Studies on Korean Protestant history have primarily been conducted by men. This study introduces new perspectives and themes for feminist theologians in Korea and summarizes the trends and challenges faced by Korean feminist theology since 2000. In the past, studies on Korean Protestant history have primarily been conducted by men. Feminist theologians in Korea and Japan, who share much as a result of the shared patriarchal history common in the Northeast Asia region, can contribute to mutual understanding and self-understanding through their exploration of common problems. In addition, a new academic approach is required to explore the value of Christianity by promoting awareness and acceptance of sexual minorities and interfaith dialogue with Muslims and other religions. Korean feminist theology has developed independently under the influence of feminist theology from Europe, the U.S., and “Minjung theology” studied by men in Korea. Since 2000, various topics have been studied, such as environmental issues, AI, sex diversity, risky societies, and new viral infections. Therefore, the interests of Korean feminist theology, which have strengthened under the theme of domestic political and economic issues, and global and modern issues, suggest commonalities between Korea and Japan, although there are also differences. One example of such differences can be seen in attitudes toward Japanʼs treatment of nuclear waste water; in Korea this has led to study of the relationship between Shamanism and Christianity. Thus, learning about the efforts of Korean feminist theology and its trends and challenges provides a fresh perspective to Japanese society and an opportunity to review Japanese feminist theology.

Although Christianity has deeply internalized patriarchy and heterosexism throughout its history, theological efforts to resist these oppressive teachings have also existed within Christianity. These efforts are referred to as “Feminist Theology” and “Queer Theology.” However, if “theology” is the study of religious faith from an apologetic attitude, is it possible to connect “theology” with “feminism” and “queer”? Arenʼt “feminist theology” and “queer theology” inherent contradictions in terms? Can “theology” be a practice of resistance? To examine these questions, this paper focuses on Christologies of feminist theology and queer theology. This paper presents four types of Christology. First, there are feminists and queer people who reached the conclusion that “Jesus is not the true Christ (anointed one)” and decided to leave Christianity. They identified themselves as “post-Christians” and declared that Christian “theology” could never give birth to a true resistance. The second and third types of Christology recognize Jesus of Nazareth as a true “Christ.” The second type of Christology focuses on the deeds of Jesus and argues that Jesus is “the savior” because he spent a lifetime fighting against the prejudices and discrimination of his time. The third type of Christology finds “queerness” in traditional Christology which focuses on the godly aspects of Jesus. This Christology emphasizes the fluidity and transcendency of “the body of Christ.” Conversely, the fourth type of Christology does not even try to answer the question “Is Jesus Christ or not?” Rather, this Christology attempts to show that Christianity or Christology itself was socially constructed, and thus it should be permanently questioned. Consequently, this Christology tries to unsettle the framework of “Christianity” and “theology” itself. This paper stresses the strong points of the fourth type of Christology, as a potential basis for true resistance.

This essay provides an overview of the history and research of the BL genre which saw its inception in the 1970s. Throughout its history, BL has gone through many changes: the name of the genre has changed several times, and the primary media that works have been showcased through have shifted. However, it is not uncommon to find BL studies conducted without comprehending this sociohistorical context. We need to understand how the definition of BL, the genre itself, the names given to it, and its media have transitioned over the years and be precise about when and which medium we are discussing. While BL contents are diverse, live-action BL, which has been produced in large scale since the mid-2010s, became a global sensation in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend, which created a new fan base of the genre, will have a significant impact on future BL research.

Since its beginning as shojo manga critique in the 1970s, BL studies have always focused on gender issues. One commonly asked question about BL is why women are attracted to contents in which characters of their gender do not appear. An answer to this question is that the female readers sought a place where the male and societal gaze do not exist. In addition to this issue of gender, in Japan during the 1990s, there was harsh criticism towards the genre from a gay man. However, the same person has also said that shojo manga of the 1970s “were the escape I needed for survival as a teenager.” The complex relationship between LGBTQ people and BL, which has been discussed both in Japan and abroad, is further emphasized by BL drama series featuring real-life actors. The conventional focus of BL studies on the expression of womenʼs desire should be compatible with understanding how societyʼs deep-rooted misogyny, homophobia, and discriminatory gazes toward LGBTQ people are all projected in BL. Future research should place more emphasis on analyzing the new fan base as well as analyzing the individual works of BL to understand both the homophobia and inclusion portrayed therein.