Abstract

This dissertation engages in a hypothetical Confucian-Christian dialogue in the context of Korea by means of a comparative study of the cosmologies of Alfred N. Whitehead , the founder of process philosophy, and Yi Yulgok , the great scholar of Korean Neo-Confucianism. More specifically, this dissertation first examines certain terms and motifs, such as eternal objects and principle/li, of the cosmologies from a comparative perspective and then attempts some practical applications to the study of spirituality. Although their philosophical and cultural traditions are different, Yulgok's and Whitehead's modes of thought are very similar in terms of organic, processive, and interrelational perspectives on the universe. This study is based on the assumption that cosmology suggests a religious perspective and relates deeply to spiritual formation. Therefore, it focuses on a set of key concepts based on both Whitehead's and Yulgok's major cosmological articulations. ;In regard to the comparative analysis of two process cosmologies, this study argues that Whitehead's theory of eternal objects-actual entity has affinities with Yulgok's theory of principle-material force. The eternal object and principle function as the universal principle and source of cosmological harmony, whereas the actual entity and material force are phenomenological realities in the world. These contrasting sets of concepts, based on reciprocal dialectical interrelationships, co-constitute the world as a cosmos characterized by the process of becoming. Accordingly, Whitehead's panentheistic interpretation of the God-world relationship correlates with Yulgok's Neo-Confucian notion of how the Great Ultimate relates to material force/qi. These two concepts suggest a balanced structure of God or the absolute and the world, transcendence and immanence, and the one and the many. ;In conclusion, this study formulates an ecological spiritually attentive to the Korean Confucian tradition based on Yulogok's and Whitehead's versions of process cosmology as an incarnated spirituality. Further, the study investigates how such insights could be used for encouraging interreligious spirituality within the religiously pluralistic context. This study then proposes six practical suggestions, such as ecologically sensitive spirituality and renewed forms of prayer and contemplation, to enhance spirituality for Korean Christians. Furthermore, the study seeks to facilitate the continuing dialogue between Confucians and Christians by focusing on specific tasks such as the need to formulate an enhanced terminological vocabulary for Confucian-Christian dialogue, comparative theology, and spirituality studies with a special emphasis on ecology