"‘A church is a building, too’ : multiple affordances of religious structures for (non)migrant activities in Seoul, South Korea" / Bubbles Beverly Asor

Published in the International Journal of Asian Christianity: Vol. 8 (2025): Iss. 2 :
Special Issue: Asian Catholic Materials and Space

Abstract:
The physicality and materiality of churches are largely understudied because of the popular notion that a church is more than a building but a symbolic carrier of faith and community. As this article demonstrates, however, churches and religious buildings are also material phenomena whose architectural, physical, and spatial configurations have a structuring role by providing affordances or multiple possibilities and limitations (dis)allowing for religious and social activities by migrant congregants, non-migrant congregants, and outsiders. Using J. Gibson’s notion of affordances, Glaeser’s activity concept and drawing on my ethnographic fieldwork in Hyehwa Catholic Church in Seoul, South Korea, I explore what the physicality of a church could offer to (non)migrants at the individual and community levels with regard to religious and secular activities. Within the context of migration, the church building that includes various spaces and objects within and outside its premise has multiple affordances for one or more activities – religious affordances for sacred activities and quotidian affordances for placemaking activities. By identifying these multiple affordances of church buildings and surrounding vernacular streetscape, I endeavor to present an approach to studying religion’s materiality and physical environment within the sociological discussion of agency and structure.

The dawn of Christianity in Korea -- The foundation and development of the church in Korea -- The persecution of 1801 -- Continued church sufferings in provincial areas -- The establishment of the Korean Vicariate Apostolic -- The persecution of 1839 -- The great persecution of 1846 -- The development of the Catholic church in the reign of King Ch'ŏl-jong (1850-1863) -- The great persecution of 1866 -- The open-door policy -- The Catholic church in Korea under Japan and its continued growth -- The development and growth of the church after the Second World War -- Religious oppression during the Korean War -- The apostolic internunciature -- The province of Seoul -- The province of Tae-gu -- The province of Kwang-ju -- The missionary societies -- The religious orders and others.

The letters of the Venerable Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop / trans. by Brothers Anthony and Han-Yol of the Community of Taizé.

"Nihil Obstat Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, Archbishop of Seoul, Seoul, October 07, 2022."

Introduction by Benedictus Son Hee-song, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introductory message / Benedictus Son Hee-song -- Preface: bibliographical introduction -- Notes to reader -- The letters of Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop -- Annex: the historical background -- Index.