Lausanne World Pulse – Grace in the Gospel: Thai Christian Dance

By L. Allan Eubank

“On Eagle’s Wings” dance, based on Isaiah 40:28-31.

Graceful beauty, brilliant color, meaningful movement, distinctive music and worshipful poise are all adjectives used to describe Thai Christian dance. However, because of its association with other gods and spirits, Christians have historically resisted the use of dance in worship. Early missionaries and converts fostered this prejudice because of their legitimate fear of compromising the faith.

Thai dance is particularly suitable for worship because of the graceful, non-suggestive movements. There are special movements that refer to deity, love, sorrow and other emotions.  Gradually, Christians have accepted Thai dance to express their worship and understanding of Jesus Christ.

In October 2006, in its General Assembly, the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) is holding a night of special celebration for thirty years of conscious effort to present the gospel in ways easily understood in Thai culture. The CCT is the largest Protestant church in Thailand and includes Baptists, Disciples, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Mennonites and others under Thai leadership. 

Christians and Thai Dance
In 1976 the faculty of theology at Payap University (which is owned by the CCT) launched a program to make worship and evangelism more Thai. They began with a Thai dance and dance-drama, called Likay. When the group wanted to present a Thai Christian dance in the First Church of Chiang Mai, they were not allowed on the chancel platform; instead, they had to stay on the main floor. They chose an adaptation of Psalm 150, which specifically calls for praise “with…trumpet…harp and lyre…tambourine and dancing…strings and flute…resounding cymbals,” for their first dance. To help the audience accept the dance the group explained its meaning by referring to Miriam’s celebration of the Red Sea crossing and King David’s dance before the Ark of the Lord. The audience expressed their appreciation for the dance, but it was several years before local congregations presented their own dances in worship. 

A hill tribe dance to Psalm 100.

To use Thai dance, drama and music, it was necessary to redeem this art in order to convey the gospel. By tradition, Thai performers have to pay respect to the spirits of the teachers who had handed down the art. The musical instruments that accompany the dance have a magical aura about them. Before every performance, the dancers, actors and musicians must put their hands together in a prayer-like manner, which the Thai call a wai, to pay respect to the spirit teacher. In their belief, the kru (teacher) includes all teachers, going back to the spirit teacher who originated and still controls the art form. This ceremony is called Wai Kru. When some of the artists were asked about this, they said that they did this to show respect and gratitude; many also believed there could be punishment if they did not follow the custom. Many reported seeing artists actually possessed by spirits when they performed this ceremony.

L. Allan Eubank founded the Christian Communications Institute (CCI) in 1981 and served as director for fourteen years. He and his family have served as missionaries in Thailand for forty-five years. They have worked in rural evangelism and church planting.