The perceived influences and reasons Buddhist background believers in Nongkhai, Northeast Thailand converted to Christianity

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on the self-perceived reasons Thai Buddhist background believers in Nongkhai, Northeast Thailand converted to Christianity. The central question of this qualitative grounded-theory study was what do Thai-Buddhist background believers in this area perceive as factors or influences that led them to become Christian? Other studies have focused on Thai Buddhist background believers in general, but this study focused on the unique situation of Isaan or Northeastern Thai living in Nongkhai. This study identified three factors that Thai Nongkhai Buddhist background believers expressed as influences and factors in their Christian conversion. First, participants experienced a mild to severe crisis. Second, participants were attracted to the character of Christians or the Christian lifestyle, and third, the participants perceived a supernatural encounter with God. The significant component in most accounts was the testimony that participants had a supernatural encounter that influenced the convert’s decision to become Christian.