Women's Role in Evangelization in Korean Culture

The Catholic Peace Weekly published an article on the recent Symposium in the Suwon Diocese on Dialogue Between Asian Culture and the Catholic Church, with an emphasis on women's roles.

The process of evangelization in Asia—which has taken root within a diverse cultural landscape—and the role of women, with an assessment of the path forward for evangelization in the 21st century. 

In the  keynote address titled “The Evangelization of Asia and the Theology of Culture”, the  professor Emeritus  of Korea University examined the process of evangelization that has unfolded within Asia’s diverse cultures and proposed that “we must illuminate a new language of evangelization within modern culture in step with the rapidly changing trends of our times.”

 “Since Asia is a region where multiple religions and diverse cultures coexist most densely, evangelization has also been carried out through a ‘dialogue with culture’ that respects people’s deep religious experiences and historical memories. This ‘dialogue with culture’ presents a very important milestone for the entire Asian Church, which stands today before the massive waves of secularization and pluralism.”

A religious sister spoke on  “Women and Culture in the Asian Catholic Church,” highlighting the need for a new discourse on Asian Catholic women that is relevant to the present era. She pointed out, “Until now, Asian women have tended to be portrayed solely as victims, the poor, and those without a voice under the Confucian tradition”, noting that “such an overly simplified discourse fails to adequately capture the diverse lives, experiences, and stories of women”.

As concrete measures for finding a new Catholic discourse on women, Sister proposed: △Creating spaces for reconciliation through listening △, re-examining women’s leadership based on relationship-centered networks, transparent communication, and collaboration. She continued, “Creating a space where women can produce healthy discourse as active agents within the Church is a calling that women and the Church must fulfill together,” adding, “Only when women’s diverse experiences are naturally heard in the daily life of the Church community can we begin to discover diverse and healthy models of women’s leadership.”

A senior researcher at the 'Our Theology Research Institute', highlighted the pivotal role women have played in spreading the Gospel and sustaining the community throughout the history of the Korean Church’s evangelization, explaining that expanding their participation is a pressing task for the Korean and Asian churches.

Women have played a pivotal role throughout Korean church history—from the activities of the lay organizations during the period of persecution, to the Enlightenment Movement of the opening era, and the labor and anti-poverty movements following liberation—and remarked, “The participatory and dynamic culture of women in the Korean Church can continue in new forms even amid today’s challenges.” She added, “The history of the Catholic Church promoting women’s dignity through education and achieving church development can serve as a concrete model of hope for Asian churches facing the dual oppression of poverty and gender discrimination.”

A parish priest presented new pastoral approaches and cultural responses toward the younger generation and the isolated in the digital environment as a new task for evangelization, stating, “We must carry out cultural ministry that actively utilizes the benefits brought by digital AI culture while also accepting it critically.”

Korean Catholic Statistics

Pastoral Implications of the 2025 Statistics on the Catholic Church in Korea. Challenges of the Era of 6 Million Believers

Indifference, aging, and a declining next generation are the challenges for the transition to a Synod Church.

The Korean Catholic Church has entered the era of 6 million believers. This milestone was achieved 50 years after recording 1 million in 1975 and 17 years after surpassing 5 million in 2008. However, excluding the Military Ordinariate, the number of believers has been declining, and only 15 out of every 100 registered believers attend Sunday Mass. The number of new priests is also declining, and the proportion of believers aged 65 or older has risen to 28.9%, making the population structure increasingly centered on the elderly.

The number of registered believers in the Korean church has been tallied at 6,006,832, representing 11.4% of the total population.  This represents remarkable growth for a minority religion, which had a ratio of 1% (189,412 people) to the total population in 1955, when the results of the Korean War still lingered. The number of Korean church members first reached 1 million (2.98% of the population) in 1975 and 5 million (9.9%) in 2008. It took 50 years to reach 1 million and 18 years to reach 6 million.

However, behind the joy this number brings lies a reality that must be examined objectively. In the 2025 Korea Research survey, the proportion of Catholic believers was 11% of the total population, whereas in the Gallup Korea survey, it was only 6%. The gap between these two figures symbolically illustrates the distance between believers registered in the church registry and those who actually profess their faith. 

