The Conflict between Religion and Modern Self: Anti-Protestantism in South Korea

This study delves into anti-Protestantism in Korean society, offering a historical and comprehensive interpretation of the phenomenon. It is conceptualized as a structural emotional habitus rooted in Korea's religious field and shaped by historical processes. The study introduces the concept of "expansionary absoluteness" to describe the historical character of Korean Protestantism, reflecting not only its fundamentalistic tendencies but also its materialistic orientation and external expansion, particularly after the 1960s. This concept encompasses outwardly expressed absoluteness in material, spatial, and doctrinal dimensions. The study links this expansionary absoluteness to the modernization of Korean society, analyzing how Protestantism's outward orientation clashes with the modern self. By utilizing Giddens' reflexive self-concept and Bourdieu's sense of practice, the study addresses the limitations of existing epistemological frameworks and combines the two approaches for a more comprehensive view. Giddens’ concept of existential anxiety is key to developing the "sense of self," divided into collective and individual aspects. The modern self, shaped by internal reference to individual self-sense, is destabilized by the expansionary nature of Protestantism, which invades personal boundaries of identity. This intrusion leads to a re-emergence of existential anxiety, threatening the beliefs that support the modern self, which perceives itself as freely autonomous. As a result, an anti-Protestant habitus is structured, where deep antipathy is created and reinforced through various mediators. The study reveals a reversal of symbolic power within Korea’s religious field, noting the paradox that Protestantism, once emblematic of modernity, now creates discord with it. Traditional religions like Buddhism, once seen as outdated, are increasingly viewed as compatible with modern values. This analysis suggests that, in South Korea, secularization theory remains controversial and needs examination through diverse dimensions.