Abstract
Western sociologists of religion generally understand what they call the 3Bs (believing, belonging, and behaving) in linear terms: discussing which comes first, and why. The primary purposes of this research are: (1) establishing an alternative perspective based on East Asian perspectives to identify religious patterns in the 3Bs; and (2) mitigating misunderstanding gaps between English-based churches and Korean churches in New Zealand and between several immigrant generations in Korean churches.
The research uses the qualitative approach with abductive inferences for discovering an alternative perspective related to the 3Bs, which means elaborating an East Asian (Korean) circular framework based on Yin and Yang instead of a Western linear framework. This research employs a case study of Korean immigrant church-goers in New Zealand, engaging in semi-structured interviews with 31 migrants of different generations from two Korean immigrant churches in New Zealand. Interviews consisted of two main parts (the immigrant journey, and the exploration of the 3Bs). The 31 participants are categorised into four cohorts based on different immigrant generations (the first generation who migrated to New Zealand prior to 2008; the first generation who migrated to New Zealand after 2009; the 1.5 generation; and the second generation).
This research revealed four key findings: (1) Korean immigrant Christians tend to understand religious patterns in circular rather than linear terms. A circular framework emphasises the interdependence among the three religious dimensions, in the interest of maintaining a harmonious relationship. This circular process is not one-way but bi-directional. (2) Different immigrant generations have different understandings of the 3Bs, so a firm definition of the 3Bs is impossible. Briefly, the four cohorts identified above have different understandings of believing, such as dogmatic belief, individual belief, personal guidance, and a source of identity, respectively. The relationship with God and ethnic identity play a pivotal role in understanding a sense of belonging. Being a good Christian, whether in church or society, is the main behavioural concern. (3) Technology impacts the role of Korean immigrant churches in New Zealand, so their information-sharing and cultural heritage roles have shrunk. (4) Korean immigrants share common hardships (marginalisation and identity crises) regardless of immigrant generations, but they have different stress points related to these difficulties. The first generations have suffered more from marginalisation, but the second generation struggles with identity issues.
This research is the first to investigate the 3Bs comparing Western and Eastern perspectives. Also, this research adopts Yin and Yang perspectives for empirical theological research, beyond the theoretical research orientation of previous studies in the relationship of Yin and Yang to Christian theology. This research has several limitations, including the small sampling size (two Korean churches in New Zealand) and translation challenges from Korean to English. This research includes practical recommendations for Korean immigrant churches in New Zealand (focusing on how to maintain harmonious interrelationships among the three dimensions of religious experience), and for theological studies, especially focusing on Asian and immigrant theology.