Sacrificing Pigs while Believing in Christ: Glimpses of Life among the Tayal Tribe of Taiwan

Sacrificing Pigs while Believing in Christ:

Glimpses of Life among the Tayal Tribe of Taiwan

by Olivier LARDINOIS

 

Olivier Lardinois has long been devoted to pastoral and research work in the Tayal communities of Hsinchu, developing a profound and nuanced understanding of the historical development and lived impact of Christianity in the region. He not only examines how Christian faith entered and took root in local society, but also observes how the Tayal people navigate and negotiate between tradition and modernity, opening new possibilities amid multiple forms of difficulty. With training in both Catholic theology and cultural anthropology, the author brings to this work a rich dialectical sensitivity to the interplay between the global and the local, the subjective and the objective, and the sacred and the secular. Starting by tracing the historical trajectory of Christianity and the development of (mostly Presbyterian and Catholic) churches in the Hsinchu area, the book explores how Christian belief has reshaped and transformed local understandings of the cosmos and of the human person.

Chapters 4 and 5 address the economic and political challenges faced by local communities, the book does not stop at critique. Rather, it thoughtfully considers whether religious practice might open up alternative forms of economic and political life, thereby responding to the problems generated by capitalism and state governance. Chapters 6 and 7 focus on pig sacrifice rituals and hunting practices, analyzing how these activities function as mechanisms for repairing relationships and fostering healing. The discussion also examines the transformation and reinterpretation of the central Tayal cultural concept of gaga in dialogue with Christianity.

What emerges from this research work is not merely a study of religious conversion, but a portrait of how people reinterpret seemingly objective structural conditions, open new modes of being, and seek to reestablish spiritual and existential grounding amid adversity. In the increasingly complex conditions of contemporary neoliberalism, this book integrates theological and anthropological perspectives to provide a distinctive and insightful framework for the study of indigenous conversion. It will undoubtedly offer important inspiration to scholars in related fields and invite readers from diverse backgrounds into deeper reflection.

Prof. Wang Mei-hsia
Professor and Chair,
Department of Anthropology,
National Taiwan University

 

Language: English

Hardcover: 439 pages

ISBN: 978-626-98785-2-9