From Deqanin to God: the Study of the Mass Conversion of Kalibuan Bunun to Christianty in 1950's

• Main Authors: Ying-Chuan, Hung, 洪膺詮
• Other Authors: Hsing-Kuang, Chao
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/84597306088674554956

碩士 === 東海大學 === 宗教研究所 === 97 === Abstract This paper explores the mass conversion to Protestantism in the Bunun during 1950s from three perspectives: social change, religious organization, and ethnic culture. The field of study located at Kalibuan Bunun in Sinyi Township, Nantou County. Because more than 90% of Kalibuan belong to the Presbyterian Church, the mass conversion mentioned in this study only focused on the Presbyterian. Firstly, I reviewed the recent literature of mass conversions in order to build the research framework. Then, I collected the analytical historical materials from the Aborigine control policies of the Japanese colonial authorities, the Aborigine policies of the KMT government, and the history of missionary by the Taiwan Presbyterian Church. Finally, I used the field investigation method to collect the individual opinion of conversion to Protestantism in Kalibuan Bunun. Many studies about mass conversion in the Bunun have revealed that the Japanese colonial governmentality is the most important force to change the economic production methods, lifestyles, and to halt the traditional religious ceremonies after the Wushe Incident. Until World War II, Christian groups allowed entering the mountainous regions to do evanpalism, providing medical and material aid which led to the mass conversion in the Bunun. Other scholars insisted that the Bunun mass conversion to the Presbyterian was due to the fact that the Presbyterian Church trained the Bunun to become the missionaries. However, this research found that the Japanese colonial government’s Aboriginal policies indeed brought social changes to Kalibuan, but didn’t force them to abandon their traditional religion, and they still privately held traditional ceremonies until the time of their mass conversion to Christianity. The Bunun missionaries from Hualien were the key persons who make the Presbyterian Church to convert Kalibuan successfully. They use the “superstition vs. civilization” discourse, which prevailing by the Japanese colonial assimilative education, to devalue the traditional beliefs as superstitions, instead of the Protestantism as a civilized religion. They also interpreted the Christian God as the creator of the Bunun’s traditional deity, “Deqanin”. That made the Kalibuan Bunun willing to convert to Protestantism. The Kalibuan Bunun who have converted first may become the leaders and influence the vonversion of the Kalibuan Bununs.