이 연구에서는 TV 다큐멘터리 <신의 길 인간의 길> 제작진이 심층 인터뷰에서 내세우는 논리를 미디어의 종교담론 생산에 대한 문화 엘리트의 담론적 정당화로 규정하고 분석하였다. 분석을 통해 드러난 정당화 논리는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 제작진은 스스로를 권력에 대한 감시, 비판 기능을 담당하는 개혁적 담론생산의 주체로 규정한다. 둘째, 종교는 본질상 개인적 신념에 속하는 것이지만 동시에 사회성을 지니기 때문에 미디어담론 생산의 대상이 될 수 있다. 셋째, 종교 집단의 태도 및 행위가 다원주의적 질서에 거스르는 결과를 낳는다면 미디어에게 부여된 사회적 역할에 따라 감시, 비판하는 것은 당위적이다. 넷째, 이들이 생산한 종교담론의 내용은 저항적, 대안적이기보다는 사회 내 대중 정서를 확인, 반영한 것이다. 다섯째, 이들이 생산한 종교담론은 글로벌 미디어에 의해 이미 생산된 바 있으며, 이에 노출된 우리 수용자에게도 검증된 것이다. 이러한 정당성의 논리들은 한국사회에서 미디어와 종교의 관계를 이론화하는 데 많은 함의를 제공하며, 종교 집단과 미디어의 갈등을 보다 본질적인 차원에서 이해할 필요가 있음을 말해준다.

This study defines the rationals articulated in the in-depth interviews by the production team members of TV Documentary God’s Way, Man’s Way, as the cultural elites’ discursive justifications of the media’s religious discourse production. The justifications found in the interviews are as follows: First, the production team members define themselves as agents of progressive discourse production. Second, religion is considered to be a possible subject for media discourse, since it essentially entails a societal nature even though it is also a personal belief system. Third, it is legitimate for the media to criticize a religious group if it violates the society’s pluralist principles, because it is a media’s fundamental responsibility to surveil powers. Fourth, the discourse produced by the team is rather a reflection of the popular discourse about religion than resistant or alternative one, which is widely accepted by the general public. Finally, the discourse is legitimatized by the fact that it has been produced by the global media and been exposed to the local audience. Those discursive justifications offer significant implications on the relationship between media and religion in contemporary Korea, and suggest that we need to understand the conflict between religious groups and the media at a more fundamental level.

This study defines the rationals articulated in the in-depth interviews by the production team members of TV Documentary God’s Way, Man’s Way, as the cultural elites’ discursive justifications of the media’s religious discourse production. The justifications found in the interviews are as follows: First, the production team members define themselves as agents of progressive discourse production. Second, religion is considered to be a possible subject for media discourse, since it essentially entails a societal nature even though it is also a personal belief system. Third, it is legitimate for the media to criticize a religious group if it violates the society’s pluralist principles, because it is a media’s fundamental responsibility to surveil powers. Fourth, the discourse produced by the team is rather a reflection of the popular discourse about religion than resistant or alternative one, which is widely accepted by the general public. Finally, the discourse is legitimatized by the fact that it has been produced by the global media and been exposed to the local audience. Those discursive justifications offer significant implications on the relationship between media and religion in contemporary Korea, and suggest that we need to understand the conflict between religious groups and the media at a more fundamental level.

religious discourse production, media and religion, TV documentary, production research