Jan

4

The Beauty of Christ

Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths | Leave a Comment

A few days ago I finished a study on the Gospel of Mark and realized just how many times Mark notes that Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people (18 different times from what I saw). Although many rejected Jesus during his three-year ministry, he always attracted crowds because of his teachings, miracles, and lifestyle. I think we can learn from this as we seek to communicate the Gospel to those of other faiths.

One of the most important things we can do is to point others, especially those in other religious traditions, to the life of Jesus. This would include not only encouraging them to read the Gospels, but also for us to fill our thoughts and words with Christ. As we live out a Christ-like life and point others to see the beauty of Christ in the Gospels, others will be drawn to Him.

This past summer I heard the testimony of a sister in Christ who left Hinduism after seeing Jesus’ moral superiority over the Hindu gods she had been worshiping. In a similar way, many Buddhists have been drawn to Christ because of his compassion and selflessness. Many Muslims have been drawn to Christ as they see his love and experience his forgiveness. Also, many animists have been drawn to Christ because of his power to cast out evil spirits and heal the sick. As during his three-year ministry, Jesus continues to draw people to himself.

For example, in China there are now between 50-89 million Christians and some estimate that by 2010 there will be 119.5 million Christians.  Moreover, in 1900 there were only 8.7 million Christians in Africa (8% of the pop.); however, in 2000 there were 346.5 million Christians in Africa (44% of the pop.).

May Christ continue to build up his Church by drawing all the nations to himself!

*Stats come from Disciples of all Nations by Lamin Sanneh.

Sep

20

Buddhism in Thailand

Filed Under Buddhism | Leave a Comment

I just finished writing a paper on Buddhism in Thailand and I wanted to point out 2 ideas that are important in understanding Buddhism. These observations apply specifically to Buddhism in Thailand, but I think they also play a role in other contexts.

1. 2 ways of being Buddhist:

a. Monks:

- Seek to follow the teachings of the Buddha
- Observe a more philosophical and “textbook” form of Buddhism
- Study and follow the Tripitika (Theravada scriptures).
- Keep over 200 rules as part of the sangha.
- Have a strict moral code to follow

b. Laity:
- Unfamiliar with philosophical Buddhism
- Mostly unfamiliar with the Tripitika
- Concerned mainly with gaining karmic merit by giving offerings to the monks
- They worship the Buddha and a variety of gods and spirits
- They have 5 moral commandments to follow

2. Buddhism easily assimilates other religious beliefs:

Buddhism in Thailand is a mix of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, and animism. Thais believe in karma and reincarnation, but they also devote much of their time in appeasing and worshipping local gods and spirits. These gods and spirits can bring them either fortune or misfortune in this life. Therefore, having the gods and spirits on one’s side is very important.

The image above is of a shrine on the grounds of a large hotel in Thailand. It is someone’s job at the hotel to go and place offerings at the shrine each day to ensure the prosperity and safety of the hotel. The usual offerings are incense, fruit, flowers, and soda in a bottle. Almost every house and business has a shrine where they place offerings each day.

Remember that…

First, Buddhism tends to have two ways of being Buddhist, one for the monks and one for the laity. “Textbook” Buddhism is often foreign to the average lay practitioner.

Second, Buddhism easily assimilates other religious beliefs. Buddhism in Thailand includes elements from Hinduism and animism. Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism in China is a mix of Buddhism and Taoism. In Japan, Buddhism and Shinto are often intertwined.

May

28

Syncretism- Jesus and Hindu gods

Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths, General religion, Hinduism | 2 Comments

                                                                         

A few years back I went to India to do some ethnographic research. A national Christian led us around as we did our research. In one of the villages we walked through he took us to the home of a woman who had started attending a small group Bible study he was leading. Upon entering her home I noticed that she had pictures of Hindu deities on her wall just like every other Hindu home I had entered. However, as you can see, her wall was a little different. Instead of just having the traditional Hindu gods and heroes like Shiva and Hanuman, she added a framed picture of a “Catholic” Jesus. Some religions, like Hinduism, are more syncretistic than others yet syncretism is common in all religious traditions.

Syncretism often takes place when animistic cultures adopt a foreign more dominant world religion. In South America, many Catholics have exchanged their traditional gods and spirits for the Virgin Mary and saints, but have essentially kept their animistic worldview. In Africa, many Muslims have added outward forms of Muslim dress and ritual, but have kept their traditional beliefs creating a form of folk Islam. Some scholars contend that up to 75% of Muslims actually practice a form of folk Islam. In Thailand, the heart of Theravada Buddhism, Buddhists are supposed to be practicing the purest form of Buddhism yet most live their lives worshipping local spirits that determine their health and wealth.

Animists in these cultures tend to see Catholicism, Islam, and Buddhism as having to do more with the afterlife, but the everyday life is still about the local spirits. In order to have a successful crop or successful business, and to avoid illness animists must gain the favor or appease the spirits that control their everyday lives.

When ministering to those of other faiths it is important to remember that most Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and so on do not live the religion that is typically described in textbooks. Although studying the “textbook” form of a religion is necessary, it is equally important to understand the animistic worldview that the practitioner might have.

For more information on syncretism, animism, and folk religions see The Myth of the Eternal Return by Mircea Eliade, The Unseen Face of Islam by Bill Musk, Understanding Folk Religions by Hiebert, Shaw and Tienou, and Communicating Christ in Animistic Cultures by Gailyn Van Rheenen