God Pictures in Korean Contexts: The Ownership and Meaning of Shaman Paintings by Laurel Kendall, Jongsung Yang, and Yul Soo Yoon (review)

terms as popular religion or folk beliefs, the author (Walraven) examines the contextual meaning of these terms in Korean history. According to him, these terms acquire meaning only when there is a social differentiation which emerges along with the ‘‘introduction of culture from abroad (204)’’ such as ‘‘great tradition.’’ However, the point of this chapter is that certain popular beliefs, originating from social distinction, often ‘‘managed to latch on’’ (205) to the ‘‘great tradition.’’ Walraven supports this idea by describing how the cult of Guan Yu (pronounced Kwan U in Korean), initiated by the government was ‘‘hijacked by the general population’’ (216) during the Chosŏn dynasty, thus showing the historicity and flexibility of popular beliefs. This informative book provides an excellent introduction to Korean popular beliefs. Therefore it can be used as a textbook for university students in Korean Studies programs or East Asian Studies and general readers who are interested in Korean religious culture.