Cultural Change versus Adaptability? The Ascendance of the Christian God within Zo Traditional Cosmology

Abstract This paper examines the endeavors of Christian missions seeking converts from an indigenous society. It places the concept of “cultural change”, often promoted by Christian missions, against the concept of “cultural adaptability”. Taking the case of the Zo people of the India-Burma borderlands, this paper argues that the ascendance of the Christian God within a traditional Zo cosmology was not simply an outcome of missionary endeavors. Rather, the stringent efforts of the missionaries, who sought to missionize by opening the “hearts and minds” of the native people through the tools of education and health services, faced serious challenges and opposition from the indigenous Pau Cin Hau movement. However, it was the attack on the lesser spirits by the indigenous movement which paved the way for the Christian God to be easily fitted into the upper tier of the traditional cosmology, and consequently led to the spread of Christianity.