Confucian Spirituality of the Movement of the Heart

Abstract

This paper traces the dynamics of the "movement of the heart'' to articulate the communal spirituality experienced in the Neo-Confucian commitment to virtues. To accomplish this, the spiritual dynamics found in Samganghaengsilto are explored, focusing on the development and application of the chapter on virtuous women ("Yollyop'yon'') and comparing it to two other genres that target audiences from different social locations: classical Confucian literature and p'ansori. I argue that a healthy form of Confucian spirituality of the movement of the heart is found in the way the subaltern consciousness articulates it in p'ansori by creating mutual empathy that moves the hearts of the community and transforms the community by resisting injustice.