in many cases even determine, his/her worldview towards other human beings, society, nature and the world. This argument can be further clarified from the discussions of logical differences between A-type logic and E-type logic. This discourse on the logical issues will be debated mainly in Part II.; This dissertation contends that most Western (and some Eastern) traditions belong to the category of A-type logic. However, it argues that Donghak , Process and some modern scientific ideas of the West belong to that of E-type logic. Throughout this dissertation, I shall suggest that the Donghak's holistically inclusive and Process's panentheistic concepts of Heaven/God as alternative ideas replacing (or overcoming) the traditionally personal concepts of God in the West and the traditionally non-personal concepts of Heaven in the East can lead to fruitful ways of conceiving and thus dealing with pressing problems of today such as classism, racism, sexism, imperialism, ongoing military and religious conflicts, ecological crisis, and specifically the West-led globalization. (Abstract shortened by UMI.); 1Donghak literally means "Eastern Learning." 2John B. Cobb. Jr. and David Ray Griffin, Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976) p. 8. They introduce this new theological language of panentheism from Charles Hartshorne. 3John Cobb, Jr., Ibid. p. 8-9. |
