Examining the Representation of Korean New Religions in the National Curriculum: Focusing on Daesoon Jinrihoe in the Subject of Religious Studies

This study investigates the depiction of new religions in the public sphere, with a specific focus on their representation within the national curriculum in Korea. To pinpoint particular phenomena, an analysis of the national curriculum revisions and textbooks related to religions centered around Daesoon Jinrihoe (大巡眞理會) was conducted. Through this examination, this study introduces Korean new religions as a novel topic for religious education research in secondary schools. Simultaneously, it assesses whether the educational objectives align with the intended goal of providing an objective liberal arts education. The recent direction in revising religious education and related curriculum aims to avoid promoting adherence to a specific religion, emphasizing instead the enhancement of objective knowledge about diverse religions and civic literacy. However, this shift has not substantially influenced the portrayal of Korean new religions. The earliest descriptions of Daesoon Jinrihoe found in textbooks published during the sixth national curriculum merely mention it as a sect of Jeungsan-religions (甑山敎), with variations in content and table across publishers. Additionally, in textbooks such as Religious Studies published by municipal ministries of education, Daesoon Jinrihoe is only described as a contemporary new religion involved in social activities. These instances highlight the inconsistency in the changing narratives regarding new religions in the educational sector. Improvements in representing new religions are necessary to enhance the religious literacy of Korean society beyond a narrow focus on Daesoon Jinrihoe’s propagation. Lastly, this research suggests an integrated analysis of the description of Daesoon Jinrihoe in the national curriculum, including adjacent subjects and public communication, such as research and the dissemination of reference materials for the publication of future textbooks.