The Korean religious movement Daesoong jinrihoe: the project of earthly paradise and methods of achieving it

Daesoon Jinrihoe (Korean: 대순진리회) is one of many new religious organizations that emerged in Korea in the second half of the 19th - first half of the 20th century as an alternative to traditional religious and philosophical teachings (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism) and imposed Western Christianity. Some of them did not go beyond the closed communities, while the Daesoon Jinrihoe organization, relying on rich traditions of intellectual and social resistance to the authorities and expansion of the West, was able not only to survive in the modern world, but also to become successful and the fastest growing in the Republic of Korea. The purpose of the study is to analyze the ideological roots of Daesoon Jinrihoe, the fundamental aspects of the religious doctrine of the movement and its current state. The main source for studying the doctrine, principles and goals of Daesoon Jinrihoe is the canonical work “Jeongyeong”, first published in 1929 and representing a record of the deeds of Kang Jeungsan, who became, according to religious dogma, the earthly incarnation of the Supreme God Sangje and in this capacity began to reorganize the Universe. “Jeongyeong” consists of several sections written in hanja (Korean writing based on Chinese characters) and describing the life and miracles of Kang Jeungsan in specific life situations. Another source - “The Constitution of Dao” is a list of rights, duties and rules of conduct for members of the organization, describes its internal structure and management system. In domestic historiography there are no academic works devoted to the topic under study. The author relied on the works of Korean and Western researchers, who to one degree or another covered the history of the creation and activities of Daesoon Jinrihoe. The conclusions of this study are that the popularity of the Daesoon teaching is based on its appeal to the ideas and images of traditional Korean religions that have become part of the national mentality, and the inclusion of the organization in the modern national and world agenda.