Seongbeum Yoon, who is a Koran indigenous theologian, suggested ‘Sung Theology’as a Korean Theology in 1970’s. His Sung Theology became the first Korean theology even though some Korean theologians evaluated it negatively. Later, Yoon investigated the Filial Piety of Confucianism, and suggested the theology of the filial piety focusing on ethics.
In the theology of filial piety, Yoon insisted that Western ethic can be called individual ethic but Eastern ethic is communitarian ethic. Interestingly, he categorized Christian and Judaic ethic as communitarian ethic. He clearly insisted that it is a seriously error to identify Christian ethic with Western individual ethic. Therefore, he insisted that Christianity and Judaism are not Western religion but Eastern religion, which based on the ethic of the filial piety, and began with the family.
Therefore, the first purpose of this article engaged on why Western ethic is individual ethic. The second purpose is why Eastern ethic becomes communitarian ethic. The third purpose is how Christian and biblical ethic are Eastern and communitarian ethic. Lastly, this article tries to evaluate Yoon’s ethic of the filial piety from the perspective of Korean Indigenous Theology.
It is clear that Yoon’s ethic of the filial piety contributed to Korean indigenous theology in the sense of Post-Westernization. Furthermore, it is more subjective Korean Theology than his Sung Theology. However, his notion of the filial piety does not liberate from Sexism, and identifies community with relationship. This article suggests that community and relationship should be differentiated. Furthermore, this article insists that Western thought and should be understood as ‘relational thought focusing on individual’, and Eastern thought as ‘relational thought focusing community in the era of globalization. As a whole, this paper suggests that ‘relationship’ should be the key world for Korean Indigenous Theology and Christian ethic in the era of globalization.