VOL.69/2024.04

[Korean Scholars ⑨]

Oh Kang-Nam, Professor of Comparative Religion

A Keen Insight Toward Religion, Society, and Life

2022.09.05

We all have our own faith in mind about how to live our lives. This belief could be about a spiritual being, a community that shares a common idea, or an order like law or ethics. Professor Oh Kang-Nam, a representative specialist on comparative religion in Korea, studies these beliefs with profound observation and insight. The field of “comparative religion” may be somewhat unfamiliar to some, but it is one of the religious studies comparing various religions and beliefs throughout the world. People who specialize in comparative religious study have a deeper understanding of the most fundamental and philosophical interest of religions. Following is the interview with professor Oh Kang-Nam, who has devoted his life to valuable research and writing about the beliefs and practices of human beings based on the delicate understanding of various religions in the world.

Religion, a medium for a greater freedom

Professor Oh Kang-Nam, who has been giving lectures and writing books while traveling between North America and Korea, is currently teaching at the University of Regina in Canada as an honorary professor of comparative religion. He began to have faith in Christianity following his mother during his childhood, but he soon questioned the teachings of the conservative church. Then, he developed various thoughts about religious beliefs through journals such as Sasanggye (思想界) and Christian Theory. His view towards religion changed as he studied Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Taoist Philosophy along with Christianity. “Religion is a tool to embrace greater freedom by discovering a deeper dimension, invisible from the conventional point of view,” he explained. Just as Buddha from Buddhism and Jesus from Christianity talked about truth, he believed that we should clear our eyes covered with greed and see the world more clearly, seeking freedom.
Professor Oh Kang-Nam states that superficial faith that emphasizes literalism, and fundamentalism that insists that only one’s own religion is correct, are violence. In other words, if religion fails to advance to deep faith and only remains superficial, it can be seen as a “religious developmental disorder.” While religions have failed to lead our society as they did in the past, society has taken the lead, guiding them instead. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has even accelerated people’s path to a post-religious existence. Professor Oh Kang-Nam explains that in order for religions to survive in this era, we need to remind ourselves that enlightenment is the essence of religion, and apart from religion, ethics that emerge from the inside of man should be the force that moves society.

What is religion? Deep insight from books

Oh’s profound insight into religion is readily apparent in his books. For example, the recently-published Oh Kangnam’s Thoughts (Hyeonamsa) is a collection of posts with the most likes among all the posts about religion and society that he had uploaded on Facebook. Through the book, professor Oh criticizes Korean Christianity immersed in literalism and predicts how several religions will change in the future after the pandemic. Since “faith” and “religious belief” are sensitive subjects for discussion, the book No Such Jesus (Hyeonamsa) has also triggered many controversies. The book is heavily critical of Korean Christianity, giving readers a chance to reflect on modern Christianity. It even helps those non-Christians to understand Christianity as a religion, which is the root of Western civilization.
Professor Oh’s religious insight extends not only to Christianity, but to other world religions as well. For example, Religions in the World (Hyeonamsa) is a book where professor Oh talks about his knowledge and first-hand experience in religions around the world cumulated over the past 25 years. It describes in a balanced way the 12 particularly selected religions that have left a great mark in human history and still exert influence, adding images alongside to increase interest in reading. Meanwhile, his book What is Religion? (Gimm-Young Publishers) is a guide to overcoming religious bias by examining religions and beliefs step by step, and to finding the way of open religion and the deeper meaning of truth, free from conflict and war. There is also a book for people interested in Eastern religion. The book Oh Kangnam’s Pocket Tao Te Ching (Hyeonamsa) contains Korean translations, original Chinese texts, and English translations of the representative Taoist scripture Tao Te Ching written by Lao-tzu. Pocket-sized readers can lightly enjoy Tao Te Ching whenever they like.

The books written by professor Oh Kang-Nam break away from conventional stereotypes about religion with clear expressions and easily-understood metaphors and address readers with a new understanding. His books not only help us understand religion but also lead us to discover the true “me,” not the “me” pre-determined by conventional wisdom. We are all confronted with challenging moments and questions about our ego in life. If the unanswered questions intermingle and complicate your heart, why not read professor Oh Kang-Nam’s books? They will be a good pathfinder in our lives.

Written by Choi Ha-Yeong