Migration and religion in East Asia
Book Description
This scholarly exploration examines the profound spiritual transformations occurring among North Korean migrants as they navigate their journey from famine-stricken homeland to new lives in South Korea. Drawing from extensive fieldwork in Seoul and Northeast China, the book reveals how displacement and survival intersect with faith in unexpected ways.
At the heart of this study lies the complex relationship between physical migration and spiritual conversion. Churches emerge as crucial meeting places where North Korean refugees encounter evangelical communities, creating spaces of both connection and tension. These interactions illuminate how different groups envision the future of a unified Korea through distinctly Christian perspectives.
The author investigates how religious conversion intertwines with political transformation, revealing the deeper cultural forces that shape identity during times of upheaval. Through careful analysis of these cross-cultural encounters, the book uncovers competing narratives about humanitarian aid, personal freedom, and national destiny in the context of a divided peninsula still marked by Cold War divisions.
For readers interested in understanding how faith communities respond to crisis and displacement, this work offers valuable insights into the role of religion in providing both refuge and renewal. It demonstrates how spiritual encounters can reshape not only individual lives but also broader visions of community, belonging, and hope for the future.
The book provides a nuanced examination of how migration, faith, and politics converge in contemporary East Asia.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages)
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Koreans
- ✓ Explore Immigrants
- ✓ Explore POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Nationalism
- ✓ Explore Church history
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Converts
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore SOCIAL SCIENCE / Emigration & Immigration
