Filiality in Print: Material and Visual Strategies of Buddhist–Confucian Integration in the Joseon Dynasty

During the Joseon Dynasty, Korean Buddhism intentionally negotiated its survival and ongoing relevance in response to the predominance of Neo-Confucian state ideology by aligning Buddhist teaching with Confucian ethical ideals, especially filial piety. This process can be clearly observed in two well-known apocryphal texts—the Bulseol daebo bumo eunjung gyeong (佛說大報父母恩重經, Eunjung gyeong) and the Bulseol jangsu myeoljoe hojedongja darani gyeong (佛說長壽滅罪護諸童子陀羅尼經, Jangsu gyeong)—whose acceptance in Joseon Korea was largely dependent on their Confucian-inspired ethical substance. This article explores how the material aspects of these texts—such as woodblock printing methods, visual programs, book formats, and meticulous colophons—operated as means for integrating Buddhist doctrinal themes with Confucian moral standards. By focusing on the 1452 woodblock editions produced at Wŏnamsa Temple, this research highlights materiality as an influential factor in enabling the visual and ritual spread of Buddhist filial ethics and thereby supporting Buddhism’s cultural legitimacy in a Confucian-dominated environment. Using a material culture lens, this study addresses a notable gap in the current research—which has typically emphasized textual interpretation at the expense of material dimensions—and offers insight into how religious groups strategically utilized materiality to adapt within changing socio-cultural contexts.