Asso. Prof. David W. Kim
Areas of expertise
- Historical Studies 2103
- Australian History (Excl. Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander History) 210303
- Asian History 210302
- Religion And Religious Studies 2204
Research interests
Religion and Politics, Transnational Asia, Women in East Asia, Korean Society, Colonial Studies, Asian Christianity, new religious movements, Diaspora Studies, Gnosticism, and Coptic Literature.
Biography
David W. Kim (PhD: Syd) is a Honorary Lecturer at the School of History, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS), United Kingdom, Chair for ANU Religion Conference Committee and the Chair for the National Association of Foreign Scholars in Korea (NAFSIK).
David is a book editor, Journal editorial board member and reviewer:
- Editor: Series in Modern East Asian Religion and Culture (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK)
- Article Editor: SAGE Open Publications (A&HCI, April, 2015 – Present)
- Editorical Board Member: Humanities & Social Sciences Communications (SSCI, April 2022 - Present)
- Editorial Board Member: Journal of Koreanology (KCI, June, 2016-present)
- Editorial Board Member: Journal of Busan Studies (KCI, Jan., 2019-)
Journal Reviwer:
- Routledge (New York) (May, 2015 - Present)
- Journal of Religious History (A&HCI: Mar., 2017 - Present)
- Journal of Church and State (A&HCI, Oxford University Press: June, 2017 – present)
- International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society (SCOPUS: Jan., 2017 - Present)
- Journal of Cogent Education (ESCI and SCOPUS: July, 2018 - Present)
- Korean Journal for Religious Studies, Volume 36, 37 (KCI, June, 2014 - Present)
- WonKwang Journal for Religious Studies (August, 2014 – 2015)
- Horizon Research (March, 2015- Present)
Kim’s publications include Sacred Sites and Sacred Stories Across Cultures: Transmission of Oral Tradition, Myth, and Religiosity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), The Words of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas: The Genesis of a Wisdom Tradition (Routledge, 2021), Daesoon Jinrihoe in Modern Korea: The Emergence, Transformation and Transmission of a New Religion (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020), New Religious Movements in Modern Asian History: Sociocultural Alternatives (Lexington, 2020), Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018), Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society: Collision, Alteration and Transmission (Lexington, 2017), Religious Transformation in Modern Asia: A Transnational Movement (Brill, 2015) and Intercultural Transmission in the Medieval Mediterranean (Continuum, 2012).
Researcher's projects
1. Sacred Sites and Sacred Stories Across Cultures: Transmission of Oral Tradition, Myth, and Religiosity (Palgrave Macmillan, Switzerland): 2018-2021.
https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030565213
This book offers global perspectives from Mediterranean, Asian, Australian, and American cultures on sacred sites and their related stories in regional history. Contemporary society witnesses many travelers visiting sacred sites (temples, mountains, castles, churches, houses) throughout the world. These visits often involve discovery of new historical facts through the origin stories of the associated tribe, region, or nation. The transmission of oral tradition and myth carries on the significant meaning of those religious sites. This volume unveils multi-angle perspectives of symbolic and mystical places. The contributors describe the religio-political experiences of each regional case, and analyze the religiosity of local people as a lens through which readers can re-examine the concept of iconography, syncretism, and materialism. In addition, contributors interpret the growth of new religions as the alternative perspectives of anti-traditional religions. This new approach offers significant insight into comprehending the practical agony and sorrow of regional people in the context of contemporary history.
2. Syngman Rhee and East Asian Democracy: Political Philosophy, Religion and Korean Modern Politics (Manuscrpt: 2019-2023)
South Korea has been a republic for over a half century (since 1948). During the post-colonial period the national leaders not only politically tried to demonstrate Americanised democracy from the traditional monarchy of the Chosun dynasty, but also socio-culturally developed the Korean Peninsula under the critical mentalities of anti-communism and anti-Japanese colonialism. In this regard, Dr Syngman Rhee (1875 – 1965) has been researched by Korean and international scholars, but this research will re-picture his political philosophy in relation to his religious ideology. Unlike former presidents of South Korea, Rhee was a westernised leader who had a strong network with foreign political and religious leaders. The nation of South Korea received support from international organisations during the Korean War (1950-1953). For there were few Korean people who were educated from the western society in the early twentieth century of Korea, it could be a question if the Harvard and Princeton educated Rhee was not considered as the first president of the Republic of South Korea. It would be another wonder if one realises that Dr Rhee was a Methodist who attended the world Methodist conference in USA in early twentieth century as a representative of the Korean Methodist congregation. His intellectual nationalism and religious transformation, supported by American missionaries, became the internal and external strength for the political achievement of Dr Syngman Rhee who is the father of Korean democracy.
