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Siamese Gold: The Church in Thailand
A history of Christian church growth in Thailand. An interpretative analysis of the growth for the period 1816-1982.
309 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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October 4, 2014
The classic text on Thai church history, tracing the growth of the protestant church in Thailand from it's earliest beginnings through until 1982.
A must read for missionaries to Thailand. Smith has carefully consulted original sources, knows the country well and concisely summarises the movement and shape of church growth and decline, pinpointing the various factors at play.
What I have found particularly interesting in my study of Thai church history has been the way in which the approach of the early missionaries has shaped Thai people's perception of Christianity to this day. For many (but not all) early missionaries the Christianisation of Thailand was synonymous with the westernisation of the country. This has contributed to a prevailing view among Thai's that Christianity is a distinctly western religion and to convert means to leave behind your Thai culture and take on the 'farang' religion.
A must read for missionaries to Thailand. Smith has carefully consulted original sources, knows the country well and concisely summarises the movement and shape of church growth and decline, pinpointing the various factors at play.
What I have found particularly interesting in my study of Thai church history has been the way in which the approach of the early missionaries has shaped Thai people's perception of Christianity to this day. For many (but not all) early missionaries the Christianisation of Thailand was synonymous with the westernisation of the country. This has contributed to a prevailing view among Thai's that Christianity is a distinctly western religion and to convert means to leave behind your Thai culture and take on the 'farang' religion.
Displaying 1 of 1 review