Cheondogyo translated literally means "religion of the Heavenly Way", where cheon means "Heaven", do means "Way", and gyo means "religion", "teaching", "-ism".
Beliefs
Over time, Cheondoism has also adapted elements of other Koreanreligious traditions, including Taoism and Buddhism. In keeping with its roots in Confucian thought, Cheondoism venerates Tian as the ultimate principle of good and justice, which is referred to by the honorific term Haneullim, or “Divine Master”. According to the church doctrine, the term "Haneul" does not only mean Heaven but represents the whole universe. This title implies the quality of Heaven as "instructor", that is a belief that man and things are not created by a supernatural God, but generated by a God that is inner in things. Also in keeping with its Confucian background, Cheondoism places emphasis on personal cultivation in the belief that as one improves one's innate nature, one comes closer to Heaven, and that all things are the same as Heaven in terms of their innate quality.
History
Cheondoism originated from the Donghak, a religious movement that arose in 19th-century Korea as a reaction to Western encroachment, particularly the spread of Catholicism. The Donghak movement began with Ch'oe Che-u in 1860, but it became an officially-recognized religion under its third leader, Son Byong-hi. Ch'oe Che-u formulated the Donghak ideology in 1860 as an alternative to Catholicism, which was gaining movement with the lower classes in Korea due to its ability to provide a sense of structure and stability beyond the family unit. Due to its basis in established religions—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—and its commitment to representing Eastern ideals, the movement rapidly gained broad acceptance among the peasantry. Cheondoism as a religion evolved in the early 1900s from the Donghak peasant liberation movements in the southern provinces of Korea, particularly the unsuccessful, yet consequential, rebellion of 1894. Followers of Donghak were severely persecuted until the establishment of the Protectorate Treaty of 1905, which guaranteed freedom of religion. Therefore, on 1 December 1905, Son Byong-hi decided to modernize the religion and usher in an era of openness and transparency in order to legitimize it in the eyes of the Japanese, who had strong influence over Korea at the time. As a result, he officially changed the name of Donghak to Cheondoism. Following this, a constitution and a Central General Bureau were laid out for the religion, centralizing it and making it more accessible to the public.
Cheondoism today
As of 2005, Cheondoism allegedly had about 1.13 million followers and 280 churches in South Korea. Very little is known of the activities of Cheondoists in North Korea. According to official statistics, Cheondoism had 2.8 million adherents in North Korea as of 2000. Cheondoists are nominally represented in North Korean politics by the minor Cheondoist Chongu Party. According to the 2015 national census, Cheondoism had about 65,000 followers in South Korea.
