Tea House Conversations
Jesus and the Tibetan World
“It is hardly possible to take in a new idea except in terms of ideas we already have.”
Bon – The not so indigenous religion of Tibet
When I first traveled to Tibet, my Tibetan teachers and friends taught me that Bon was the indigenous religion of Tibet. According to them, Bon gradually absorbed Buddhist ideas and practices over the centuries, evolving into a tradition that, today, closely resembles...
Paul’s guide to bridge-building with other faiths – “DEAR”
“What is this babbler trying to say? He seems to be advocating foreign gods,” (Acts 17:18 NIV). I imagine many Christians over the centuries have had a similar reception as the Apostle Paul when he tried to share the gospel with the Athenians. The Book of Acts...
Folk Religion in Old Tibet
While many believe Bon to be Tibet's indigenous pre-Buddhist religion, recent scholarship suggests a more nuanced picture (Kvaerne & Rinzin Targyal, 1993; Miner, 2024). Believing that Bon is Tibet’s indigenous religion links Bon to the core of Tibetan identity,...
The three religious streams of Tibet
Many are familiar with the history of Tibetan Buddhism; fewer understand the other religious streams in Tibet. Several years ago when I began to seriously study the religions of early Tibet, I found that I was woefully out of touch with the thinking of modern...
Beyond cultural imperialism: Affirming indigenous agency
Several years ago, I had a conversation with a Buddhist Westerner. In the course of our discussion, he expressed a firm belief that Christians should refrain from proselytizing among Tibetans. Curious, I asked him about his own journey to Buddhism, considering he was...