Christianity and Shamanism

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From Yakutia  . . .

The Seoul International Consultation on Christianity and Shamanism, the first international conference or consultation ever convened on this topic, took place in Seoul, Korea, 25 - 30 June 2000.

The idea for this consultation arose in Yakutsk ^* during the final session of an international conference in that city that had been convened, 12-14 September 1997, to commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of St Innokentii Veniaminov. He had served the peoples of the easternmost regions of the Russian Empire (northeast Asia and Alaska) affirmatively as their priest and then bishop in the early to mid-nineteenth century; and the initiative for the bicentennial commemorations had come from the descendants of these people in these very regions.

The key figure in the planning of the Veniaminov bicentennial was Dr Egor Spiridonovich Shishigin, who offered the initial proposal and brought the suggestion to Oxford University. The proposal was received at Pembroke College, Oxford University, and then at the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World (CSNWW), New College, Edinburgh University. It was endorsed by governmental, civic, and university authorities in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and in Alaska. Nominal patronage was received from the Archbishop of Thyateira in Great Britain, the Metropolitan of Sourozh in London, and the Bishop of Yakutsk and Lensk. Commencing in the Sakha Republic in 1996, the bicentennial series of events continued through 1997, with academic and civic events spanning the Northern Hemisphere. A complete description is available in the Introduction in the publication of the proceedings of the Oxford symposium for the bicentennial. This symposium was held in Pembroke College, Oxford, 14-15 April 1997. The proceedings have been published in the Greek Orthodox Theological Review, volume 44, numbers 1-4, 1999.

The international conference in Yakutsk, 12-14 September 1997, was the main event in the bicentennial series. During the final session, questions arose, of course, about the relationships between Orthodoxy and the pre-Christian religious configurations in the Yakutian and Alaskan regions where Veniaminov had ministered. Towards the conclusion, a national poet of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Mr Dmitrii Kononevich Svitsev, known also as Suoron Omollon, who is an elderly man of high intellect and social stature, stood from the audience to speak to emphasize the necessity of convening an international conference to address these questions in specific.

It is noteworthy that Suoron Omollon recommended for the purpose of accurate enquiry the use of the verbal form shamanstvo, which is found in the Russian historical sources, instead of the abstract noun shamanism. Shamanstvo in the Russian language is quite like the verbal form shamanizing in the English language. It signifies an activity or set of activities without necessarily signifying a system of doctrines, an exclusive cosmology, or a religion. The recommendation remains important. Its implementation, however, could not be achieved with linguistic fluidity outside the Russian language; so, "shamanism" has been used here.

At Yakutsk, the decision was taken to propose a consultation in Seoul in the first instance, and then to continue the theme in a conference in Yakutsk subsequently. Three reasons, at least, can be recognized for the proposal of Korea as the location for the initial consultation about Christianity and shamanism:

(a)
 
The Korean presbyter the Reverend Father Na Daniel Chang Kyu was present as a participant in the bicentennial conference in Yakutsk. His presence brought attention to his own venerable nation, and created interest in the history and the culture-setting of the Orthodox Church in Korea.

(b)
 
Similarities exist between Korea and Yakutia: the practices of the mudang (or paksu) in Korea are known to be similar to practices of some traditional shamans in Yakutia and Siberia.

(c)
 
A critical difference also exists. Large-scale conversions to Christianity are comparatively newer in history in Korea than in Yakutia and Siberia. Therefore, in Korea, the practices of the mudang exist as a usual part of the folk culture.

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. . . to Korea

In Korea, the proposal was received by His Grace Bishop Soterios of Zelon, whose insight and foresight regarding the importance of these discussions permitted the consultation to be organized. He requested and received endorsement from His Eminence Dionysios the Metropolitan of New Zealand who is the Exarch of Korea (Patriarchate of Constantinople). It must be noted properly that His Grace Bishop Soterios of Zelon was principally responsible for facilitating the organization of the event. This consultation could never have taken place without his insight and foresight. Other people, including academics, in Britain, Korea and Russia hesitated about the theme, because it is controversial. He took an active part throughout the proceedings. His formal, intellectual contribution is published here as Chapter 1.

