The purpose of this study is to search for a development of ’religionswissenschaft’ and a ’comparative study' in this process. Also, t비s paper seeks to evaluate three tasks related to the comparative study of religion. The ’sience’ of religion began with F. Max Miiller(1823-1900 Germany/UK). He emphasized the comparative study between various religions and the quoted words of Goethe, "He who knows one, knows none". The science of religion was developed by Comelius P. Tiele(1830-1902) and Pierre D. Chantepie de la Saussaye(1848-1920). Saussaye used the term ’phenornenology of religion' at first instead of the ’comparative study of religion'. The ’phenomenology of religion is a boundary or middle position between the history of religion and the philosophy of religion. Nathan Söderblom(1866-1931) attempted a phenornenological study on religion and settled for providing a good example to bring harmony between the comparative study of religion and theology. Rudolf Otto(1869-1937) brought to a focus the comparative study between Hinduism and Christianity. W. Brede Kristensen (1867- 1953) rejected the evolutional comparative study on religions and emphasized an objective survey considered from phenomenology. Mircea Eliade(1907 - ) understood the liturgy of religion as ’hierophany’ which means the apearance of God. He reached the peak of the typological study on religions. Raffaelo Pettazzoni (1883-1959) emphasized the combination of the history of religion and phenomenology for two types of religions. Wtlfred Cantwell Srnith(1916 - ) attempted a personal approach on religions and divided them into curnulative tradition and faith. He gave a definition of faith as the ’universal hurnan guality' and emphasized the importance of dialogue on the comparative study of religion. Ths paper suggested three useful tasks regarding a comparative study of religion. First, syncretism is the ’deskriptivphänomenologisch’ terrninology used in the scientific area of religion but this term brought about a negative meaning in the area of theology. Secondly, dialogue among living various living religious believers is very useful for understanding other people. Thrdly, continuity and discontinuity between the Gopel and non-Christian faith is actually a rnajα issue in the plurality of religions in the world.

In this paper, I describe a major religious reason for the church growth of Korea on the basis of my field research and from the point of view of beliefs and practices in the field of phenomenology of religion. To do this project，I prefer to use the categories of phenonomenology of Christianity as described by Peter McKenzie who has adapted the methodology from Friedrich Heiler’ s categories of pheno menology of religion. Before doing this project, however, for better understanding of many forms of contemporary Korean Christianity, a brief historical background of Korean Christianity is needed. Although the methodology of phenomenology of religion I use is largely ahistorical, its application does not deny or reject relevant historical facts for inter pretation. Thus, I intend to develop a preliminary understanding of two contextual aspects that have led to the different kinds of forms within contemporary Christianity in Korea: the socio-political aspect and the religious aspect. The socio-political aspect influenced Koreans to follow Westem Christendom, but the religious aspect led Koreans to make their own indigenous or syncretistic folk Christianity.

