| Alexandra Swink

As concert attendees encounter spirituality at concerts, they look for the source of its happenstance; therefore, the role of the musician transitions to one of a spiritual guide. As spiritual guides, they are charged with the responsibility to care for and guide the crowd. Some musicians act as a spiritual guide for the betterment of those attending their concert, while others take advantage of the power given to them. For example, the lead singer of the band Live, Ed Kowalczyk, was a Tibetan Buddhist who performed with powerful energy. His songs relayed his “own theological and spiritual thoughts and experiences,” which formulated energy among the crowds that was not always one of fourishing.19 Kowalczyk is criticized for using this energy unwisely and with a lack of respect, which contradicts the use of energy for good that other musicians practice, including Tori Amos. Amos claims to have been taught how to sense energy, shape energy, and use it for growth and understanding.20 The energy that the musicians wield can be used for good or evil, according to spiritual individuals. Wielding and using crowd energy is but one role musicians fll as spiritual guides.

Not only do they have the responsibility to create the mood of a show, but they are also viewed as a source of wisdom and advice. There are times when, “a community relies upon its mystic,” in this case, the musicians, “to bring it new information and enlightenment; although the mystic most often exists on the perimeter of the community, he or she is seen as its spiritual leader.”21 Musicians are placed in the spotlight and constantly observed by fans over their every move. Their infuence in

19 Beth Winegarner, “The Mystic in the Arena.” defning a worthy life hints at the power they are given to disciple people. The concert attendees look toward their music icons for an example to follow on how to act, what to think, and how to live life well. In a sense, “the musician becomes the mystic, leading listeners to bliss, to dark and dangerous places, to enlightenment or disaster. Some musicians know what they are doing, and use their position to create a unity, a group experience; others unknowingly wield this power, some for better, and some for worse.”22

20 Ibid.

21 Ibid.

Erin Bisesti in her article, “The Spirituality in Concerts,” provides the example of Florence from Florence and The Machine as a musician who was viewed as a spiritual guide. Bisesti described the otherworldly qualities of the lead singer’s actions as follows:

She gave fowers to fans on the edge of the General Admissions area and stopped to let people touch her and say hello. I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t really the fan’s reactions that caught me by surprise, it was the way in which they interacted with her. It was reverence over being starstruck, and instead of wanting selfes with her, they really just wanted to reach out and touch her. Everyone was unabashedly worshiping her.23

Florence was a spiritual leader to the concertgoers. She was seen and treated as a higher power that would bring blessing if they could only touch her. At one point during the concert, “the spotlight shone directly on her, almost too bright for the darkness of the stadium and she spread her arms out wide, casting a cross-like shadow across the stage.”24 This is another example of how Bisesti and others have spiritualized musicians,

22 Ibid.

23 Erin Bisesti, “The Spirituality in Concerts.” lifting them into higher positions of power and using Biblical language to describe their infuence. Equally important to their sovereignty is the musicians’ humility. Robshaw writes that it is a musician’s job to use their “connection with people on a heart and soul level, [to show their] humanness . . . showing people they are just like [them]. That . . . rather than priests on pulpits in robes, is what being truly spiritual is all about.”25 To be a spiritual guide is to connect with people in humility with their humanity.

24 Ibid.

In her blog post on rock concerts as a spiritual experience, Robshaw also wrote, “I don’t go to church. For me, a good rock concert is more of a spiritual experience than church.”26 Why do Millennials and Gen Z concert attendees connect spiritually with secular concerts more than they do with the Church and a relationship with God? What is it that secular concerts ofer that Christianity does not? In a world where both the secular and the sacred are vying for attention, what distinguishes mainstream spirituality from religious spirituality?

