Barriers in conversion (missional and indigenous barriers): Identifying the potential barriers contributing to the stagnant progress of evangelistic works among the Burman Buddhists.

摘要

This work is targeted on exploring human barriers in the process of evangelism especially with reference to the resistance of the Burman Buddhists to convert to Christianity. Burma is made up of different distinct ethnic groups with Burman people being the majority. Buddhism was first introduced from India first to the Mon people, and the Mons passed it onto the Burmans. Buddhism has been adopted and protected as a favored religion from the era of the Burmese kings to the successive Burmese rulers from U Nu (in 1948) to the present rulers. It has been strongly established through the fifth and the sixth Buddhist Councils in Burma and also through the strong Sangha community. Due to the British colonization, Burmans view Christianity as a foreign religion and also as an ethnic other religion. The contrasting figures between the small percentage (7%) of Christians and the large percentage of Buddhists (85%) in Burma indicate that Christian mission has not been successful in Burma in the previous two centuries.;Data are gathered from existing literatures, interviews, questionnaires and written testimonies using qualitative and quantitative research methods, and are evaluated and analyzed based on a tripartite theoretical construct of identity theories, conversion theories, and diffusion theories. The research results produce two types of major barriers: Buddhist barriers to becoming Christians (Indigenous Barriers) and Christian Barriers to witnessing to the Burman Buddhists (Missional Barriers). The first barrier type includes attachment barriers, ethnic barriers, fear-related barriers, socio-political barriers, and the other-religion barriers. The second barrier type contains cultural barriers, ethnic barriers, fear-related barriers, spiritual barriers, ethical moral barriers, and methodological barriers. A better suggested approach to overcome human barriers in witnessing to the Burman Buddhists is a polite-discreet approach.1 This proposed new method polite-discreet approach is the opposite of aggressive-confrontational approach which assumes conversion to occur only in one definable moment. Since conversion can be understood as process of series of events and a dramatic crisis, a polite-discreet approach will work in Burma and in any given context as well. Conversion is a combination of divine and human works (Matt 28:19--20; Rom 10:14--17).;1The author interviewed an informant who at the first meeting was still a Buddhist-Atheist. As a personal relationship develops with this informant, the author takes the opportunity to apply the polite-discreet approach with the view of conversion as a gradual process in the presentation of the gospel, the informant, Derrick, has made a decision to be baptized in Christ on May 15, 2010. The author is blessed to be a part of a group of people (his wife, his pastor and his church) who share the gospel to Derrick. By the grace of God, the polite-discreet approach is already effective in the presentation of the gospel.