3. The Words of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas: The Genesis of a Wisdom Tradition (Routledge, Oxford): 2018-2022.
https://www.routledge.com/The-Words-of-Jesus-in-the-Gospel-of-Thomas-The-Genesis-of-a-Wisdom-Tradition/Kim/p/book/9780367629229#
This volume is structured around a reading perspective in which each Logion (114 in all) of the Gospel of Thomas is approached equally and interpreted logically to redefine the genesis of the Jesus tradition in the history of early Christianity. The new hypothesis is demonstrated in the way that the original text, during the time of a generational transition, was creatively written by the ‘one point five (1.5: child eyewitnesses) generations’ of Jesus, out of oral tradition and casual notes once possessed by the historical figure of Didymus Judas Thomas. If the ‘genetic address of Thomas,’ indeed, is in the stream of the written Logia tradition (45-60 CE) before the canonical Gospels, one should not only not deny that the Jewish wisdom (sophia) tradition survived the transitional process, but also recognize that there may be yet more undiscovered Qs. This book, with a pioneering spirit, argues that Thomas does not exactly fit into the traditional Q, but uniquely contains ‘the Thomasine-Q tradition of Jesus.’
Publications
- Kim, A 2021, 'Cao Dae and Gucheon Sangje: New Ethnical Grassroots Religions in Colonial Vietnam and Korea', The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 81-101.
- Kim, A 2021, 'Royal Joseon Sogyokso and Popcho: The Philosophical Encumbrance of Sarim in the Kimyo Literati Purge (1519),” Trames-Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 451-470.
- Kim, A 2020, 'A Transnational Grassroots Movement: Jinja Shinto and Japanese Religions in the Pre-Colonial Joseon Society', Review of Korean Studies, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 211-235.
- Kim, A, ed., 2020, New Religious Movements in Modern Asian History: Socio-Cultural Alternatives, Lexington Books, London United Kingdom.
- Kim, A 2020, Daesoon Jinrihoe in Modern Korea: The Emergence, Transformation and Transmission of a New Religion, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle United Kingdom.
- Kim, A 2020, 'International Moral Association (IMA): A Chinese New Religious Movement in Modern Korea', in David W Kim (ed.), New Religious Movements in Modern Asian History: Socio-Cultural Alternatives, Lexington Books, London United Kingdom, pp. 165-185.
- Kim, D. 2020, 'Review of Yujiang Zhong, The Origin of Modern Shinto in Japan: The Vanquished Gods of Izumo', Journal of Religion in Japan, vol. 9, pp. 1-7.
- Kim, D. 2020, 'South Korea must tame Christian Cults or Worsen Coronavirus Spread: New Religious Movements are Potent Force within Country', Nikkei Asian Review.
- Kim, D 2019, 'Child Welfare, Leprosy and Mental Illness: Australian Medical Volunteerism in Modern Korea (1902-1941)', The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 55-70.
- Kim, D & Bang, W 2019, 'Guwonpa, WMSCOG, and Shincheonji: Three Dynamic Grassroots Groups in Contemporary Korean Christian NRM History', Religions, vol. 10, no. 212, pp. 1-18.
- Kim, A 2019, 'Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements', Asian Studies Review, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 553-554.
- Kim, D 2019, 'Religious and Philosophical Traditions of Korea', Journal of Korean Religions, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 331-334.
- Kim, D 2018, 'Is the Gospel of Thomas Gnostic?', in Routledge (ed.), the Gnostic World: Routledge Worlds, Routledge, London, pp. 170-179.
- Kim, A 2018, 'Introduction in Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History', in David W Kim (ed.), Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, United Kingdom, pp. 1-8.
- Kim, D 2018, 'Religion and the Making of Nigeria', Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 101-102.
- Kim, A 2018, 'Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements', Religious Studies Review, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 492-492.
- Kim, D 2018, 'Empire and the Meaning of Religion in Northeast Asia: Manchuria 1900-1945', Journal of Church and State, vol. 60, no. 2, pp. 329-330pp.
- Kim, A 2018, 'A Socio-Religious Volunteerism: The Australian NGO Movement during the Korean War (1950-1953)', in David W Kim (ed.), Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, United Kingdom, pp. 186-209.
- Kim, A, ed., 2018, Colonial Transformation and Asian Religions in Modern History, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, United Kingdom.
- Kim, A 2018, 'From A Satirical Legend to Transnational History: The Vietnamese Royal Narrative in Thirteenth Century KoryÅ?', in Frank Jacob (ed.), ChiMoKoJa: Histories of China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, CreateSpace Independent, TBC, pp. 1-17.
- Kim, D 2018, 'Introduction" In Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society: Collision, Alteration, and Transmission', in David William Kim (ed.), Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society, Lexington Books, Maryland, USA., pp. xiii-xxiii.
- Trompf, G & Kim, D 2018, 'The Gospel of Judas and the Tchacos Codex.', in Routledge (ed.), the Gnostic World: Routledge Worlds, Routledge, London, pp. 180-186.
- Kim, D 2017, 'Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra, Australia', in Korean Studies Institute (ed.), Going Global Markets, Book Korea, Korea, pp. 253-265.
- Kim, D 2017, 'Socio-Religious Volunteerism: The Australian NGO Movement during the Korean War (1950-1953)', European Journal of Korean Studies, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 32-55.
