Religion is like human society, where it consists of various religions, constantly evolves, and has clear power structures.
While there are mainstream religions that are recognized by people, there are minority religions that live in the shadows of the world that are veiled and disguised.
Some religions intentionally want minimal attention from society, but many are forced to remain in those positions, due to exertion of power from other mainstream religions and governments.
Photo 3: Hector Hyppolite. The Congo Queen. 1946. Enamel, oil, and pencil on cardboard, 20 x 27 5/8" (50.9 x 70.1 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bareiss
Even in mainstream religions, to maintain popularity and pureness, they form destructive narratives of other religions to minimize their position in society.
This is dealt in more depth in my two research papers “What Distinguishes a Small Religion and Large Cult?”and “Korean Shamanism: Religious Syncretism in Early Korean Dynasties”.
Photo 5: Alexey Taktarov on Unsplash
The first research paper “What Distinguishes a Small Religion and Large Cult” investigates the relationship between Christian science and Vodou religion.
While Vodou and Christianity both aim to heal people with religion, Vodou religion was framed as a “black magic cult” to mainstream America, characterizing its relationship to spirits and mysticism as dangerously “Other.”
Photo 6: Damballah La Flambeau (also known as Aida-Quédo and The Snake Goddess Ayida-Wedo) , ca. 1947
In contrast, the rise of Christian Science in the late 1800s was ideologically supported by the Christian Church.
The source of discrimination seems to be also present throughout Korean history.
This has been investigated in my research paper “Korean Shamanism: Religious Syncretism in Early Korean Dynasties.” The Joseon dynasty, Shamans, symbolizing a non-scholarly and gender-challenging perspective, were relegated to the lowest class alongside Buddhist monks, disrupting the Confucian patriarchal structure.
Female shamans, particularly, were vilified as disruptive to family hierarchies, deemed "evil" and corrupt. King Sejong's reign formalized the denouncement of shamanism by the Office of Censor-General, labeling it as a threat to the righteous management of family and societal affairs.
Photo 8: A mudang performs a kut in a painting titled Munyeo sinmu (무녀신무, 巫女神舞), made by Shin Yunbok in 1805.