Evangelism in the "Key" of Patronage: Case Studies in Thai Conversion

Abstract

Western evangelical models of conversion often assume guilt-awareness as the universal, primary entry point to the gospel. Drawing on 18 interviews with Thai Christians converted from Buddhist backgrounds, this study finds instead that conversion for them was frequently catalyzed by experiences of divine benefaction, answered prayer, care, and belonging. Interpreting these narratives through patronage, honor–shame dynamics, and John Barclay’s theology of grace-gift, the article argues that Thai converts encounter God as a benevolent Patron and conversion as relational realignment. Patronage thus provides a culturally coherent and biblically resonant moral grammar for contextualizing evangelism in Thailand and similar Buddhist contexts.