As previously mentioned, there is a signifcant correlation between music and spirituality. According to a New York Times article, there are also similar health benefts of religious attendance as with listening to music, including a boost in the immune system, a decrease in blood pressure, and an increase in life expectancy.27 Despite the similar health benefts of regular religious attendance and listening to music, there are a variety of things the Church does not ofer that the world of music does, according to the voices of non-Christian

25 Leigh Robshaw, “When Rock Concerts are a Spiritual Experience.”

26 Ibid.

27 Erica Hawkins, “Losing my Religion and Finding Music.” concert attendees. One area where secular concerts provide something over the Church is open dialogue. Many people feel they cannot openly discuss their struggles or addictions without facing ridicule by the Church. In an interview with Kristy Guilbault, Erin Hawkins wrote how Guilbault found she was “able to talk candidly about her anxiety and depression, two topics that her church didn’t seem as comfortable with her sharing.”28 The secular world of music was able to address and discuss uncomfortable topics that the Church was unable or unwilling to discuss.

Self-proclaimed atheist, Kate Ryan, in her article “Here’s Why You Should Ditch Religion And God to More Rock Concerts” on Elite Daily shared her reasons for turning to concerts over religion. To Ryan, spirituality is not as straightforward as some claim it to be, it is instead malleable: “While I don’t believe in some old white dude watching everything I do (creepy) or adhere to any organized religion’s rules, I’m not as godless as you might think.”29 She describes herself as a spiritual person who believes in the bondage of energy between and among people. Ryan believes that the only chance at salvation is through rock concerts, that only music can provide the replenishment the soul needs.30 She uses blunt language that does not shy away from her disdain for organized religion. Ryan fnds her answers to life’s mysteries in music. She describes how the song “Sunday” by Iggy Pop is a song about “feeling apathetic in a spiritually vacant consumer culture with the lyrics that are more truthful than any Bible verse.”31 She concludes her opinion piece by saying, “Neither does the church of rock discriminate based on race, gender, sexuality or class. You go for the pure joy of it, stay

28 Ibid.

29 Kate Ryan, “Here’s Why You Should Ditch Religion.”

30 Ibid.

31 Kate Ryan, “Here’s Why You Should Ditch Religion.” for the transformative sounds and leave with a renewed sense of humanity’s possibility.”

32 Essentially, to Ryan, the “church of rock” ofers a freedom of expression, support of identity, and joy unlike what the Church of Christ can ofer. Through music, this population feels they can talk about their issues openly and be met with support from an all-inclusive community that understands their struggles. This is what the Church aims to do but is unsuccessful in implementing, which is why young people are turning to other communities for acceptance and answers.

After assessing the socio-cultural meanings between spirituality and secular concert experiences, this next section will engage with the material to analyze the theological connections. It will draw connections between theological themes Millennial and Gen Z concertgoers experience and address the truth behind the theological themes found in Christianity. This section will critique the spiritual claims of secular concert experiences and describe the theological truths of Christianity to counteract those claims. This section will argue that the concepts of community and discipleship are best understood in theological terms within the context of a relationship with Christ found in Christianity instead of in secular concert culture.

As previously mentioned, unity in community is a signifcant marker of secular concert culture. Through the secular concert community, individuals become more comfortable with their identity and feel accepted by a diverse group that resonates with their challenges in life. The community surrounding secular concert culture is beautiful; however, it is not a complete image. Christian communities grounded in Scripture that step into the will of God in His already-not-yet kingdom and are unifed under one identity as children of God are the best examples of a community right with God. God created people to be with one another in community.

In the beginning, Eve was created from Adam because it was “not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). God saw it was not good for Adam to be alone, so he made Eve so the two could live together in a harmonious community in the garden of Eden. Therefore, from the beginning, God created humans to be social beings. After the Fall, the perfect refection of a godly community was destroyed. The community of humanity would never be the same until the day of Jesus’s second coming, and they continually strove to be God. After the Fall, the people on earth tried to build a tower, the tower of Babel, in an attempt to glorify and make a name for themselves. God saw the accomplishments of these people and their desire to do the impossible, so He scattered them throughout the earth and confused their languages (Gen. 11:1–9). This is arguably where God further developed the concept of diversity within humanity. The scattering of humanity led to a diversity of people, giftings, and perspectives of the faith. Despite the signifcant array of diferences over time between people groups, Christians around the world unite under their identity as children of God: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). God loved his people so much that he sent his Son to solidify their relationship with Him as children of God.

