2025/07/21 by Gil‐Soo Han · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Religion and Society Interactions #Religion, Society, and Development #Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/10357823.2025.2526045
openalex publication_date 2025/07/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
With South Korea’s rapid economic development, its Protestant churches grew exponentially until the mid-1990s. Koreans enjoyed more disposable income as the economy flourished, and the church became wealthier. This, however, led to a deviation from its core values. A notable trend has been the hereditary succession of head ministers in many churches. This article analyses news reports from 2000 to 2022 to explore why this hereditary practice has occurred, identify the socio-cultural and economic factors, both within and outside the church, that have driven this phenomenon, and assess its broader impact and implications. The analysis reveals that Korean Protestantism has increasingly merged with secular culture in pursuit of material benefits such as wealth and power, all under the guise of Christian values. In a sluggish economy, head ministers, often in collusion with their sons, have sought to control churches as profitable enterprises and protect the interests of individualistic congregations. Factors such as undemocratic decision-making, church elders’ bias towards head pastors, gender inequality, neo-Confucian traditions, and prosperity-driven shamanistic spirituality have fuelled this trend. As a result, many churchgoers have become disillusioned, and the already negative public perception of Christianity has worsened, accelerating church decline and tarnishing its reputation among Korean religions.