With the results of the religious population survey for the '2025 Population and Housing Census' by the National Data Bureau, a state agency, not yet released, the figure of 6 million registered members should be interpreted as a milestone and, at the same time, as the starting point for the challenges facing the church.

Above all, the recovery of so-called lapsed Catholics and inactive believers who are unable to fully participate in the life of the Church is an urgent task. The fact that Sunday Mass attendance remains at 15.5% of the total faithful demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of registered believers are far removed from the actual life of the faith community.

How to re-invite into the community those believers who have been unable to continue their sacramental life since Baptism and First Communion, and those whose connection with the parish was severed due to the pandemic, is a pastoral question that can no longer be postponed.

The path to recovery begins not merely with announcing events or reaching out, but with listening to and understanding why they left. The listening and companionship advocated by Synodalitas must be applied not only to those remaining within the church but also to those currently standing outside its doors.

The Korean church must fundamentally redefine its relationship with the young adult and adolescent generations. The number of believers aged 24 and under continues to decline, and Sunday school enrollment has dropped by nearly half over the past decade. This is not merely a reflection of population decline. Behind it lies a cultural and spiritual reality in which the younger generation feels the church is irrelevant to their lives or fails to accept faith as a meaningful choice.

We need a space within the church where young people can ask questions, doubt, and feel truly welcome in the process. We must deeply reflect on whether existing Sunday school operations and youth ministry programs are truly responding to the language and aspirations of this generation.

As the clergy and religious age and the decline in vocations progresses rapidly, the Church is increasingly likely to lose the vitality to fulfill its mission. This is already evident through various sacramental indicators, the distribution of clergy and religious, and the status of social welfare institutions.

Sin the Betrayal of Human Nature

[Asking St. Thomas Aquinas About the Path to Happiness] Are Sin and Punishment Obstacles to Humans' Pursuit of Happiness? A philosophy professor at the Catholic University says that you must distinguish:

Sin and Punishment, the Path of Healing to True Happiness by Correcting Distorted Nature. While cults rob people of their happiness by excessively exploiting 'guilt,' conversely, a tendency to mitigate sin itself or the sense of guilt is widespread in modern society. Modern excessive optimism tends to dismiss sin as a non-existent psychological inhibition, or even regard it as an 'attractive friend,' thereby taking its weight lightly. Nowadays, people generally seek happiness in the highly subjective, sensory realm of 'comfort' and immediate 'desire satisfaction', while viewing pain and discomfort as evil and avoiding them. Following this tendency, many complacently believe that sin does not exist, or that even if it does, its consequences are insignificant. Therefore, the concepts of 'sin (Peccatum)' and 'punishment (Poena),' emphasized in most religions, are often viewed by many as the oppression of irrational authority that infringes upon autonomy. However, a detailed examination of Thomas Aquinas's theory of sin and punishment reveals that this judgment and the resulting rejection stem largely from a misunderstanding. Thomas Aquinas states that eternal punishment is caused not by God's coercion, but by the 'stubbornness' of the human will. In contrast to modern psychology, which prioritizes inner peace and the fulfillment of desires, Thomas sees 'disordered self-love'. This is not a denial of the self, but a critique of a state in which the hierarchy of love is reversed. According to Thomas, 'right self-love' is preserving one's rational nature and turning toward God, the highest good, whereas 'disordered self-love' falls into the folly of undermining one's own immutable human dignity by clinging to the good of the world. While we often view sin as a product of personal mistakes or trauma and focus on self-forgiveness, Thomas defines it as a disorder regarding the rules of reason and eternal laws. When one realizes that disordered self-love ultimately entails abandoning one's authentic self and becoming a slave to changeable desires, Thomas's strictness can be reinterpreted as a warning to protect human nature. A sin defined as a betrayal of rational nature For Thomas, sin is not merely an act of violating the commands of an external power, but rather a 'betrayal of one's own nature' that infringes upon human happiness. He defined sin as both a 'departure from God' and a 'disordered conversion to a changeable good'. The one who sins deviates from the goals carefully set by reason, destroys himself, and brings about inner chaos. This analysis proves that sin is an unnatural act that hinders the realization of humanity. The reason for guarding against sin is not out of fear of external punishment, but to ensure that humans do not lose the path to realizing their humanity most completely. While modern relativistic ethics shifts responsibility to external circumstances or fate by claiming that "it is human to err," Thomas firmly rejects this. By meticulously analyzing the cause of sin as internal factors such as ignorance, passion, or malice (malitia). He emphasizes the 'subjectivity' of humans as masters of their own actions. In other words, the reason we must guard against sin is not out of fear of external punishment, but to protect our own dignity. When we understand that sin is a distortion of nature, the meaning of the resulting 'punishment' also shifts from mere retaliation to the restoration of order. Sin is a 'betrayal' of human nature... must be guarded against to protect one's own dignity. Punishment is 'restoration' that rebuilds the destroyed order... God's grace