Therefore, the diferences between the children of God are building blocks, not stumbling blocks. In 1 Corinthians 12,

Paul provides an account for the unity and diversity of the body of believers. The frst few verses describe how “just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many” (1 Cor. 12:12–13). Christians are a part of a diverse community of believers whose diferences help build the Church. The diversity of the Church should be a unifying factor as well as something that encourages learning and conversations about the diferent elements of faith. However, in our humanity, Christians have come to hold diferences for what they are: diferences. This broken image of Christian community as one that is not unifed or embracing of the other is why so many young Millennials and Gen Z individuals turn from the Church and run to secular concerts. Therefore, what should be a united, diverse community devoted to a posture of embrace as imaged by the Father from the very beginning, is perceived as intolerant and bigoted by younger generations. To combat this perception, Christians must reclaim the truth of community and live out its standards as outlined by God.

In addition to the concept of community, leadership and discipleship must also be reclaimed to reach the younger generation of secular concert attendees. As previously mentioned, the spiritualization of band members as spiritual leaders who guide their fans in discipleship is a cheap interpretation of the true leadership and discipleship found under God and Christ the Son. The leaders of this world are cheap imitations of the one, true God. The author of 1 Corinthians writes,

So then, about eating food sacrifced to idols: We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one.’ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live (1 Cor. 8:4–6).

Though this passage was a response to the sacrifce of food to idols, Paul reminds the audience of the identity of the one God, the Father, and the one Lord, Jesus Christ. Outside of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is no other god. The musicians of this world are idols and are thus deifed, but there is only one true God and that is God the Father. Similarly, there is only one way to salvation, and that is through Christ the Son.

Kate Ryan described the path toward salvation as one paved by rock concerts; however, this is simply untrue if someone is a Christian. Christians understand that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. John 14:6–7 reminds Christians of this reality: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Jesus is the only way to truth and a life with God the Father. The leaders of this world, including mainstream musicians, will be spiritualized and deifed, thus promoting the idea that following them will bring clarity and salvation. However, Jesus is the only way to salvation and the perfect example of how to live as a holy human being. Jesus was fully God and fully human, and he lived a perfect life that should be modeled. In Matthew 16, Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Christians are charged to deny themselves and follow Jesus’ example, not the examples of this earth. Therefore, those who look to leaders of this world for guidance, including secular musicians, will be led astray since Jesus is the only way to salvation and the only example of how to live a perfect life.

Can the distorted understandings of community, leadership, and discipleship in secular concert culture be redeemed? Can God work through secular music to reveal the Gospel and the story of his love to non-Christians? In short, if God can draw people toward him through creation and revelation, he can do it through secular music. There is no stopping God. So how can God use his followers to engage this population and preach the gospel in a non-intrusive way? This fnal section will suggest ways that Christians can engage with this population to ultimately share the Good News. It will frst focus on the role of the local Church in worship services and then move on to suggest ways that Christian musicians in the secular music industry can share the gospel in word and deed.

One of the biggest ways Christians can engage with and teach the truth of the Gospel to Millennial and Gen Z religious “nones” who fnd their community at concerts is through the local church and their worship services. The local Church provides an opportunity to help this population connect to God through music. However, there has been the temptation within churches to only focus on the mechanics of the musical performance, and they thus lose sight of Jesus along the way.

Modern worship uses similar tools as rock concerts to engage a certain audience; however, an important question to ask is, Does the local church use these tools solely to draw people in? “The truth is that if we only look to draw a crowd, we miss the richness of the process of reaching people with the gospel.”33 A captivating musical worship experience must strive to reach people with the gospel above anything else.

