The Korean American Experience

according to St. Thomas Aquinas

Dr. Andrew Kim

Walsh University

North Canton, OH

This presentation draws from the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas in order to illuminate three

features of the Korean American experience: stepchild syndrome, hyphenated reality, and the

search for holistic fulfillment as Korean Americans. Approaching Aquinas in this fashion also

draws attention to aspects of his theology that may otherwise be overlooked. Korean

Americans often feel as though they can never be fully accepted into American society.

Regardless of our longevity, we are perpetually foreigners. This stepchild syndrome, in turn,

creates a hyphenated reality. We are neither fully Korean, nor fully American; we are Korean

American. Sometimes we feel as though we are too Korean for our American selves and too

American for our Korean selves. This internal conflict arising from the stepchild syndrome and

hyphenated reality deepen within us the longing for holistic fulfillment—the desire to become

a unified whole who truly belongs to something greater beyond ourselves. According to

Aquinas, it is this search for holistic fulfillment that best captures what it means to live a

Christian life as wayfarers on the journey toward the beatific vision. Therefore, we struggle

through this journey as Korean American Catholics striving to form a coherent identity in a

world that does not have suitable categories.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

In 1948 Changsoon (C.S.) Kim immigrated from Korea

to the U.S. to join his wife Bok Dok Kim. They

eventually settled in Washington D.C. where they had

three children:

Young Kim: An

attorney currently

living in Chicago, IL

SunHee Gertz: A cancer

survivor, author, and professor

of literature at Clarke University

in Worcester, MA

Jhin Kim: My father, a former U.S.

Army officer, corrections officer and

full time grandpa currently residing

in North Canton, Ohio

THE KOREAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE AND CHRISTIAN FAITH

Changsoon Kim was educated in Korea and

America. He attended the College of Emporia,

Ottawa University, Kansas Baptist Theological

Seminary and the University of Southern California.

Dr. Kim majored in economics for his AB and MBA

and also completed graduate work in Economics. He

also held a BD and ThD in theology. Dr. Kim was a

member of the East and West Association and a

member of the Foreign Policy Association and

Institute of Pacific Relations. He was also the

founder and president of The Korean American

Cultural Association and editor of a monograph

entitled: The Culture of Korea.

THE KOREAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE AND CHRISTIAN FAITH

My grandfather contributed four essays to The Culture of Korea

“Clouds over the Land of the Morning Calm”

“Christianity in Korea”

“Korea’s Cultural Contribution to Science”

“Dan Koon, First King of Korea”

“Korea’s Cultural Contribution to Science”

What makes Korea’s cultural contribution to science distinctive? Kim

argues that it is the humanitarian philosophy of Shinkyoism that has

always informed the advance of science and technology in Korea: “If a

Korean wants to help others, he usually forgets to help himself first. It is

not from self to humanity. It is from humanity to self. The difference is in

that he helps others because he is in need of help himself. He helps others

first, because he needs to be helped, too.” (192)

“Clouds over the Land of the Morning Calm”

In this essay, Kim calls for Korean independence, unification, and

autonomy following the end of the brutal Japanese occupation and

World War II: “Under the present set-up, Korea is divided into two

occupational zones. Each zone flies a different flag; each flag

represents a different system of government. This situation is not

conducive to the establishment of internal unity among the Koreans,

which is presumably the very goal the armies of occupation are

attempting to achieve. Korean internal unity can never be the

product of the physical division of Korea. “United we stand, divided

we fall” applies to any nation.” (25)

Monotheistic (Hananim) – one supreme mind

However, Hananim as Hanulim or Hanalim which can have a polytheistic or henotheistic connotation

“Christianity in Korea”

The Beliefs of Shinkyoism

“The Shinkyoists hold a strong view of personal sin and punishment. This is the basis of their ethics.” (109)

Shinkyoism is the earliest religion of Korea and dates back to 2457 B.C.

Shinn meaning “God”; Inn meaning “person” was so called because he was God incarnate.

“It seems that Christianity is more adaptable to the hearts of the Shinkyoist than other religions they have tried” due to

the deep seated instinct for monotheism and emphasis upon personal sin and punishment. (113)

Shinn Inn was the first king of Korea in 2333 B.C.