Philosophy of Dishwashing.

The Religious Peace scholar at the Catholic University of Korea, in the "Window from the Ark" column of the Catholic Weekly, offers a philosophy of dishwashing.

Cook, set the table, eat, tidy the table, wash dishes, knead dough, bake bread, eat together, wash dishes, make soup, slice kimchi, set the table, eat rice, wash dishes, cook ramen, wash dishes, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, in the morning and in the evening…

Cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning. These are tasks that are immediately noticeable if not done, yet go unnoticed even if done diligently. They are not things to brag about. Outside of the family, there is rarely any praise for doing a good job. It is a draining task when even family members remain indifferent.

This is especially true for the dishes that pile up every day. You can skip cleaning for a day or two, but you cannot let a day pass without washing dishes. Cooking is a meaningful activity that brings thanks and nourishes others, but washing dishes is simple, repetitive labor that elicits little reaction from those around you and becomes tedious.

However, if you do not do it, you cannot cook or eat, and life itself becomes impossible. Even if you do not want to, you cannot avoid doing it. Whether at home, in a church, at the Blue House, or at the Vatican—wherever people live—it must be done, yet its true meaning is obscured, and treated as menial labor. Is washing dishes also a way of building the Kingdom of God?

Philosopher Graham Harman proposed a theory called "object-oriented ontology." While this may sound like a difficult concept, it can be summarized simply as follows: Humans are not the only subjects; all beings are objects to one another; humans cannot fully grasp all objects; every object possesses an inherent depth that defies boundaries and holds a cosmic dimension that infinitely expands its boundaries the more it is perceived; and every object perceived by humans transcends that perception, moving endlessly into a deep abyss.

Dishwashing. Every single dish, the object of this action, can serve as an example of this theory. Just when one thinks dishwashing is a task confined to the kitchen, it extends beyond it; just when one thinks it takes place in the kitchen across the street, it connects to someone's work life, effectively becoming part of human survival. Just when one thinks it is the task of cleaning up "food waste," it leads to conversations at the dining table, connecting to family relationships and broader human connections. In this way, dishwashing recedes beyond the kitchen, expands, and extends into an endless abyss, and connects to the entire universe. Dishwashing becomes a cosmic act and event.

And that is not all. It extends endlessly into the world of dish soaps, surfactants, pH adjusters, fragrances, moisturizers, and preservatives. The coffee drunk after a meal, the stains left in the cup, the African sun and soil, the sweat of the coffee roaster, and the fossil fuels of the transport ships.

Leftover kimchi juice, the highlands of Gangwon Province, large trucks, and midwinter asphalt, a delivery worker's winter clothing, someone's survival, and livelihood. A cup of coffee travels as far as Africa, while kimchi juice spilled on the table connects to the cabbage fields of Gangwon Province and the hands of farmers, reaching all the way to the sun. Boundaries expand endlessly.