In his article, “5 Ways a Rock Concert is Like a Good Worship Service,” Rich Kirkpatrick shares fve movements in traditional Christian worship and their comparison to rock concerts. These fve movements provide insight as to how the local church can reach non-Christian concert attendees. Kirkpatrick begins by describing the sacrality of the church worship gathering and the concert gathering. Both events are sacred. A band prepares the audience for the night and the sacred atmosphere of the gathering can never be recreated. The same sense of sacrality is evident but sometimes missing from churches. Kirkpatrick encourages his readers to question whether or not they believe worship services are sacred gatherings. He writes, “When we program our digital lighting rig, are we thinking of a holy gathering, or attracting crowds? The transcendent experience of being together with others on a spiritual pilgrimage is our expectation of our gatherings. How do we keep our space holy? . . . Is our aim to attract, as well as create a sacred space?”34 The answers to these questions will guide how a church should engage religious “nones.” If the answer to these questions focuses solely on the captivation of a crowd without fostering sacrality that leads to an admiration of God and experiencing intimacy with Him, then churches are missing the point. Churches must develop their worship services with the hope of fostering a sacred space and holy gathering.

33 Rich Kirkpatrick, “5 Ways a Rock Concert is Like a Good Worship Service,” ShareFaith Magazine, (2016), https://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2016/12/rockconcert-worship-service/.

34 Ibid.

The second movement in traditional Christian worship and its comparison to rock concerts considers the power of stories. Kirkpatrick asks, “In our worship, do we call people to see themselves before God as they are? At a good concert, the artist sings songs with stories that we all can personally relate to . . . Our core self connects to the story, and we are exposed in a spiritual sense.”35 Church worship services have moved from meeting people where they are to expecting appropriate behavior. Now, “in a worship service, often our stories are told in a way to inform how we should behave, rather than reveal our true selves.”36 Kirkpatrick argues that we must encourage people to worship God as they are, to accept themselves as imperfect, and worship the God who is perfect. The local church can engage the religious “nones” by eliminating the perception of perfection and embracing the messy reality of humanity.

The third movement assesses the incorporation of inclusivity at church and rock concerts. Similar to the previous movement which discussed the signifcance of authentically embracing people where they are, Kirkpatrick turns to share how the church must not only embrace others but also invite them into the worship experience. A concert brings people closer to an artist, unites them in their identities as fans, and invites them to participate in a sacramental moment. The concert attendees are encouraged to engage with this community and its sacraments. Kirkpatrick asks, “Do we invite people to belong with us and with Christ in our worship? While the ‘table’ ofered at a rock concert is an experience, we invite people to walk in the promise of the presence of our Creator.”37 The local church needs to invite others into the presence of a body of believers and the Creator to best engage the religious “nones” in a conversation on the gospel. However, Christians must also not negate the power of going outside the church to be a witness to non-Christians in the public sphere. There must be both the invitation into the church and the sending out of the church.

The fnal two movements analyze initiation and missional living. Initiation implies an invitation into a group and something that solidifes a sense of belonging. Within Christianity, baptism serves as an event that solidifes a relationship with God. For the secular concert culture, “When you belong to the tribe of a particular band, the mission is to let others know about the experience that band gave you. The mission of a rock band essentially is not to draw a crowd, but to serve the crowd by ofering a fantastic and authentic experience.”38 Sharing is a knee-jerk response to a life-altering event. Therefore, in Christianity, followers of Christ share the Good News as an outpouring of love and obedience to a loving God. The challenge for the local church, then, is to express the signifcance of baptism and share the Good News about God to others as an outpouring of love and obedience to Him.

Kirkpatrick summarizes the role of the local church in engaging the secular music audience: “The experience of our Christian worship is deeper because of who we gather to meet with. Imagine if we could be and bring our true selves to a sacred place. And, imagine if we add to that meeting with Christ.”39

Experiences in Christian worship are deepened by the shared sacred atmosphere among Christ-followers as they encounter God.

