함석헌의 종교사상에서의 ‘새로움’과 한국적 종교영성의 가능성

Abstract

This paper analyzes the religious spirituality of ‘Newness’ which is established in Ham Seok‐heon’s(1901-1989) basic ground of religious ideological paradigm and the possibility of Korea religious spirituality. Ham Seok-heon uses the religious cultural context and background, which led Ham Seok‐heon to underlying awakening of ‘Newness’, as the criteria of his religious thoughts by getting a religious level of spiritual experience and layers of the concept of ‘Newness’. All along his life, his critical mind which tried to achieve the advent of ‘New Personality’, the reform of Korean society, and the solution of ills of human civilization finally led him to the declaration that ‘Newness’ is the very ‘New Religion.’ Ham Seok-heon organized ‘New Religion’, which was his lifelong topic, with a thinking system of ‘Newness’. In other words, Ham Seok-heon understood ‘Newness’, as an organism, is the principle of operation in the Universe, human, history and religion. It is the empathic awareness of ssial(씨), and also a symbolic system emblematizing the image of a new land. Ham Seok-Heon’s newness connotes transcendental reason and transcendental volition of practical spontaneity. In short, Ham Seok-heon’s ‘Newness’ has significance in presenting a code of conduct which makes it possible to be in solidarity with ‘Newness’ while expecting ssials’ spontaneous diffusion in seven sorts of attributes of ‘Newness’. In this context, it might be possible to evaluate that the awareness system, which succeeds Wonhyo’s (元曉) Hwajaengron (話爭論), and Choi, Chiwon’s (崔致遠) Pohamnon (包含論), was inherited by Ham Seok-heon. His ‘Newness’ is an ontological language, a symbol of mystery experience with the absolute being, and also an epistemological language of encompassing & transcending co-existence as well as a practical language which is guaranteeing spontaneity. Through this, layers of religious spirituality which are opened by newness and ssials who are aware of sacred experience, are living ‘now, here’ with spontaneous practice. Feelings of solidarity with inquiry to the institutional level of methodological alternative of encompassing & transcending co-existence is the very ‘Newness’, ‘New Personality’, and ‘a New Religion’, which is the criteria of Ham Seok-heon’s religious thoughts.