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The Emplantation of Catholicism in Pre-Modern Korea reviewed by Religious Studies Review

11 Jul 2025

Congratulations to Dr Kevin Cawley, Senior Lecturer in Korean Studies and Director of the Irish Institute of Korean Studies, on the publication of an outstanding review of his latest book: The Emplantation of Catholicism in Pre-Modern Korea - Texts, Teachings and Gender Relations by the journal Religious Studies Review.

Reviewer Dr Lehel Balogh, Hokkaido University notes that "The narrative and the style of the book are nothing less than gripping, especially when measured against the bulk of arid academic tractates. Cawley has an evident talent for effectively wedding authoritative scholarly discourse with captivating storytelling, which makes his narrative both memorable and of high academic standard. The book itself is divided into five chapters, exploring major themes such as the Jesuits' stratagems to adapt their teachings to East Asian contexts, the status of women in pre-modern Korean society, Neo-Confucian intellectual efforts for stopping the spread of Catholicism, religious conversions as well as proto-feminist sacrifices on the altar of religious and political tolerance. The book is recommended to a wide array of readers, from students of religions and East Asian cultures to those who are keenly interested in gender and political studies."

For full review please see here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/YHSMARTWDYHM5TAFGS6D?target=10.1111/rsr.17815 

For more information on Dr Cawley's book please see here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/emplantation-of-catholicism-in-premodern-korea-9781350236011/ 

Many congratulations to Kevin on this wonderful review.

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For further information please contact k.cawley@ucc.ie thank you