Another way to engage with the Millennial and Gen Z religious “nones” is for popular Christian musicians to serve as witnesses of the gospel in the secular music industry. There is a need for a ministry that teaches those in the secular music industry about the gospel. Christian musicians can use their platform to witness to the people around them, including their bandmates and audience. All Christians are called to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, including those in the music industry. When making disciples and sharing the Good News, it does not necessarily mean Christian musicians must stay under a contract with a Christian label. Christian musicians, or in some cases, musicians who are Christian, can and should produce music in the secular music industry.

One example of a band that have recorded under both a mainstream and Christian record label is Switchfoot. Switchfoot “released their frst album, The Legend of Chin, as one of the frst bands signed to Rethink Records, a label formed to distribute the work of Christian musicians beyond a strictly Christian audience. Soon after, Rethink Records was bought out by Sparrow Records, a staple in the Christian music market.”40 At frst, Switchfoot was a part of the record label, Rethink Records, which was intentional about producing music that individuals outside of the typical Christian audience would enjoy. Then Rethink Records was bought and run by the Christian label, Sparrow Records, which only released Switchfoot’s music to Christian vendors and to radio stations that catered to a Christian audience. The lead singer of Switchfoot, Jon Foreman, commented, “When Sparrow bought out Rethink, half of who we were was lost . . . As a Christian, I have a lot to say within the walls of the church. But also, as a Christian, I’ve got a lot to say just about life in general.’”41 Foreman did not want to be stuck under a label that produced Christian music solely for a Christian audience. He understood the signifcance of reaching religious “nones” with his relatable music that happened to have theological underpinnings.

40 Ronald F. Barnett, “The Rise of the Christian-Secular Band. Veritas, October 11, 2015, https://veritas.enc.edu/2015/10/11/rise-christian-secular-band/.

Another strong example of a band with Christian members that produces music in the secular world is Twenty One Pilots. Twenty One Pilots is an extremely popular alternative hip hop music duo that most listeners would not realize were Christians. Twenty One Pilots is popular in large for their relatability on mental health issues. The masses are drawn to their music because they can relate to the words. Twenty One Pilots creates music that discusses themes like depression and insecurities while also emphasizing hope. What makes Twenty One Pilots diferent from other Christian musicians performing in the secular music realm is their attitude on explicitly sharing their religious beliefs in music. The lead singer, Tyler Joseph, said, “We don’t want to get on stage and tell people what they should believe . . . We want you to think . . . to fgure out these questions. If any one person was helped or encouraged in any way by our music, then our careers are completely justifed.”42 They could be critiqued for not using their platform to fulfll their calling of the Great Commission, but their posture of presenting the material and letting others fgure out the meaning for themselves is commendable. Often, Millennials and Gen Z individuals do not want to be told what to believe, as they were subject to that growing up. Instead, they 41 want to fgure out the truth for themselves, so as they analyze the meanings behind Twenty One Pilot songs, they will fnd truths from the Gospel.

Many bands that have Christian members do not want to be labeled as a “Christian band” because it puts them in a box and most non-Christians would immediately change the channel. Some people “see a band labeled as a ‘Christian band’ and decide they don’t want to listen to them because they’re Christian. So . . . some of these bands decide not to label themselves ‘Christian’ in order to reach another group of people.’”43 Being involved in the public realm, then, opens up conversations to people who have not heard the gospel before. It also provides opportunities for discipleship among band members and songs with implicit theological meanings.

Christian artists can use their platform to minister in an unobtrusive way to their audience, band members, and industry. They can use their platform to produce relatable music that hints at the hope found in Jesus Christ as well as to evangelize to those around them. Christian musicians also step onto the mission feld when they perform in the public realm. Bob Kaufin, in his article “Can Christian Musicians Play Secular Music for God’s Glory,” summarizes it best when he writes, “Christian musicians in the general marketplace have the opportunity to infuence non-Christians not only with their music but with their lives. God may give them opportunities to share the Gospel with others who may never be reached otherwise.”44 The music industry is a unique mission feld that needs more Christian musicians willing to engage with its community members. As they engage with the Millennial and Gen Z religious “nones” concert-goers, they can share how God is the one they experience during concerts, not simply a generic spiritual energy.

