변찬린의 새종교관과 증산사상 이해에 대한 연구 = A Study of Byun Chan-rin’s Understanding of the Neo-religion and Ideas of Kang Il-sun

국문 초록 (Abstract)

변찬린(1934~1985)은 한국적 정신의 근간인 ‘풍류(風流)’ 또는 ‘선(僊)’의 관점에서 기독교와 불교, 도교, 유교 등의 세계종교들을 상호텍스트적으로 회통했을 뿐만 아니라 근대 한국 민족종교들까지 포괄하는 새로운 종교관을 제시하였다. 그는 풍류라는 ‘대도(大道)의 정맥(正脈)’에서 벗어나서 ‘피안(彼岸)의 종교’로 전락한 채 특정 종교 전통에 매몰된 세계종교들의 배타적 한계를 극복하기 위해서 ‘새종교’의 필요성을 역설했다. 또한 증산사상을 비롯한 다양한 근대 한국의 자생 신종교들을 혹세무민(惑世誣民)의 ‘미신(迷信)’ 혹은 ‘신흥종교’로 폄하하던 관점에서 벗어나고자 한 ‘새종교’로 보면서 높이 평가하였다. 특히 제국의 지배종교가 아니라 식민지 민중의 대안종교라는 관점에서 민족종교의 후천개벽사상과 증산의 천지공사 및 해원상생사상을 세계종교들의 모순과 한계를 극복하는 종교의 창조적 진화로 이해하면서, ‘종교성’의 한계에서 벗어나서 ‘영성’의 새로운 가능성을 모색하는 SBNR의 시대를 예고하는 구도자적 통찰을 선보였다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Byun Chan-rin (1934–1985) intertextually reconciled important world religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism from the perspective of Pungryu (風流), also known as Seon (僊), which he considered to be the foundation of the Korean spirit. Naturally, his category of Pungryu also encompassed modern Korean national religions. He emphasized the necessity of a neo-religion in order to overcome the exclusive limitations of various world religions as each was bound by their own tradition, and hence deviated from the mainstream of the Great Way of Pungryu. He also appreciated various indigenous new religions in modern Korea, including concept of epoch-making and the practices of Kang Il-sun (姜一淳), as “neo-religion” that could overcome the limitations of world religions by elevating the magical activities of shamanism to the Great Way. His appraisal was positive, and he refrained from dismissing this growing movement as “superstitions” or “new emerging religions” embraced by the common people. From his viewpoint, the important indigenous new religions in modern Korea were not the ruling religions of the empire but alternative religions of the colonial people, and the concept of “Great Opening of the Later World (後天開闢)” in modern indigenous Korean religions and Kang’s idea of the Resolution of Grievances for Mutual Beneficence (解冤相生) were creative evolutions of religion that overcame the contradictions and limitations of the world’s religions. He presented the insight of a spiritual seeker who heralded the era of “SBNR” (spiritual but not religious), which seeks new possibilities for spirituality by escaping limitations of religiosity.