OceanicThai

I am currently reading Jayson George's book on patron/client relationships, Ministering in Patronage Cultures: Biblical Models and Missional Implications published in November 2019. My reading concerning the patron-client relationship is minimal and so as I read and learn I will be going back and reflecting on the past 20 years here in Thailand. I have lived in Northern Thailand, Eastern Thailand, Southern Thailand, and Central Thailand. Currently I am back in Eastern Thailand. Understanding the patron/client relationship as well the honor/shame ideas would have been a tremendous help in navigating, evaluating my experiences and relationships, and understanding Thai culture over the years. I hope newer missionaries will take the time to read George's books. Patron/client relationships are woven in the fabric of Thai society and so they are unavoidable and part of every person's experience here, local or transplanted in (foreigner).  My first encounter with such a ...

This chart was introduced in a philosophy class I took last year. I have found it to be a very useful tool to understand worldview from this particular perspective. It has also served as a way to help me evaluate the differences between Buddhist and Christian worldviews. A colleague noticed it is very Western and does not leave much room for "phenomenology" but after a long discussion about what exactly phenomenology is and how it could fit in this chart, we decided we weren't sure where it would go. So, although there are many models and ideas about worldviews, this is one I found particularly helpful. I will include some excerpts from a book by Clement Vidal (The Beginning and the End: The Meaning of Life in a Cosmological Perspective) that helps explain this model. Philosophical Discipline 1. What is? Ontology (model of reality as a whole) 2. Where does it all come from? Explanation (model of the past) 3. Where are we going? Prediction (model of the futur...

A BUDDHIST WORLDVIEW This paper addresses and briefly explains the basic components of a Theravada Buddhist worldview. A worldview encompasses life’s most pressing questions, such as, “What really is?” “Where did everything come from?” “What is good, what is evil?” “What is the meaning of life?” and “What is the destiny of the human race?” These are questions that make up the bedrock of one’s metaphysical beliefs. For a classic Theravada Buddhist, the answers to these foundational questions are found in the Dharma, the canonical Pali, considered the earliest and most complete collection of scriptures or the sayings of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as the Buddha. From these two sources, metaphysics and epistemology, ethics and sociopraxy arise; that which has to do with the conduct of the individual, and also conduct in the public areas of life. Metaphysics The metaphysics of a Theravada Buddhist is found in the Dharma, which is considered the truth about the world and the way th...

There are social distinctions between the Thai and American cultures that bear consideration. In the East, the apologetic task of the Christian looks much different than in the Western context. There are significant distinctions between these worlds that ought to be understood as one shares the Gospel.   Individual Versus Community There are notable differences revolving around the concepts of “individualism” and “collectivism” between Western and Eastern cultures. This has to do with whether one considers oneself to be independent and self-contained versus being interconnected with the other people around one, valuing the group over the individual. Eastern thought often values community over the self. In fact, some entire social and cultural systems do not support ideas that will elevate individuality and self-assertion. In such cultures, authority and authority figures must be given precedence, facts are secondary. This is seen in the area of work, jobs,...

East Versus West In the West, when we approach apologetics we enjoy certain key freedoms such as freedom of religion and freedom of speech. We also function within our particular cultural context which values individuality, personal expression, and the equal value of every person. We have a long tradition of Western philosophy that underpins our thinking. We emphasize logic, reason, and the defense of ideas and principles. We also have a long tradition of Christianity which has shaped our ideas of what is good and evil, what is moral, what is truth. As to God, the whole idea of God is part and parcel of our concepts about religion in general. In the East there are many countries that do not have freedom of speech or freedom of religion. Community is valued over the individual. Equality is considered a Western idea. Eastern philosophy has its underpinnings in different concepts, such as circular rather than linear reasoning. Harmony is valued over being right. Truth co...