Missões Transculturais: os desafios da evangelização na cultura da Tailândia

Abstract

This article analyzes transcultural mission in Thailand, highlighting the challenges and possibilities of Christian evangelization in a predominantly Buddhist context. The study, grounded in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) and the Missio Dei (BOSCH, 2002; GOHEEN, 2021; SMITH, 2022), employs a bibliographic and descriptive methodology, drawing on theological and cultural works as well as data from the Joshua Project and the Lausanne Movement. It examines the distinctions between local and cross-cultural mission, the historical and religious context of Thailand, and barriers to the Gospel such as syncretism, the Buddhist worldview, and social pressures. The article emphasizes strategies including interpersonal relationships, contextualized communication, and compassionate witness. It concludes that evangelization, though challenging, is possible and requires missiological, linguistic, and cultural preparation, along with dependence on the Holy Spirit, presenting transcultural mission as an extension of God’s redemptive work.