Washing dishes is a process of converging the chain of cosmic ties (Many) intertwined with a single cup of coffee, the hands washing the dishes, and the cool stream of water right here and now (One). It is an event of "Many within One" (One in Many) as described in Buddhism. It is a small act taking place in the kitchen, yet it is also a monumental event that connects to the universe and recedes. It is a practical example of "Many within One." The religious worldview that "the whole is within the one, and the one is within the whole" is dynamically realized within the dishwashing basin. The repetition of daily life, bordering on meaninglessness, becomes a cosmic sanctuary.

Food scraps and clean dishes, impurity and purity are not two separate things. The act of wiping away the dirt from a single spoon becomes the principle of life. The cosmic truth contained in the smallness—in Buddhism, this is referred to as the state of "one is many, many is one" and "unhinderedness in all things." Wisdom that penetrates without hindrance all things and phenomena throughout time and space. 

In this way, washing dishes in a small kitchen becomes, in the language of Buddhism, the world adorned with flowers. 

Is it not the Lord’s world where “a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day” (cf. 2 Peter 3:8)?

Contermplation

 

In his column, Philosophical Chat, in the Korean Catholic Peace Weekly, a Jesuit professor offers readers some insight into the word "Contemplation."

The term “contemplation” derives from the Ancient Greek words “theorein” ( to see/observe) and “theoria”(contemplation/theory). Originally referring to the public act of visiting a sanctuary or festival, the concept gradually expanded to encompass philosophical and religious meanings. 

For Plato (428/7–348/7 BCE), contemplation is the event in which the human soul transitions from darkness to light and “sees” the true reality of the Forms, and this intuition serves as the basis for “recollection”. 

In contrast, Aristotle (384–322 BCE) defined contemplation as a theoretical activity through which humans recognize causes and principles to attain “wisdom,” viewing it as an activity of perfected actuality that constitutes human ultimate happiness. According to him, the “contemplative life” is the highest form of life, standing in contrast to the practical life.

Philosophical counseling, which seeks wisdom beyond mere knowledge, centers on “Contemplative Philosophy”. Contemplative Philosophy is the “science of wisdom” that pursues true and eternal truth through the intuitive insight of the intellect, going beyond rational and deductive reason. This does not remain confined to mere theoretical or speculative philosophy but aligns with “philosophical practice”, inspiring and revitalizing life. 

As a form of philosophical practice, philosophical counseling strives ceaselessly to advance toward the realm of truth and a greater reality by creating a “clearing” of thought in our lives through contemplative philosophy. This clearing of thought (contemplation) is a practical process that alleviates life's suffering and restores the vitality of existence by breaking free from the inertia of everyday thought and approaching reality.

Creating a clearing of thought is on a different level from simply “breaking down boundaries” to transcend limitations. Heidegger (1889–1976) defines a clearing as an open space where Being reveals itself. This is a fundamental mode of thinking that leaves space open for being to reveal its true nature. Contemplative thinking that opens a void within us does not mean reflection on reality, but rather reflection from reality and in communion with reality. If the characteristic of object-oriented thinking lies in establishing boundaries, then contemplative thinking that opens a void signifies boundaryless thinking—that is, thinking that breaks down boundaries. To put it another way, this can be described as a kind of “opening” of existence.

In fact, healing through philosophy is not possible when it remains merely at the level of speculative or theoretical thought; it becomes possible only when one enters the opening of the clearing where existence reveals itself. The experience of this clearing of thought, this opening up, is by no means easily attained; it is granted as an epiphany that arrives like a flash of lightning amidst ceaseless training in thought. This is also the very event in which the soul is healed. This opening—like a clearing that suddenly appears in a dense forest—is experienced only through a contemplative attitude that steps away from the bustle of daily life to dwell in thought. Heidegger understands this kind of thinking as a “reverent dwelling” that allows being to reveal itself.

Our thinking loses its sense of ease as it constantly compartmentalizes and defines objects. This kind of thinking, which draws boundaries, is an act of grasping and identifying with the object; it carries an element of exclusivity and ultimately leads to fatigue. In contrast, contemplation is a form of thinking that goes beyond definition to allow the object to reveal itself, dwelling in letting go and acceptance, and possesses the power to heal the soul.

