Interpreting Proverbs 11:18-31, Psalm 73, and Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 in Light Of, and As a Response To, Thai Buddhist Interpretations ─ A Contribution to Christian-Buddhist Dialogue

This is an interesting book derived from the doctoral thesis of a Christian missionary living long-term in Thailand. Nineteen lay and professional Thai Buddhists were given passages from the Bible expressing core ethical/philosophical issues (Proverbs 11:18-31, Psalm 73, and Ecclestastes 9:1-12) and asked to interpret them from a Thai Buddhist perspective. The author interviewed them on their interpretations, then reconsidered the texts in light of the Buddhist interpretations, and responded to Thai Buddhist perspectives and concerns brought up by the interviewees. In a lucid introduction, she gives the reason for this study as a desire to contribute to interreligious dialogue in Thailand, and an attempt to find a way to do so that would be comfortable for both the Christian community and the Buddhist Sangha. While the study has potential applications to missionary conversion, it offers respectful dialogue using techniques carefully chosen to be both rigorous from a Western social science perspective and culturally appropriate from a Thai perspective. The author looks at where the two wisdom traditions have doctrinal common ground and where they diverge in the eyes of both a Norwegian Christian and Thai Buddhists, and allows the Buddhist perspectives to inform the Christian one. Interview quotes are given as footnotes in the original Thai language (this is a very careful book). Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Kari Storstein Haug, Ph.D. (2008, School of Mission and Theology – MHS), is Associate Professor of Missiology at MHS, Stavanger, Norway. She has published several articles on the encounter between Christianity and Buddhism in a Thai context.