A rational or apologetic approach may not work well with the majority of the Thai people, but an intuitive, feeling, or affective approach, seeing Christ as the “Man for others” and the one who can deliver them from all fears, may be considered as a new way of meekness in Christian witnessing.
For the Thai, religion is felt emotionally, not rationalized cognitively.
– From a study done by Dr. Suntaree Komin, a Thai psychologist and a Fulbright scholar, who wrote a publication entitled Psychology of the Thai People: Values and Behavioral Patterns.
Implications for missionaries:
- Emphasize how the Gospel enlightens our minds, so that we can think clearly and not be dependent on emotions.
- Teach that emotions must be subject to facts
- Don’t deride emotions and feeling, but instruct them to be infused with passion for God!
- Develop a strong and effective music program in the church to give proper outlet of emotions of praise to God. Like the Psalms.
- Use instruction on music as a way to teach how our emotions should be stirred by and dependent on truth. Not vice versa.
Love this article. Reflecting on eastern religions in the past I have always been confused by the lack of logic within the religions. I have privately wondered with what we know about the world who could logically accept some of the premises of a variety of eastern religions as faith?
Evidently logic is not necessary. I certainly don’t mean that as a pejorative. I think too much of the western faith has derailed because we have to explain everything.
Great thoughts. Keep em coming.