Assessing the Nexus between Shamanism and Protestantism in South Korea

Korean shamanism, the oldest form of religion in Korea, has been the most powerful religious force dominating Koreans’ lives. Introduction Most Korean people were exposed to shamanistic beliefs before the coming of all the imported religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity. Although shamanism did not have any written canon for its teachings and practices, it has exerted a prominent influence on the imported religions including Protestant Christianity. Shamanism has continued to survive and is currently practiced. Thus, Harvey Cox comments that “shamanism never dies” because “it is just too deeply lodged in the inner recess of the human psyche.”