Yoo/Korean Religious Texts, 1. Introduction: Explaining Sacred Texts and Religion by Using Korean Examples

In this chapter, the author argues that examples from Korean religions can do much for developing comparative perspectives on religious texts. Discussing religions in Korea is in practice dealing with many of the so-called religions of the world, as is demonstrated in this book that covers Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, shamanism, and Donghak. Examples from Korea, which is in the position of a bridge, can be applied more broadly. Remarkable religions of the world gather together in this bridge country under the title of Korean religions, strongly influencing the society and people living in it. It is also suggested that scholars of sacred texts should discern and explain more than one dimension of religion which are inseparably co-mingled. Scriptures, like other religious objects, are recognized as sacred through the co-mingling of plural aspects in the lives of religious people. Plural dimensions of scripture are supposed to work together when a text is ritualized. For instance, if the semantic and performative dimensions of a text are ritualized, it often becomes easier for it to be recognized as iconic by religious people.