Baptizing Burma: Religious Change in the Last Buddhist Kingdom

American Baptist Christianity was transformed in the Buddhist kingdom of Burma by missionaries who were initially horrified by the idolatry of Buddha statues. Baptizing Burma explores the history of how the mission failed to convert the country yet succeeded in transforming its religious landscape, examining how the Burmese majority positioned Buddhism to counter Christianity, how marginalized groups took on Baptist identities, and how Protestantism was reimagined as a Southeast Asian religion.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2023
Publisher: Columbia University Press

In the summer of 1813, a young American couple from Boston set sail for Rangoon, their mission to spread the gospel. The Protestant press, always eager for thrilling tales of exotic adventures, eagerly covered their journey, publishing dramatic accounts of their encounters with the Burmese people. While the Burmese Buddhists fiercely resisted Christian evangelism, the missionaries encountered success in baptizing members of minority communities throughout the nineteenth century. American Baptist Christianity itself underwent a remarkable transformation within the Buddhist kingdom. Initially appalled by what they perceived as the idolatry of Buddha statues, the missionaries eventually adapted their approach, creating tree shrines and hanging colorful Jesus paintings in their churches.

Baptizing Burma delves into the complex history of the American Baptist mission to Burma, exploring how it failed to convert the country yet succeeded in reshaping its religious landscape. Author Alexandra Kaloyanides examines how the Burmese majority positioned Buddhism as a counterbalance to Christianity, how marginalized groups embraced Baptist identities, and how Protestantism was reimagined as a Southeast Asian religion. Through the examination of a series of holy objects, including the sacred book, schoolhouse, pagoda, and portrait, Kaloyanides sheds light on the histories of Burma's last kingdom and the unforeseen consequences of America's first overseas mission.

The book tells the stories of four key elements: the sacred book, the schoolhouse, the pagoda, and the portrait. These objects serve as windows into the religious practices of a time when empires, such as the British, Burmese, and American, intertwined and influenced one another. By examining the stories of these objects, Kaloyanides provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the complexities of religious life in a period of historical transition.

In conclusion, Baptizing Burma is a valuable contribution to the study of religion, history, and empire. Through its exploration of the American Baptist mission to Burma, Kaloyanides offers a fresh perspective on the complex interactions between different religious traditions and the broader political and social context of nineteenth-century Southeast Asia. This book will be of interest to scholars, students, and anyone with an interest in the history and culture of the region.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231199858