Arend van Dorp, Ethnic Diversity and Reconciliation: A Missional Model for the Church in Myanmar

Abstract

As I read Ethnic Diversity and Reconciliation I found myself bristling at every corner, even though I am very pleased that Van Dorp engaged with many scholastic sources that most Christian scholars ignore when writing about Christianity in Myanmar, especially Melford Spiro’s inimitable Buddhism and Society.... One aspect of Van Dorp’s work that is admirable... is his use of secondary sources to get large overviews of the country, its history, and Buddhism. He also uses several Chin scholars and a few Karen to back up his claims. Utilizing these sources is important, but it ultimately does not go far enough, as he uses few primary sources.