The General Secretary of the Korean National Council of Churches (KNCC), the Reverend Kim Dong Woan, also recognized the value of the consultation. He provided the endorsement and auspices of the KNCC. When the consultation was convened, the Reverend Kim Dong Woan gave an opening address to the convocation. When the consultation concluded, he hosted the speakers for a private dinner on behalf of the KNCC.

He furthermore assigned a representative of the KNCC to attend the proceedings: the Reverend Lee Moon Sook. In advance, she selected and invited an academic expert to prepare a contribution on behalf of the KNCC, Professor Dr Cha Ok Soong, whose contribution is a key presentation in the consultation (Chapter 2).

The Reverend Father Na Daniel Chang Kyu, M.Div., assumed the responsibility as the Korean organizer of the consultation, both in his capacity as presbyter of the eparchy of Korea and in his capacity as the Asia Region Representative of SYNDESMOS. He fulfilled the responsibility successfully, and he was able to accomplish this through the support and steadfast assistance of his wife, Presbytera Kim Olympia Young Sook, in addition to his own strong capacities.

(The editor of this volume assisted as the international coordinator, just as he had served as the international coordinator of the Veniaminov bicentennial series.)

The decision was taken in Seoul to convene the consultation in the year 2000, as part of the centenary anniversary celebrations of the Orthodox Church in Korea; and one of the academic contributors to the consultation, Dr V.V. Arzhanukhin, presented to His Grace Bishop Soterios some photocopies of vital documents from the historical archives of St Petersburg about the original Orthodox mission to Korea, documents unavailable for study in Korea until now.

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The event itself

The consultation took place in the mission center of the Orthodox Church of Korea in Seoul.

The Reverend Father Na Daniel Chang Kyu presided in the chair. Each of the papers (reports) was made available in three languages: Korean, Russian and English. Furthermore, the discussions that followed the readings of the texts (each read in its original language, with printed translations available to the audience) were also translated, now spontaneously from the speaker's or respondent's own language into the two other languages; with Fr Na tirelessly carrying much of the burden between Korean and English himself from the chair.

The translations of the texts were accomplished by the dedicated labor of volunteers of the Orthodox Church in Seoul, Koreans and Russians.

Other parishioners of the Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicholas in Seoul worked selflessly and generously by preparing the meals for the participants throughout the duration of the consultation: three meals a day while the weather intensified in heat and humidity with the advancing monsoon.

The women's society of the Orthodox parish of St Paul in Inchon hosted the participants and guests for lunch after the Divine Liturgy on the feastday of St Paul that coincided with the consultation.

The event attracted national media attention in Korea, so relevant is the theme and so respectable were the auspices.

The event was designated, organized and convened as a consultation, because the term reflects the dynamics of a smaller group. There was no intention of organizing a larger-scale conference on this theme in the first instance.

This is the first international consultation or conference ever organized to address the relationships between Christianity and shamanism formally and thematically. The initiative derived in Yakutia. Endorsement was given by principals in Korea, including the KNCC. The faithful of the Orthodox Church in Korea provided daily support.

Endnote

* Geography:

Yakutsk is the capital city of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), the largest automous republic in the Russian Federation.
 
In northeast Asia, the city of Yakutsk is located inland near the Arctic Circle, while the city of Seoul is located southwards near the Yellow Sea.
 
Here is the geography described in latitudes and longitudes:
 
Seoul is situated at 37 degrees, 33 minutes, north latitude, by 126 degrees, 58 minutes, east longitude.
Yakutsk is located at 62 degrees, 13 minutes, north latitude, by 129 degrees, 49 minutes, east longitude.
The Arctic Circle is found at approximately 66 degrees, 30 minutes, north latitude.

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All rights reserved. Proceedings © S.A. Mousalimas, 2001 (editor). Rights of the chapter text belong to the chapter's author. Citation is required.

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