In Myanmar, “how do we as Christians respond?”

In Myanmar, “how do we as Christians respond?”
msc
Fri, 07/17/2026 - 13:11
On 16 July, Prof. Dr Seng Ja Layang, professor of New Testament at the Kachin Theological College and Seminary (Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar), shared her perspective with a lecture on the political situation in Myanmar and the role of Christians in that context.
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Photo: Gregoire de Fombelle/WCC
She was accompanied by and introduced by Prof. Dr Hans-Peter Grosshans (University of M ü nster). During his introduction, he asked a key question that Layang then explored: “ What does it mean to love the neighbor in a contested context? ”
Layang opened with photos of the Kachin Theological College and Seminary, located in the northern part of Myanmar. She is known for her work on Kachin contextual theology, biblical hermeneutics, and sociopolitical discourse.
“ We train our students, despite missile and air drone attacks from the military, ” she said, describing how, geographically, Myanmar is located at the boarder of China and India. “ We live with the most powerful country close by—but nothing helpful comes from them. ”
She spoke out…



