HDR Candidate: Sue, Wolfgang


Title of Project Ancestral practices and their implications for the Christian church
Course of Study Doctor of Philosophy
Language of Instruction English
Abstract

In Northeast Thailand (Isan), local cultures and traditions form a big part of everyday life. The Isan region has always been the poorest part of Thailand where modern development has been slower than in other parts of the nation. Much of Isan has sandy soils which makes it harder to grow crops especially in the dry season as sandy soils retain less water. Today the Northeast is moving forward and rapidly modernising, especially in the main urban centres. Attempts of bringing Christianity to Thailand as a whole have not been successful with 95% of the approximately eighty thousand villages having no Christian presence (Martin 2018, p 1). Only 0.18% of the population of Northeast Thailand are Christian. The church in Thailand has a Western appearance, and the influence of foreign missionaries is still significant today. It is difficult for foreigners to appreciate the Thai culture, and many seem unable to understand the Thai way of life (Hilderbrand, 2016, p. 9). This research is about ancestral practices as found in Isan. These practices are very important to the people of Isan, yet difficult for a Westerner to understand, or for Western Missionaries to come to grips with. This research will look at the Isan people and their religious views and understandings relating to ancestral practices. In addition, it will investigate the degree to which the churches that have been planted in Isan, have either ignored ancestral practices, or have spoken out against them. This research will explore the impact of these attitudes demonstrated by the Church in Isan, both in the depth of the Christian experience of the individual and its effect on evangelistic outreach of this Church. It will attempt to understand the feelings and emotions of the Isan people regarding filial piety in all its expressions.