CHRISTIANITIES IN ASIA

A PAPER PRESENTED FOR

WM760 CS14

March 21, 2021

 Christianities in Asia1 was helpful for me in three ways. First, this book taught me how

to pray for Cambodia, second, it taught me to value the work of the Catholic church in their early

missionary efforts throughout Asia, particularly the work of Francis Xavier, and third, it caused

me to consider the relationship of the Cambodian church and the Cambodian government. I will

work through each of these issues throughout this paper.

Praying for Cambodia

In his chapter, “Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand,” Peter Phan concludes that that

apart from the miraculous, many unbelievers throughout South East Asia will not turn from

Buddhism to Christianity while Buddhism holds out hope of personal transformation in this life

or the next.2 When this is coupled with the fact that throughout South East Asia, Christians are

routinely ostracized, seen as a threat to the health of the village, and even hunted down by the

state in some places, the future of Christianity in the region is slow going at best. Into this

context, Phan reminds the church that the essential task of Christianity is not “expanding…

membership and influence through conversion,” but rather, “the reign of God.”3 According to

Phan, the church’s dual commitment to the proclamation of the full counsel of God and the

display of the gospel through a myriad of good works is what will determine the future of the

church in South East Asia, for better or worse.

In order to flesh this out, Phan lists the eight principles that emerged from the Federation

of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) that convened in 2000. Asian churches are to 1)

intentionally serve the young and the poor, 2) be led by indigenous leaders, 3) be deeply

1
Peter C. Phan, Christianities in Asia (UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2010).
2
Peter C. Phan, “Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand.” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John
Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?docID=624783. Accessed 21 Mar. 2021. Chapter 7, pg. 17.
3
Peter C. Phan, “Conclusion: Whither Asian Christianities?” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John
Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?docID=624783. Accessed 21 Mar. 2021. Conclusion, 2.

1
committed to prayer and contemplation, 4) exist in unity with one another, 5) be active in

evangelism, 6) empowering men and women, 7) be pro-life,4 and 8) pursue humble dialogue with

those of other faith commitments. Though the FABC holds out a distinctly Roman Catholic

vision for the church in Asia, I’ve yet to find any sort of document within the Protestant world in

Cambodia that offers such a broad vision for how the church should dig itself deep into the soil

of Asia, “until the churches in Asia are transformed into the churches of Asia” (italics mine).5

Probably the single greatest benefit of reading this book has been the way that it has

taught me how to pray for the church in Cambodia. If the Spirit can set fire to the prayers of the

people for these eight points and if the church can rally around these eight points, I see only a

bright future for the churches of South East Asia, and Cambodia in particular.

Catholic Mission Efforts: Francis Xavier

An unexpected highlight in this book, to me, was the impressive and far-ranging work of

the great Jesuit missionary, Francis Xavier. I feel a little bit embarrassed to say it, but I was

relatively ignorant about all that he accomplished. Various chapters in the book credit him to be

the at the root of the Catholic mission endeavor in Japan,6 Macau,7 Malaysia,8 and Sri Lanka.9

The reality is that in Cambodia, especially among younger Christians, their hostility toward the

4
While including abortion, the FABC aims for a “vision of life with integrity and dignity, with compassion and
sensitive care of the earth; a vision of participation and mutuality, with a reverential sense of the sacred, of peace,
harmony, and solidarity.” Conclusion, pgs. 3 – 4.
5
Phan, Conclusion, 4.
6
Mark R. Mullins, “Japan” in Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated,
2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?
docID=624783. Ch. 10. Pgs. 1 – 20.
7
Lo Lung-kwong, “Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau” in Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John Wiley &
Sons, Incorporated, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?docID=624783. Ch. 9. Pgs. 1 – 24.
8
Edmund Kee-Fook Chia, “Malaysia and Singapore” in Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John Wiley
& Sons, Incorporated, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?docID=624783. Ch. 5. Pgs. 1 – 20.
9
Jeyaraj Rasiah, “Sri Laka” in Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated,
2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?
docID=624783. Ch. 3. Pgs. 1 – 16.

2
Catholic church is often matched by their ignorance of the church’s history or beliefs, aside from

overblown caricatures. While there certainly are important areas of belief and doctrine with

which Protestants must part ways with Catholics, we need not reject the clear and simple fact

that it was the Catholic church who first began to introduce the gospel throughout Asia, and

probably including Cambodia itself (Phan, 7.13).

Samuel Moffett writes that Xavier’s missionary activity was born out of “a burning,

personal spiritual commitment to the overwhelming reality of a God who created the world, not

by accident, but with a purpose.”10 Xavier served for ten years in India among the young and the

poor (Moffett, 10) and was willing to confront and rebuke his own fellow Portuguese believers in

India, saying that they were just as much a hindrance to the spread of the gospel as Hinduism

itself! During his years in India, Xavier began his work in Malaysia, what was then known to be

“the Sodom and Gomorrah of the East” (Moffett, 60), which was due just as much to the

Portuguese there as it was to its Muslim population. In his fourteen months in Malaysia (1546 –

47), Xavier began to see the bright lights of numerous conversions, but also the failure to achieve

national conversion, which he had hoped for. Key to Xavier’s success in Malaysia was how

quickly he began to translate the church’s “creed, prayers, and hymns” (Moffett, 64) into the

native language.

