Martyrdom and Christian Love among Catholics in Premodern

Martyrdom and Christian Love among Catholics in Pre-modern Korea (1784~1895) Juliana Choi Seon hye

Question : Why should we care about Korean Catholic Church history?

The Beatification Ceremony (Aug. 16, 2014)

18 th century (1740 s) “Literati gathered reciting poetry” Confucian Society : -Confucianism is a state ideology -The ideology is exclusive -The Class System -Strict divisions among gender -Truth sought in Confucianism

Today’s Outline • From Academic Study to Faith • Internalization • Persecution • Martyrdom Christian Love

1. From Academic Study to Faith Matteo Ricci (1552~1610) “De Deo Verax Disputatio”

1) The Discovery of Faith during Academic Studies • There were about 400 or more kinds of Western Academic texts in China, written by missionaries • Adopted to Joseon since 1603 • After the 17 th century, there were about 60 or more Catholic catechisms in Joseon • Young nobles gathered, studied Catholic texts together, and gradually accepted Catholicism as their faith : Voluntarily Acceptance

2) The first community of Catholic believers(the Church)in Korea • Yi Seung-hun(1756~1801) received a baptism from a Catholic missionary in Beijing China, as Peter • Some nobles who had received ‘baptismus simplex’(privatus) from Yi Seung-hun converted to Catholicism (1784. 10) ->the first community of Catholic believers in Korea (the establishment of the Church in Korea)

3) Petitioning for a priest The 1811 letter written to Pope Pius Ⅶ asking for missionaries to be sent to Joseon

2. Internalization

1) Catholic Catechisms, Prayer Books, Hymns in Korean “The Book of Essential Doctrine” (1786~1801) -Parts of the Bible -Catechisms -Prayer books -Hymnals written in Korean

2) A community of faith that went beyond class, status, and social privileges - Humility in Faith : Gave up class priviliges – Called each other ‘Friend in Faith’ : The walls between classes were torn down Fraternal love, love toward humanity in general : Love was treasured and shared within the community Drawing by Kim Deuk-Shin (1754~1822): A drawing of a nobleman and a commoner

Community of Catholics

Catholicism gradually became a religion of the people A mission station made in the 19 century, in Ulsan, North Gyeongsang Province Catholics

3. Persecution

Reasons for Persecution • Disavowal of the Governmental Structure • Rejection of Ancestral Rites • Catholic principles were considered heretic : God=great parent, trinity, savior, Incarnation and Redemption etc. • Pride for the Native Culture of Joseon : Western Culture = a heresy • Political Sacrificial Lamb

4. Martyrdom

1) Love Toward God (filial piety) Testaments of Faith Before Martyrdom : . Martinus Lee: “I cannot betray our Father who art in heaven. ”(1801). John Park : "The Lord is my creator, and the Lord commanded me to love him. ”(1839). Augustinus Park: "Since the Lord Jesus Christ loved me, it is only right for me to also love my Lord Jesus Christ. ”(1839)

2) Fraternal Love in Faith • The collaborative spirit among the newly converted is astonishing. A particularly impressive virtue is how they love and care for one another. Material boons of this world are lacking, but they live together with these limited resources regardless of discrimination based on class. When I look at these people, I feel as if I am at witnessing the very early Christian Church. (1899. 04. 22. Letter by Fr. Baudounet)

The Memory of the Korean Catholic Church : Acts of Love 1) From a field of study to a faith 2) Identification: Absolute self-identification with faith 3) Love(filal piety) Toward the Great Parent (God) 4) The Love of Missionaries 5) Humility, Self-sacrifice, Fraternal Love in Faith -> Spreading as a religion of the people