A Study of Byun Chan-rin’s Understanding of the Neo-Religion and Ideas of Kang Il-sun

Byun Chan-rin (1934–1985) intertextually reconciled important world religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism from the perspective of Pungryu (風流), also known as Seon (僊), which he considered to be the foundation of the Korean spirit. Naturally, his category of Pungryu also encompassed modern Korean national religions. He emphasized the necessity of a neo-religion in order to overcome the exclusive limitations of various world religions as each was bound by their own tradition, and hence deviated from the mainstream of the Great Way of Pungryu. He also appreciated various indigenous new religions in modern Korea, including concept of epoch-making and the practices of Kang Il-sun (姜一淳), as “neo-religion” that could overcome the limitations of world religions by elevating the magical activities of shamanism to the Great Way. His appraisal was positive, and he refrained from dismissing this growing movement as “superstitions” or “new emerging religions” embraced by the common people. From his viewpoint, the important indigenous new religions in modern Korea were not the ruling religions of the empire but alternative religions of the colonial people, and the concept of “Great Opening of the Later World (後天開闢)” in modern indigenous Korean religions and Kang’s idea of the Resolution of Grievances for Mutual Beneficence (解冤相生) were creative evolutions of religion that overcame the contradictions and limitations of the world’s religions. He presented the insight of a spiritual seeker who heralded the era of “SBNR” (spiritual but not religious), which seeks new possibilities for spirituality by escaping limitations of religiosity.