Holy Things: The Genealogy of the Sacred in Thai Religion

Scholars of religion have mostly abandoned the concept of ＂syncretism＂ in which certain apparent deviations from ＂standard＂ practice are believed to be the result of a mixture of religions. This is particularly relevant to Thailand, in which ordinary religious practice was seen by an earlier generation of scholars as a mixture of three religions: local spirit religion, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In part, the perception that Thai Buddhism is syncretistic is due to a misunderstanding of traditional Buddhism, which has always accepted the existence of local spirits and gods. Nevertheless, there are aspects of Thai Buddhist practice that still stubbornly appear syncretistic. Moreover, Thai Buddhists themselves are increasingly adopting the language of syncretism, referring to traditional Thai religion as a mixture of local, Hindu, and Buddhist practices. This raises the question: If syncretism is so wrong, then why does it seem so right?

In Holy Things, Nathan McGovern answers this question through an in-depth study of the worship of spirits, gods, and Buddha images--all known as sing saksit, or ＂holy things＂--in Thailand. He takes the reader on a historical and genealogical journey, showing how the category saksit began as a term to describe a power that is inherent to gods and spirits and accessible to Brahmans. Only later, when it was used in the nineteenth century to translate the Western concept of the ＂holy＂ did it become associated with Buddhist practice. McGovern shows that what appears to be syncretism is actually an illusion. The worship of ＂holy things＂ is not a mixture of different religions, but the category of ＂holy things＂ is a mixture of different ways of talking about religion.

Nathan McGovern is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is the author of The Snake and the Mongoose (2019), a study of the emergence of religious identities in ancient India. He has also published numerous articles on the intersection between Buddhism and Hinduism in ancient India and in Thailand.