This examination of the Catholic poetry of the late Joseon scholar Yi Byeok demonstrates that early Korean Catholics were fundamentally influenced by their cultural milieu - one which revered Confucian and neo-Confucian thought - and also attempted to present Catholicism as a belief system which could be considered acceptable within orthodox Confucian tradition. The tensions between foundational tenets of East Asian philosophical orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism would ultimately doom this effort to failure. This paper translates selected excerpts of Yi’s works, which have not yet before been available in English. By analysing these selections of Yi’s main work, Seonggyo yoji 聖敎要旨(“Hymn of the Adoration of God”), the aim is to contribute to our understanding of the syncretic, adaptive processes inherent in any introduction of a new belief system to a host culture, however, it is ostensibly explained at the time.
1. Introduction
2. Seonggyoyoji (“Essence of the Sacred Doctrine”)
3. Conclusion
References