This thesis critically analyzes the present condition of Christianity in Asia. It notes the shift of World mission from a Western perspective to Asian perspective. It also provides a descriptive analysis of the factors affecting the spread of Christianity in Asia. Concrete recommendations are drawn to fortify Asian missions. Furthermore, this thesis discusses the role of Korean Christians, as a majority, in the spread of the gospel. The Christian population in Asia is considered statistically as a marginalized denomination with less than ten percent (10%) share of the total world Christian population. However, considering the thirty percent (30%) Christians around the world, Asian Christians constitute a minute proportion to Ule face of the Christian faith. This is taken in the context of a global perspective that Christian Mission in Asiastill continues to be in the state of passivity despite the numbers of missions sent abroad to spread the gospel. The 21st century World Mission has shifted its target to the Asian third world countries. W. B?lman stressed that the center of mission is moving towards the 3rd world countries. Missions have taken into account the number of population and the di stinctive features of Asia. W. B?lman also noted that before the 21st century the Christian population among the whites is more overwhelming than the nonwhite Christians. In the turn of the 21st century, the growth has changed. This is manifested in the growth of non-white Chri stian population in Asia after the evangeli zation by the western missionaries. To date, the 3rd world Christians has taken quantum leaps to share the gospel to their neighboring countries. Despite the missions conducted by churches and Christians in Asia, the people has stayed steadfast to passivity to the acceptance of the gospel. One distinct feature of Asian roots is its various cultural heritage. These roots have been celebrated and preserved to take its truest color. The spirit evolved by this heritage enlivens the Asians. Throughout the years missions have approached these cultures in the light of western ideology and theology. The differences created a conflict and resulted to the passivity of Asians to Christian faith. The author agrees with Aloysius Pieris that poverty is a major factor in the resistance of the Asians to accept the gospel. The control of st ru ctured institutions, s uch as government, eco nomy and education, have hindered the influx of new fa ith. Aloysius Pieris calls this forced poverty. Asian countries have been the crad les of world religions. The growth of these religions all ied the growth of civilization, which strengthened believers in Asia. Some of these world religions are: Shintoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and even Christianity. These religions have guided believers through their respective scriptures and the tides of civilization strengthened these faiths among Asians. Missions have been idealistic to penetrate the threshold of these major religions and make them accept the Christian faith. But the plurality of religions curtailed the light of Christian faith to the Asians. The Asian population plays a vital challenge to the world Christian Mission. It constitutes a big portion of the world population in which the Christian faith has not reached. The immersion of missionaries to do the task of sharing the gospel has been in vain. Passivity of Christians has always been the reason for the resistance. However, this research, P9sits that mission should be revolutionized to achieve its goal of sharing the gospel. Choan Seng Song suggests Transpositional Theology to carry out the mission. This is the change of approach to introduce the gospel based on Asian perspective. Aloysius Pieris calls this as Asian style gospel. Adaptation to the different cultures in Asia through mission research will play crucial role in the attainment of the task. With the adequate knowledge of the culture, genuine empathy to the experiences, situation, condition and status of Asians will ease the immersion of missionaries in a different culture. The establishment of oneness to the particular group of Asian will be timely for the inculcation of the Christian scripture. Thus, increasing the chance to spread the gospel successfully. Since oneness is very important to the spread of the gospel, Asians are more capable of understanding, adapting, empathizing with fellow Hinduism, Asians. This is called by Choan Seng Song as the 3rd ideology that only Asians can see the Asian roots. Theology school system should restructure its westernized method of teaching theology. Western missionaries have left Asian Theology schools with teachings designed in western context and it has effected the spread of the gospel by Asians also using the western approach. Students of theology will appreciate more the teachings of, the gospel when the context is based on their Asian background and experiences. Appreciative students will be potent instruments in the spreading of the truth. Forced poverty as stated earlier has been identified by Aloysius Pieris to hinder the spread of Christianity, which is in contrast to voluntary poverty. Voluntary poverty manifests the features of a true Christian. He who chooses to be poor truly believes in the doctrine and wholeheartedly serves for the spread of the gospe\. He is a selfless servant of the church and tries to live a life that of Jesus Christ. World mission is optimistic that the realization of its vision will be achieved. Asian Christians comprises only less than ten percent (10%) of the Asian population. Despite the Chri stianityis unpopularity in Asia, Korea has reached a majority in number. Recently, statistics shows that twenty five percent (25%) of the Korean population are Christians. Unlike other Asian countries with framed religions such as Japan (Shintoism), India (Hinduism/ Buddism), China (Confucianism), Korea has opened its horizon to other religions, which includes Christianity . Historically, Korea has its religious roots in Shamanism. In the passing of time, Christian missionarie have immersed with traditions and belief of Korea. Other philosophies (Confucianism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism) have also found their way to shape Korean belief. Since Christian population in Korea is overwhelming now , Christians are to take part in the spreading of the gospel in Asia. This is the role of the Korean Christians. With the recommendations above, Korean Missions are expected to prosper in its missiological task in religious plurality in Asia.

The article is to describe the recent phenomena in the area of American culture and religion such as multiculturalism, popular religion, and civil religion. It is also to evaluate those phenomena from the viewpoint of a missiological perspective. Multiculturalism is defined as all kinds of activities which try to support the various cultures and heritages of ethnic people groups and to overcome ethnocentrism. It is criticized by the conservatives as a political theory which tends to lose its truth, universality, and objectivity. From the missiological point of view, it can be used for developing the multicultural strategies for Christian missions. Popular religion exists outside the official religious institutions and it is related to the folk beliefs such as dream, charisma, trans meditation, channeling, angels, faith healing, and etc. It is criticized by Neoorthodox theologians that it tends to neglect the historical and political aspects of the social phenomena. Even though it is criticized by them as syncretism, it can be helpful for Christian missions to understand people's popular lives. Civil Religion is to respect the virtues and values of American citizens which are traced to Christian values such as temperance, private assets, individual responsibility, and patriotism. It is criticized as an ecumenical Protestant tribalism which tends to be misused by the imperialistic expansionism to destroy the cultures of minority. From the perspective of Christian missions, it should transform its selfishness into the world brotherhood in the 21 st century of the universal and multicultural world.