BURMESE NATIONALISM AND CHRISTIANITY IN MYANMAR: CHRISTIAN IDENTITY AND WITNESS IN MYANMAR TODAY
A Dissertation
Presented to the Faculty of
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
Department of Systematic Theology
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
By
Zam Khat Kham
December 2015
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………vii
CHAPTER ONE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
THE THESIS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE QUESTION……………………………………………………… 4
THE DISSERTATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT SCHOLARSHIP …………….. 6
THE METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURE TO BE EMPLOYED ……………………………… 9
THE OUTCOMES ANTICIPATED ………………………………………………………………………. 13
CHAPTER OUTLINES AND PROGRESSION………………………………………………………. 15
CHAPTER TWO …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
BURMA/MYANMAR AND BURMESE NATIONALISM……………………………………… 18
MYANMAR AND ITS PEOPLE…………………………………………………………………………… 20
The Burmese People’s View of Themselves and Other Peoples…………………………. 22
Ethnic Diversity and Its Impact on Christianity in Myanmar……………………………… 32
RELIGIONS IN MYANMAR……………………………………………………………………………….. 45
BUDDHISM AND BURMESE NATIONALISM……………………………………………………. 53
CHAPTER THREE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 62
CHRISTIAN MISSION WORK IN THE SETTING OF BURMESE NATIONALISM IN
BURMA/MYANMAR …………………………………………………………………………………………. 62
SOME INDICATIONS OF CHRISTIANITY’S EARLY PRESENCE IN BURMA…….. 62
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION IN BURMA/MYANMAR…………………………….. 65
PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN MISSION IN BURMA/MYANMAR………………………….. 70
American Baptist Mission in Burma ………………………………………………………………. 71
iv
Some Missions Other Than Baptist ………………………………………………………………… 78
BURMESE NATIONALISM AND CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY WORK IN
BURMA/MYANMAR …………………………………………………………………………………………. 79
Buddhist Burmese Perception of Christianity in Myanmar………………………………… 89
“Burmanization” and Christianity in Myanmar………………………………………………… 93
A Strange Case of Christianity in Korea in Comparison with That in Myanmar…. 100
CHAPTER FOUR………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 104
A SEARCH FOR AN AUTHENTIC MYANMAR CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY………… 104
A DIVIDED BURMESE SOCIETY AND A SEARCH FOR RELEVANT
THEOLOGICAL PARADIGMS………………………………………………………………………….. 105
A Divided Society and Christian Minorities in Myanmar………………………………… 106
Religious Conflicts and the Search for a Relevant Theological Paradigm………….. 109
RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS A WAY OF ENGAGEMENT …………………………………. 117
CONTEXTUALIZATION AS A WAY OF ENGAGEMENT…………………………………. 124
Local Theologies Constructed with Home-Grown Resources ………………………….. 127
CHAPTER FIVE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 138
LUTHER’S TEACHING ON GOD’S TWO KINGDOMS AS A THEOLOGICAL
FRAMEWORK FOR MYANMAR ……………………………………………………………………… 138
MARTIN LUTHER’S TEACHING ON THE TWO KINGDOMS OF GOD…………….. 139
A “Doctrine” or “Teaching” on the Two Kingdoms? ……………………………………… 142
“Two Kingdoms” As the “Two Strategies” of God…………………………………………. 145
What Does Luther Actually Teach? ……………………………………………………………… 147
Luther’s Teaching on the Two Kingdoms in the Lutheran Confessions…….. 152
The Distinction between the Two Kingdoms or Realms………………………….. 155
Luther’s Teaching on the Two Kingdoms As a Break from the Medieval Concept of
Society ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 159
v
Criticism, Misunderstanding and Misuse of Luther’s Teaching on the Two Kingdoms
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 163
LUTHER’S TEACHING ON THE TWO KINGDOMS IN THE CONTEXT OF
MYANMAR……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 170
CHAPTER SIX………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 176
CHRISTIAN IDENTITY AND WITNESS IN MYANMAR…………………………………… 176
CHRISTIAN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN MYANMAR………………………………………. 177
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AS PUBLIC THEOLOGY …………………………………………… 186
THE SETTING OF MYANMAR AS A CULTURE WITHOUT CHRIST ……………….. 189
THE TWO KINGDOMS AS THE FRAMEWORK FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING ………. 193
LUTHER’S TEACHING ON THE TWO KINGDOMS OF GOD AND CHRISTIAN
VOCATION………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 198
Right Understanding of Christian Vocation and the Burmese Misconception About
Society ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 203
Christians As Salt And Light: The Teaching on the Two Kingdoms as A Corrective to
Christian Pessimism …………………………………………………………………………………… 204
Christian Involvement in Nation Building Activities in Myanmar ……………………. 208
BURMESE NATIONALISM AND CHRISTIAN IDENTITY IN MYANMAR ……….. 209
Christian Participation in Civic Affairs in the Myanmar Context……………………… 212
The Practice of Responsible Christian Living………………………………………………… 214
Some Practical Things That Christians Can Do ……………………………………………… 218
Intercessory Prayer …………………………………………………………………………….. 218
Being Subject to the Authority…………………………………………………………….. 220
The Virtue of Endurance and Patience ………………………………………………….. 225
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 229
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………………………. 235
vi
Online Internet Sources ………………………………………………………………………………. 251
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