43 Ibid.

44 Bob Kaufin, “Can Christian Musicians Play Secular Music for God’s Glory? Worship Matters: Resources for Music, Worship, & More, January 18, 2008, https:// worshipmatters.com/2008/01/18/can-christian-musicians-play-secular-musicfor-gods-glory/.

This paper served to relay the importance of Christian engagement with Millennial and Gen Z religious “none” concert-goers. It frst examined the socio-cultural meaning of spirituality and secular concerts. In this section, the key characteristics of secular concert culture were presented as well as the diference between religion and spirituality, concerts as a spiritual experience looking to the deifcation of band members, and what secular music experiences ofer that the Church does not. The next section took a theological approach to defning and correcting the theological misconceptions of community, leadership, and discipleship among this population. To conclude, the fnal section provided realistic ways that Christians can engage with secular concert attendees, including interactive, intentional local church worship services and by sending popular Christian musicians into the mission feld of the secular music realm. Although there is some evidence that John Lennon may have been correct when he said Christianity will go and essentially be replaced by rock music, Christians must enter the conversation to avoid this trajectory. Christians must enter the secular music world to engage younger generations who have turned from the church and embraced a general spirituality that does not fully bless like a relationship with the Father would.

Barnett, Ronald F. “The Rise of the Christian-Secular Band.” Veritas. October 11, 2015. https://veritas.enc.edu/2015/10/11/ rise-christian-secular-band/.

Bisesti, Eric. “The Spirituality in Concerts: What I discovered at a Florence and The Machine concert.” The Odyssey Online. May 24, 2016. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/ the-spirituality-in-concerts.

de Blot, Paul. “Religion and Spirituality.” In: Bouckaert L., Zsolnai L. (eds) Handbook of Spirituality and Business. (2011). https:// doi.org/10.1057/9780230321458_2.

Graziano, Michael. “Why is Music a Religious Experience.” Hufpost. June 15, 2011. https://www.hufpost.com/entry/ why-is-mozart-a-religious_b_875352.

Hawkins, Eric. “Losing my Religion and Finding Music: After I Stopped Going to Church, Concerts Became My Religious Ritual.” Nylon Magazine. January 4, 2019. https://www. nylon.com/religion-music-concerts.

Kaufin, Bob. “Can Christian Musicians Play Secular Music for God’s Glory?” Worship Matters: Resources for Music, Worship, & More. January 18, 2008. https://worshipmatters. com/2008/01/18/can-christian-musicians-play-secularmusic-for-gods-glory/.

Kirkpatrick, Rich. “5 Ways a Rock Concert is Like a Good Worship Service.” ShareFaith Magazine. 2016. https:// www.sharefaith.com/blog/2016/12/rock-concert-worshipservice/.

Lipka, Michael. “A Closer Look at America’s Rapidly Growing Religious ‘Nones’.” Pew Research Center. May 13, 2015, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/13/acloser-look-at-americas-rapidly-growing-religiousnones/. https://www.elitedaily.com/music/ditch-religion-morerock-concerts/1416547.

Religious Landscape Study. “Younger Millennials: Religious Composition of Younger Millennials.” Pew Research Center. 2014. https://www.pewforum.org/religiouslandscape-study/generational-cohort/youngermillennial/.

Robshaw, Leigh. “When Rock Concerts Are a Spiritual Experience.” March 18, 2013. https://www.leighrobshaw. net/when-rock-concerts-are-a-spiritual-experience/.

Ryan, Kate. “Here’s Why You Should Ditch Religion And God to More Rock Concerts.” Elite Daily. March 10, 2016.

Winegarner, Beth. “The Mystic in the Arena: The Concert as a Spiritual Journey.” Medium. March 10, 2020. https:// bethwinegarner.medium.com/the-mystic-in-the-arenathe-concert-as-a-spiritual-journey-fdc935ce5768.

