Even if you don’t know what it means, the word “syncretism” sounds a bit suspicious\u2014one of those scary “-isms” that you know you’re supposed to reject just because. Why would we even bring up the subject of syncretism? We bring it up because this scary thing we call syncretism is not an isolated problem that foreign missionaries have to confront. It’s a widespread problem with its victims sitting in your pews, living in your community, and standing in desperate need of truth\u2014absolute truth.<\/p>\n
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The dictionary definition of “syncretism” is as follows: \u00a0“the amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.” The Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions explains, “traditionally among Christians [syncretism] has been used of the replacement or dilution of the essential truths of the gospel through the incorporation of non-Christian elements.” So is this something like mixing a bit of voodoo chant with a church service? Or does it hit closer to home?<\/p>\n
I’m in the highlands of Madagascar, spreading the gospel among the people. I am speaking with a man who is educated, cultured, and well-to-do. He is knowledgeable about Christianity, but he is also steeped in the paganism of Madagascar’s traditional religions. To him, the two religious systems are equally valid. He selects a few of the nice features of Christianity by which to live his life. Then, of course, he abides by a few of the taboos of his ancestors, and holds a pagan ceremony (famadihana<\/a><\/em>) ever few years…just in case. For my Malagasy friend, traditional religion and Christianity are just part of his life’s spirituality. Neither one is superior. Both are good.<\/p>\n Fastforward a few months. Now, I’m in the Southeast of the United States. This is Bible Belt territory.\u00a0The smell of marijuana\u2014sickly sweet and unforgettable\u2014clung to the porch where I was standing. I was listening to a man talk: \u201cI love Jesus\u00a0and <\/em>I love to get high.\u201d The man talking to me was busy with his fingers, rolling the marijuana into cigarettes.\u00a0I didn\u2019t come to bust up a drag weed party. I came to tell these people about Jesus. And like other pushers, hookers, child molesters, and criminals that I\u2019ve met, they were born again believers. Or so they claimed.<\/p>\n I am not the judge of hearts. I do not know who is saved and who is not.<\/p>\n What I do know is simple:\u00a0 Jesus will not be syncretized. Jesus is King. Jesus is sovereign. Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is the Life. Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus is Lord.<\/p>\n The problem of syncretism isn\u2019t unique to African animists or Asian Buddhists who want Jesus plus their false gods. The problem of syncretism is a worldwide highway to condemnation. I am grieved over the blindness and hardened hearts of sinful people. What they need to hear is the Good News of Jesus\u2014the One who will deliver them. This Jesus\u2014this Loving Savior, this compassionate Friend, this God-Man\u2014He will not be syncretized.<\/p>\n Syncretism isn’t a brand new development in the course of human history. In fact, it’s part of the story of human history itself. The history of the ancient Israelites is a history of their defilement with idolatry\u2014corrupting the practice of Yahweh worship by building high places to the Baals. We see syncretism in the dawn of the Christian church, when philosophers mixed their lofty philosophy with the claims of the Jesus way. Soon, Christianity was tangled in the mire of gnosticism, Arianism, and various other deviations. Sure, there was plenty of Christian-sounding talk, but it was mixed\u2014syncretized\u2014with the other stuff.<\/p>\nSyncretism: As Old as Human History<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Syncretism: Coming to a Random Person Near You<\/strong><\/h3>\n