Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context
This paper examines how megachurch congregations in South Korea responded to governmental measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of religious governance. This empirical study of <i>Saeronam</i> Church (SC) in Daejeon shows that the unexpected crisis forced its congregants to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/11/1109 |
| _version_ | 1827643770781302784 |
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| author | Kwang Suk Yoo |
| author_facet | Kwang Suk Yoo |
| author_sort | Kwang Suk Yoo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines how megachurch congregations in South Korea responded to governmental measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of religious governance. This empirical study of <i>Saeronam</i> Church (SC) in Daejeon shows that the unexpected crisis forced its congregants to look back on their faithfulness in terms of self-reflection, and hence, made them more committed to their congregation socially and organizationally. The theologically and politically conservative megachurch congregants tend to regard the pandemic crisis as a God-planned ordeal which must be endured not only through self-reflection and repentance, but also through protection of their congregation from secular authorities. This attitude made it easier for conservative congregants to protest against governmental quarantine measures more explicitly and collectively. While some argue that the COVID-19 pandemic basically accelerated secularity by shrinking religious influence on society, this paper finds this aspect remarkably opposite in Korean conservative churches like SC, and emphasizes how a secular challenge, like the recent quarantine measures, can intensify megachurch Christianity. In this sense, it claims that the second-generation Korean megachurches like SC cannot be explained entirely by traditional theories of urbanization, marketing strategies, and church growth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:02:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2106959d13e4420ea6999246c4a19058 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:02:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-2106959d13e4420ea6999246c4a190582023-11-24T09:47:37ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-11-011311110910.3390/rel13111109Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political ContextKwang Suk Yoo0Institute for Religion and Civic Culture, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaThis paper examines how megachurch congregations in South Korea responded to governmental measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of religious governance. This empirical study of <i>Saeronam</i> Church (SC) in Daejeon shows that the unexpected crisis forced its congregants to look back on their faithfulness in terms of self-reflection, and hence, made them more committed to their congregation socially and organizationally. The theologically and politically conservative megachurch congregants tend to regard the pandemic crisis as a God-planned ordeal which must be endured not only through self-reflection and repentance, but also through protection of their congregation from secular authorities. This attitude made it easier for conservative congregants to protest against governmental quarantine measures more explicitly and collectively. While some argue that the COVID-19 pandemic basically accelerated secularity by shrinking religious influence on society, this paper finds this aspect remarkably opposite in Korean conservative churches like SC, and emphasizes how a secular challenge, like the recent quarantine measures, can intensify megachurch Christianity. In this sense, it claims that the second-generation Korean megachurches like SC cannot be explained entirely by traditional theories of urbanization, marketing strategies, and church growth.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/11/1109Korean megachurchKorean ProtestantismCOVID-19 pandemicreligious conservatism<i>Saeronam</i> Church |
| spellingShingle | Kwang Suk Yoo Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context Religions Korean megachurch Korean Protestantism COVID-19 pandemic religious conservatism <i>Saeronam</i> Church |
| title | Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context |
| title_full | Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context |
| title_short | Evolution of Korean Megachurch Christianity Intensified by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Socio-Political Context |
| title_sort | evolution of korean megachurch christianity intensified by the covid 19 pandemic in a socio political context |
| topic | Korean megachurch Korean Protestantism COVID-19 pandemic religious conservatism <i>Saeronam</i> Church |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/11/1109 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kwangsukyoo evolutionofkoreanmegachurchchristianityintensifiedbythecovid19pandemicinasociopoliticalcontext |