Hkun Ja

Introduction

February 1, 2021 is an unforgettable yet unpleasant memory for the people of Myanmar. It was the day that the Burmese military, known as Tatmadaw, reclaimed its authoritarian political power by regressing to the practice of military coups already endured by the nation in 1958, 1962, and 1990. On February 2 the military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, created the State Administration Council (SAC), which was comprised of senior military ofcials and a few pro-military politicians to control the state. Meanwhile, Hlaing arrested the democratically elected president, members of parliament, and pro-democracy political leaders and cracked down violently on political parties that opposed the military.

Hkun Ja is a doctoral student in intercultural studies at Asbury

Theological Seminary. He frmly believes peace cannot be achieved by violent means, but only through dialogue and mutual respect. He was involved in the teaching ministry in Myanmar. His ministry in Myanmar included peace and reconciliation, and development work. He was born and raised during the Civil War. He lost his biological father in the Civil War when he was fve years old, and his younger brother was one.

Protests against the coup were not unexpected. But the magnitude of the young protest population and the forms of resistance surprised the Tatmadaw. The resistance was creative and diverse and ranged from peaceful rallies and civil disobedience movements to armed resistance. Initially, the protests were peaceful. Thousands of civilians assembled in streets across the country and demanded for the release of Suu Kyi, ministers, politicians and for the restoration of the NLD government.1 The Tatmadaw responded to the unarmed protesters with shooting and brutal repression.2 More than 1,560 protesters, primarily youths, have been killed under the Tatmadaw’s violent suppression since the beginning of the coup.3

Christians in Myanmar have responded in diferent ways to this military coup, and these reactions can be broadly categorized into four groups. The frst group has cooperated with the Tatmadaw. Many of the leaders of the SAC in Kachin, Karen, Karenni, and Chin States are Christians, and some inner circles of the SAC in the ethnic states are also Christians whose support is largely driven by either their business interests or personal advantages they might receive. The second group is Christians who resisted the Tatmadaw publicly but peacefully. Some protesters were government staf working at diferent departments, although most of them were from health and education ministries. Christian ministers did not emerge into leading roles but instead took supporting roles. However, some pastors in Kachin, Karenni, and Chin States surfaced on the frontlines for a few days but fell into a supporting role. The third group of Christians chose a neutral stance. Many Christians in this group decided to keep their jobs for fnancial security. Others were forced to work with the SAC because the Tatmadaw threatened to harm their family members. Although Christians in this group seem loyal to the Tatmadaw, in reality they do not support the Tatmadaw or the protests. Their main concern is simply to sustain their own lives and the lives of their family members. Some Christians kept silent on the protest due to their frm belief of religious seclusion. The fnal group is Christians who responded to the Tatmadaw with armed resistance.

1 Jason Slokin, “Tens of Thousands Rally in Myanmar Protesting Military Coup,” National Public Radio, February 7, 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/02/07/965097259/ tens-of-thousands-rally-in-myanmar-protesting-military-coup.

2 Helen Regan, and Jessie Yeung, “Myanmar’s military is killing peaceful protesters. Here’s what you need to know,” Cable News Network, March 25, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/16/asia/myanmar-protesting-coup-explainer-intlhnk/index.html.

3 Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, “Political Prisoners Post-Coup,” Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, February 21, 2022, https://aappb.org.

The question remains, therefore, regarding which of the above groups represents the most appropriate response for Christians to these tragic events that have occurred in Myanmar. This paper calls for Christians’ active engagement in responding to the Tatmadaw’s military coup. The paper argues that Christians are to resist this worldly power with the love of Christ rather than retreating entirely from the challenges or confronting them with armed resistance. The response of Jesus Christ toward the Roman Empire with its own military might is a model for contemporary Christians in Myanmar. To support this claim, the present paper will establish the historical context of the recent coup, investigate the continuity of the Tatmadaw’s military power, refect of the variegated reaction of Christians toward the recent coup, and draw attention to why Christians in Myanmar should adopt the model of Jesus Christ in responding to the Tatmadaw’s military power.