The controversy on ancestor veneration between Confucians and Christians during Yi Dynasty Korea

This dissertation divides largely into two parts. The first part deals with the problem and resolution of ancestor veneration within Catholicism, and the second within Protestantism. When Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced to Korea where society was centered strictly on Confucianism, how were they introduced to that Confucian society? What were the results? When we closely study the results of the meeting of Confucianism and Catholicism, as compared to that of Confucianism and Protestantism, we see many similarities and differences. By studying the positions of Catholicism, Protestantism and Confucianism, this dissertation seeks to find a total understanding of the problem of ancestor veneration.; This dissertation first reviews the "Rites Controversy" in China to provide a historical background for understanding ancestor veneration in Korea. It then reviews the controversy over ancestor veneration between Confucians and Catholics. When there was dispute between the doctrines of Catholicism and Confucianism, both sides tried to demonstrate their superiority and orthodoxy, and both overlooked and ignored what could be held in common or at a place of contact, and rather, criticized and rejected each other as different. By studying this conflict, this dissertation will point out four of the immediate subjects of inculturation the Catholic Church in Korea is facing today.; Next, the dissertation studies the dispute over ancestor veneration between Confucians and Protestants and shows that the problem of ancestor veneration in Protestantism still remains a cause of struggle in the reality of today's Korean Protestantism.; Since I saw that the point of contact between Confucian ancestor veneration and the Protestant memorial service can be found in a re-interpretation of "filial piety," I tried to develop a new interpretation of "filial piety" as found in the Old and the New Testaments. Amazingly, the result showed that Confucian ancestor veneration and the Protestant memorial service had many points in common. I suggest creating a theology of filial piety because the concept of "filial piety," is indeed, the most Korean and universal thought which the world has lost today and is the condensation of all the values humans need the most.