If the breadth of Xavier’s work isn’t enough to cause one to rethink his or her negativity

toward the Catholic church, Xavier’s tenacity may do the trick. In 1549, when Francis first

began his journey from India to Japan, the first leg was a six-week boat ride from India to

Malaysia, and then another seven weeks from Malaysia to Japan (Moffett, 70). In two short

years of work in Japan, Moffett credits Xavier with “[laying] the foundations for the next two

10
Samuel H. Moffett, A History of Christianity in Asia: Volume II, 1500 – 1900 (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books,
2005), 9 – 10.

3
centuries of Catholic missions in Asia” (Moffett, 70). Early in Xavier’s Japanese ministry, he

took up his normal practice of identifying with the poor by means of a thin black robe and an

impoverished lifestyle. This approach found little success and when Xavier adapted his

approach and conducted himself as an ambassador for both Christ and the pope, he met great

success, especially with the Buddhist priests who held a more privileged position in Japanese

society. Though Xavier knew he first needed to win the priests if he would win the people, he

refused to just be a yes man. Rather, Xavier “could be as bluntly honest in condemning Japanese

culture as in acknowledging its virtues” (Moffett, 71).

Though I double dipped into Moffett’s book in order to glean more insight into Xavier’s

life, it was far more privilege and pleasure than work. Xavier’s adaptability in approach with

regard to the presentation of the gospel, his willingness to call out sin where he saw it, regardless

of the person or their status, his ability to persevere in light of perceived failure, and the tenacity

to accomplish so much work across such a vast landmass is truly inspiring and his story deserves

to be told and retold, especially to those Protestants who are ignorant of his work (like me) and

those who are hostile to the Catholic church.

The Church and the Government

The final issue that this book raised for me when Jose M. C. Francisco11 stated that the

Filipino church, 91% of the total population, is so deeply engrained with the government that the

church often carries more trust with the population than other social institutions (Francisco, 2).

On the one hand, this is a rare privilege that the Filipino church alone may enjoy. On the other

hand, however, Francisco observes that since the church is so politically involved, the church

“risks being equated with cultural and national aspirations” (Francisco, 25). Quite on the other

11
José Mario C. Francisco, S.J. “The Philippines” in Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, John Wiley &
Sons, Incorporated, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-
com.dtl.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?docID=624783

4
end of the spectrum is the church in Cambodia. Just recently, the Prime Minister had his former

political opponent, Sam Rainsy, arrested and sentenced to 25 years in prison for an attempted

coup in 2019. This “coup” was nothing less than Rainsy trying to re-enter Cambodia after being

forced out of the country after he lost the election the year before.12 If the government has that

much clout against its serious political opponents, only a slight misstep on the church’s end

could result in a massive loss for the greater church throughout all of Cambodia. What worries

me, is that the Cambodian church, dependent on the various levels of government for all its

operations, may be unwilling to take a stand for the gospel and against the government in order

to retain its good standing among the various government officials. It is my prayer that should

the church ever take a stand against the government, it does so as a Jeremiah like fortified city

with walls of iron and bronze, knowing that their God will get the ultimate victory (Jer. 1.18 –

19, NASB).

Conclusion

I am grateful for the opportunity to have read this book and to have been exposed to the

myriad of issues that it brought to my attention that I probably never would have been able to

think of apart from this book. This book has fueled my prayers in a number of ways, has

humbled me with a greater understanding of the work of Francis Xavier, and has caused me to

think specifically about how the Cambodian church should consider when and how and over

what issues it should take a stand against the government.

12
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/2/mockery-of-justice-cambodias-rainsy-gets-25-year-jail-time. Accessed
March 21, 2021. In each election (2013, 2018), Rainsy’s loss to Hun Sen were all but proven to have resulted from
corruption from the top down.

5
Bibliography

AlJazeera. “Mockery of Justice: Cambodia’s Rainsy gets 25-year jail term.” March 2, 2021.

Chia, Edmund Kee Fook., “Malaysia and Singapore.” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C.

Phan, 2010. The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United

Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Francisco, Jose Mario C., “The Philippines.” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan,

2010. The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United

Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lung-kwong, Lo., “Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau.” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C.

Phan, 2010. The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United

Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Moffett, Samuel H., A History of Christianity in Asia: Volume II, 1500 – 1900. Maryknoll, NY:

Orbis Books, 2005.

Mullins, Mark. R, “Japan” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, 2010. The Atrium,

Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom: John Wiley &

Sons Ltd.

Phan, Peter C., “Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand.” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter

C. Phan, 2010. The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United

Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rasjah, Jeyaraj. “Sri Lanka.” In Christianities in Asia, edited by Peter C. Phan, 2010. The

Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom: John

Wiley & Sons Ltd.