 

Faith And Theology

 

According to traditional classification methods, there are four fields within theology in its proper sense: biblical theology, historical theology, systematic theology, and practical theology. In the Korean Catholic Times, a pastor offers insight into the division.

First, biblical theology deals with the 'source of faith.' It addresses the origin of literature as a definite certificate of faith, as well as its original meaning and its significance for the present. It includes individual disciplines such as Biblical Studies, Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Introduction to the Old Testament, and Introduction to the New Testament.

Second, historical theology deals with the 'tradition of faith.' It covers the history of various theologies and churches in the process of faith transmission across generations. As individual disciplines, historical theology includes ancient, medieval, early modern, contemporary, and Korean church history, patristics, and the history of theology.

Third, systematic theology deals with the 'rationality of faith.' The rationality of faith refers, first, to the fact that faith can be justified logically and rationally, transcending emotional experience. Second, it means that the doctrines and confessions of faith can be explained and constructed within the comprehensibility of modern people based on philosophical, historical, and sociological grounds. This is a comprehensive undertaking that encompasses the logical statement of the content of faith, the formation of modes of expression, and the methods of its transmission

Therefore, systematic theology seeks to elucidate faith within the church's way of thinking, lifestyle, and structure in the present. As individual disciplines, systematic theology includes foundational theology, introduction to theology, dogmatic theology, moral theology, Christian sociology, and ecumenical theology.

The fourth discipline, Practical Theology, deals with the 'possibility of practicing faith.' It addresses the possibility for the Church and society, living together in the same era, to accept a living faith today. Practical Theology includes individual disciplines such as Pastoral Theology (homiletics, catechetical instruction, pastoral psychology, pastoral sociology, etc.), Canon Law, Liturgy, Religious Education, Missiology, and Spiritual Theology.

In this way, supernatural theology deals with the 'source of faith,' 'traditional nature of faith,' 'rationality of faith,' and 'practicality of faith. Therefore, by reading theological books, we can internalize and synthesize the truths of our faith. In particular, reading conciliar documents and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which represent the remarkable theological developments of our time, is one of the best ways to internalize and synthesize our faith.

To add one more point, as the term implies, fundamental theology is a discipline that studies the most basic aspects of theology. What is the foundation of theology? It is revelation and faith. Therefore, fundamental theology is the discipline that studies these comprehensively.

There are two methodologies in theology: the positivist and the speculative. The positivist method corresponds to "hearing faith," while the speculative method corresponds to "understanding faith. The positivist method addresses the factual question of faith, while the speculative method addresses its essence. Therefore, these two methods cannot be separated but assist each other, enabling us to hear and understand faith.

No More War!

    

On April 30, the Korean Catholic Priests'

Association for Justice released a statement titled "God Rejects War," urging people to break free from indifference toward war and to pray for and stand in solidarity for peace. This statement was prepared to join Pope Leo XIV’s call for peace in a situation where armed conflicts, such as the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war, continue, and to condemn all wars, and to call for the choice of peace. The statement pointed out that war destroys the lives of the most powerless first, but those who start the war do not bear the suffering. The priests emphasized, “The Lord, the Good Shepherd, is walking the path to true life and true peace yesterday, today, and tomorrow,” adding, “What is needed in an age of war is not effective strategies, but people who recognize the voice of the Lord and actually follow His path.” Following God's will to reject war and choose peace, every day at 9 p.m., they offered the Lord's Prayer and appealed to remember all beings sacrificed due to war during Mass, urging peace on the Korean Peninsula and the cessation of wars of aggression by the United States, Israel, Russia, and others. The priests urged, “Remaining silent or standing by is by no means neutrality, but another form of complicity in violence,” adding, “Let us draw the cries of the suffering into our prayers and respond to the peace chosen by God.” Furthermore, citing the Pope's criticism of invoking God's name in war, they called on the international community to fulfill its fundamental responsibility to protect life, transcending self-interest and political expediency. The group of priests stated, "The parties to the war must immediately cease the use of force and move toward the table of dialogue and negotiation," adding that "no justification can legitimize the sacrifice of innocent lives."