- Kim, D 2017, 'A Sethian Religious Encounter: The Astrological Cosmology of a Gnostic Community in Tchacos Codex', in David William Kim (ed.), Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society: Collision, Alteration, and Transmission, Lexington Books, Maryland, USA., pp. 203-221.
- Kim, D 2017, 'Introduction', in David William Kim (ed.), Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society: Collision, Alteration, and Transmission, Lexington Books, Maryland, USA., pp. xiii-xxiii.
- Kim, D 2017, 'Review: Urban Aspiration in Seoul', Alternative Spirituality & Religious Review, vol 8, no 1, pp. 15-17.
- Kim, D 2017, 'Texts, Practices, and Groups: Multidisciplinary Approaches to the History of Jesus' Followers', CERAE: An Australian Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 3, vol. 4, pp. 1-4.
- Kim, D 2017, 'The Invention of Peter: Apostolic Discourse and Papal Authority in Late Antiquity.', CERAE: An Australian Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 3, vol. 4, pp. 1-4.
- Kim, D 2017, 'Urban Inspiration in Seoul' Alternative Spirituality & Religious Review 8, 1 (2017): 15-17.
- Kim, D, ed., 2017, Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society: Collision, Alteration, and Transmission, Lexington Books, Maryland, USA..
- Kim, D 2017, 'Australian Female Volunteerism in Modern Korea (1889-1941): An Enlightenment Campaign', Journal of Asian History, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 145-171pp.
- Kim, D 2016, 'Uniting Church: A Contemporary Unity in Australian Calvinism', in Abraham Kovacs (ed.), Reformed Churches Working Unity in Diversity: Global Historical, Theological and Ethical Perspectives, l'Harmattan, Budapest, pp. 139-160pp.
- Kim, D 2016, 'Preface', in Gyungwon Lee (ed.), An Introduction to New Korean Religions, Moonsachul, Seoul, pp. 11-22pp.
- Kim, D 2016, 'Review: New Trends In The Theory and Methods For Studying Religion', in Abraham Kovacs and James L Cox (ed.), New Trends and Recurring Issues in the Study of Religion: Context and Overview, l'Harmattan, Budapest, pp. 1-5.
- Kim, D 2016, 'A Religio- Political Discourse: The Decalogue in the large Catechism', Cultural and Religious Studies, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 361-371.
- Kim, D 2016, 'Ob-gyn, Succour, Micro-Welfare, and Industrial Training: Australian Social Rehabiliation Campaign in Post-war Korea (1954-1960s)', Journal of Koreanology, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 185-219.
- Kim, D 2016, 'Review: The Corporeal Imagination: Signifying the Holy in Late Ancient Christanity (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009). Print, 272 pp., US$49.95, ISBM: 9780812241426', CERAE: An Australian Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 3, vol. Online, pp. 1-4.
- Kim, D 2016, 'The Rise of Christianity: Why was Christianity Popular?', in Kevin W. Kaatz (ed.), The Rise of Christianity: History, Documents, and Key Questions, ABC- CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbara, pp. 183-196.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Review: K-POP - The International Rise of the Korean Music Industry', Irish Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 71-72.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Introduction', in David W Kim (ed.), Religious Transformation in Modern Asia: A Transnational Movement, Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. xxi-xxxv.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Sangje and Samkye: The Cosmology of Daesoonjinrihoe in East Asian New Religions', The Journal of Daesoon Academy of Sciences, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 189-229.
- Kim, D 2015, 'The Judas Proverbs in Tchacos Codex 41-44', Journal of Religion and Culture, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 185-225.
- Kim, D 2015, 'A Transnational Movement: Colonial Transformation of Asian Religions in the 19th and 20th Centuries', International Conference for East Asian New Religions: Change and Creation of East Asian Religions, ed. David Kim, Daejin University Press, Pocheon City, South Korea, pp. 209-225pp.
- Kim, D 2015, 'From Manchuria to the Korean Peninsula: The Scottish Impact in Late Nineteenth Century Korea', in David W Kim (ed.), Religious Transformation in Modern Asia: A Transnational Movement, Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 50-75.
- Kim, D, ed., 2015, Religious Transformation in Modern Asia: A Transnational Movement, Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Reconsidering the Gospel of Jesus' Wife: An Imperfect Forgery or Another Polemical Gnostic Fragment', Religious Studies and Theology, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 19-40.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Anointing and Professionalism: Hillsong Leadership and Music,' Church Growth, pp. 43-46.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Endless Challenge: Hillsong Youth and Young Adults Ministry in Australia,' Church Growth, pp. 23-25.
- Kim, D 2015, 'Uniting World: Australian Christian Consulting NGO,' Church Growth, pp. 65-68.
- Kim, D 2014, 'A Secret Life of Minority: The Sethian Community of Judas in Tchacos Gnostic Literature', Korean Journal of Religious Studies, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 87-120.
- Kim, D 2014, 'Daesoonjinrihoe in Korean New Religious Movements', The Journal of Daesoon Academy of Sciences, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 167-208.
- Kim, D 2012, 'What Shall I Read? How Korean Christians in Diaspora Read the Hebrew Canon', Studies in World Christianity, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 116-133.