Cheondoism

Cheondoism
Flag representing Cheondoism
Korean name
Hangul	천도교
Hanja	天道敎
Revised Romanization	Cheondogyo
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'ŏndogyo

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Cheondoism (Hanja: 天道敎; spelled Chondoism in North Korea^[1]) is a Korean indigenous religion that emerged as a continuation and development of Donghak, which was founded by Choe Je-u (Su-un) in 1860 during the late Joseon Dynasty as an antithesis to Christianity. Cheondoism upholds the principles of spreading virtue throughout the world (布德天下), saving all living beings from suffering (廣濟蒼生), protecting the nation and ensuring the well-being of the people (輔國安民), and realizing heaven on earth (地上天國).

On December 1, 1905, Son Byong-hi, the third leader of Cheondoism, restructured Donghak into an institutionalized religion under the name "Cheondoism." This transformation was intended to formalize Donghak, which had previously remained a philosophical movement, and to bring it under legal recognition. Additionally, this reformation aimed to protect the faith from the suppression of Korean nationalism by the Japanese colonial authorities, who sought to eradicate native ideological movements.