A study on perceptions of immigrant acceptance in Korean society: Focusing on the concept of ὁμοιός in the New Testament

Abstract

One of the most significant transformations in 21st century Korean society is its emergence as a multicultural and multireligious context. Historically, Korea has been identified as a ‘homogeneous nation’, fostering exclusivist attitudes towards ethnic minorities, migrants, and non-Korean religious traditions. In this rapidly shifting global environment, Korean society must adapt, but the role of Korean Christianity in resisting such change cannot be overlooked. Despite Christianity’s central teaching of love for one’s neighbour, many Korean churches have exhibited exclusivism towards foreigners and immigrants, rooted in two factors: prejudices that identify migrants as potential criminals, and fears that the influx of ‘foreign religions’ (such as Islam) might threaten Christian identity. While some Korean churches have cooperated with civic groups on immigrant issues, the dominant trajectory of Korean Christian theology often reinforces exclusionary attitudes. Some theological studies have proposed alternatives, but most are confined to the New Testament concept of ‘hospitality’, which proves structurally inadequate to address deeper challenges of immigrant acceptance. This concept tends to create an imbalanced relationship between immigrants and native residents. This study proposes ‘ontological ὁµοιός’, centred on incarnation texts in the New Testament, to transcend these limitations. Contribution: This study presents a new theological paradigm to address prejudices and exclusionary attitudes towards immigrants in Korean society. By helping Korean Christianity move beyond its dualistic approach and embrace authentic neighbour-love, it contributes to transforming Korea from a closed to an open society. Most significantly, it advances immigrant reception discourse by introducing ‘ontological identification’ (ὁµοιός) as a superior alternative to the hospitality framework, establishing a scholarly foundation for multicultural integration within Christian theology.
Contribution: This study provides a novel theological paradigm addressing prevalent prejudices and exclusionary attitudes towards immigrants in Korean society. By helping Korean Christianity transcend its dualistic approach and embrace authentic neighbour-love, it contributes to transforming Korea from a closed to an open society. Most significantly, this study advances immigrant reception discourse by introducing ‘ontological identification’ (ὁµοιός) as a superior alternative to the traditionally dominant ‘hospitality’ framework, thereby establishing a more developed scholarly foundation for multicultural integration within Christian theological studies.