Shinn Inn’s teachings were called Shin Do meaning “God Doctrine”

Succeeding kings gave Shinkyoism different names

Bu Yeu Dynasty – Dai Chun Kyo Silla Dynasty – Soong Chun Kyo Kokuryu Dynasty – Kyung Chun Kyo

Bal Hai Dynasty – Chin Chong Kyo

The Ethics of Shinkyoism

The Eight Transgressions (Pal-Kwan or Pal Joi)

1. To commit murder

2. To steal 3. To commit adultery

4. To tell lies 5. To drink alcohol

6. To sustain haughtiness 7. To maintain extravagance 8. To lust

The Five Commandments (O Kei)

1. Loyalty to the King

2. Filial obedience to the Father

3. Faith in Fellow men

4. Never retreat from battle

5. Certain animals may not be killed

The Nine Covenants (Koo Seu)

1. To punish those who deny filial obedience

2. To punish those who deny friendship

3. To punish those who deny faith in God and humanity

4. To punish those who deny loyalty

5. To punish those who deny humbleness

6. Diligence in morality

7. Discipline over fault

8. Sympathy toward unfortunates

9. Equality, particularly socio-economic

The Worship Practices of Shinkyoism

Shin Inn started the practice of mass worship

twice a year. In March and October of each

year, people performed a mass ceremony to

their god. This practice has never ceased to

exist in Korea. (112)

“Christianity is a religion for all races, and is adaptable to every race.” (111)

Two explanations for the rapid growth of Christianity in Korea

1. The Shinkyoist finds one true God in Christianity.

2. Compatibility between Shinkyoism and Christianity with respect to the doctrines of sin and punishment

“It seems that Christianity is more adaptable to the hearts of the Shinkyoist than other

religions they have tried” due to the deep seated instinct for monotheism and

emphasis upon personal sin and punishment. (113)

Shinkyoism and Christianity

I believe that my grandfather was both a Christian and a Shinkyoist

I cannot find my grandfather ever commenting directly on the Catholic Church

In the book my grandfather edited there is, in addition to his own essay on “Christianity in

Korea,” a separate essay on “Catholicism in Korea” authored by James M. Gillis

Since his first encounter with Christianity seems to have been with Baptist missionaries,

and since he was educated in Baptist theological seminaries, he may have inherited

something of the Baptist prejudice against the Catholic Church.

Indeed, my grandfather’s description of Japanese Shintoism with its “superstitious and

licentious rites” sounds somewhat like certain Baptist accounts of Catholicism.

However, this is speculation on my part. So far as I have found, my grandfather simply had nothing direct to say about the

Catholic Church.

Also, Fr. Simon Kim notes that the “inactivity of the [Catholic] church’s hierarchy” in protesting Japanese occupation of

Korea “in the early 1900’s will forever label Catholics as being calloused in their response and would take half a century

to overcome.” – Memory and Honor, 32

Edward Rowe

- Raised Catholic but converted to “Evangelical” Christianity

- Holds a Doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary

T.U.L.I.P.

T. Total depravity

U. Unconditional election

L. Limited Atonement

I. Irresistible grace

P. Perseverance of the saints

“Indeed, someday I should like to inquire further as to how the children of Baptist

ministers and theologians should find and marry each other as Evangelicals and later have

an only child who, as an adult, became a Roman Catholic.”

-Andrew Kim

An Introduction to Catholic Ethics since Vatican II

Cambridge University Press, March 2015

Step-child syndrome: The experience of not fully belonging

Step-child syndrome: The experience of not fully belonging

Koreans and Korean Americans

Often, the separation of Koreans and Korean Americans has a negative connotation.

Part of this can be attributed to the fact Koreans overly protect their “Koreanness” out of survival instincts due to historical

domination and oppression.

An example of this mind-set is evident in the Korean labeling of racially mixed children of the Korean War as tui-

gui, a derogatory term derived from inanimate objects.

-Simon Kim, Memory and Honor, 9

Hyphenated-Reality: This also has to do with the not fully belonging, but also with not being able to fully embrace the

multi-faceted nature of one’s identity.

Cho deals with the dual aspect of her identity by turning her Koreanness into an object of ridicule for the sake of gaining the

approval of the dominant culture.

One reason why I became Catholic was because I was drawn to the theology St. Thomas Aquinas.

Step-child syndrome + Hyphenated-reality = deep desire for holistic fulfillment and a sense of belonging

Features of Aquinas’s Theology that resonate with the Korean American Catholic experience

- Double belonging

Both a citizen of the city of the this world and the City of God

- Composite identity

Body and soul

-Striving for holistic fulfillment

The Unity of the virtues

“For one thing can be made several things in different ways: First, from two

complete things which remain retain their distinct perfections even in their

composite union; Second, one thing is made up of several things, complete,

but changed, as a mixture is made up of its elements.”

-St. Thomas Aquinas

ST III a q. 2 a. 1