Jesus Christ Encountering Gautama Buddha: Buddhist-Christian Relations in South Korea

Abstract

Korea’s Presidential Council on Nation Branding works hard to match the country’s international image with the level of its economic clout. Despite the so-called “Han River Miracle,” democratization, and cutting edge technology in several key industries, contemporary Korea seems to be in serious want of the wisdom that can give everlasting peace and joy to each of her citizens. In answer to this dramatic social situation, the development of a constructive Buddhist-Christian encounter in Korea could become a remarkable source of wisdom, not only for Koreans but also for mankind. To be sure, with Buddhists and Christians representing 42.95 and 55.1 percent respectively of the 53.8 percent of its citizens claiming a religion, Korea has the privilege of being uniquely situated for a meeting of the followers of Christianity and Buddhism. Yet in spite of these promising circumstances, this essay points to the existence of a huge gap between Buddhists and Christians in Korea—a state of affairs that has a negative impact on social life—and analyzes the reasons behind it. Against the backdrop of the Buddhist-Christian encounter, the Jogye Order’s “2011 Aśoka Declaration” to promote interreligious dialogue and social peace, and a Christian alternative community seeking to achieve the same goal at a grassroots level, represent prophetic initiatives to develop the wisdom needed to foster peace on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

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