Syncretism is a word not found in Scripture, but it well describes a theme found throughout the Bible. Understanding the concept of syncretism will better prepare us for the proclamation and defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Understanding Syncretism

Syncretism is the combination or synthesis of two or more different religions or philosophies. Syncretism happens in Christian missions when people profess Christ by believing an altered version of the gospel message that lines up with their previous beliefs.

This tendency towards syncretism is a natural response to the Gospel. Some reject the Gospel completely. Others want to accept only part of the Gospel, merging specific aspects of it to fit their own ideas. This should not surprise us.

Romans 3:10-11 tells us, “As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks after God.” [1]

1 Corinthians 2:14 adds, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Carefulness in evangelism is crucial. There is a strong tendency by sinful people to redesign the Gospel to match their own desires and values. The natural man has no desire for the true Gospel of Jesus Christ apart from a work of God’s grace. This is why we pray for God’s Spirit to work in hearts!

The Danger of Syncretism

Because syncretism is the mixing of one faith/belief system with another, it is mixing two things that aren’t supposed to go together. It is not rejection of one system of faith for another, but acceptance of parts of both, creating a hybrid.

Every culture is predisposed to this. We absolutely must understand the culture where we serve in order to be aware of these tendencies.

Cambodians were well-versed in syncretism before Christianity came along. They have combined Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, and animism to come up with their current religion, described as Folk Buddhism. Many add Chinese ancestor worship to this. It is not a big step for them to do the same with Christianity—hence, the Cambodian version of the prosperity gospel.

Satan is masterful at encouraging sinful people to select parts of God’s revelation to believe or reject. Truth mixed with error in the name of Christianity is the way of the Devil. Everywhere the Gospel is proclaimed, syncretism is a constant threat.

Examples of syncretism today

I asked several pastors and cross-cultural missionaries around the world to explain how syncretism happens where they serve. Here are some responses:

• Missionary to Taiwan/China: “Chinese religion is all about power—accessing powers around yourself to attain your goals. If you access Jesus’ power, you get food, clothing, shelter. If you access Jesus’ power, you get money, money, money. If you access Jesus’ power, you get health and confidence. There is no concern about sin or devotion to God. Everything is all about praying and receiving.”
• City pastor in South Carolina, USA: “People want therapy and psychological help. The Bible becomes for them a spiritual self-help book to help them with their problems in life.”
• City missionary in South Africa: “We struggle with ‘cultural Christianity.’ Our greatest struggle is competing with churches that offer a cheap substitute for the Gospel. Those churches preach a gospel that offers a crown without a cross, a salvation without repentance and faith in Christ alone for salvation, and no demand for a holy life.”
• City missionary in Austria: “Christian love, according to most perspectives, means that people tolerate everything, including every sin. This is what they would think of as a good person—one who tolerates everything and is not dogmatic about anything. People here claim to be Christians, but they rarely or ever mention Jesus Christ.”

This redesigning of the Gospel (syncretism) is a serious danger everywhere the Gospel is preached! It is especially dangerous on pioneer mission fields where the foundation of the Gospel has not been firmly established.

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Syncretism in the Scriptures

Syncretism in the Old Testament

Israel fell into syncretism at Mount Sinai even while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments. They worshiped a golden calf modeled after pagan religion, calling the image “Yahweh/Jehovah” (Exodus 32). In the law given at Sinai and in revelation following, God warned the people of Israel repeatedly about this danger before they finally entered the land of Canaan.

The Book of Deuteronomy in particular (given immediately before the people of Israel entered into Canaan), is filled with warnings against an apostasy that begins with carelessness regarding God’s truth and the acceptance of any form of idolatry. That is why God said to Israel, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

Combining, not rejecting

Rarely was Israel tempted to forsake Jehovah completely. However, the people frequently tried to serve both Jehovah and false gods simultaneously. The temptation to mix the worship of Jehovah with false gods was far more dangerous to them than outright rejection of Jehovah for another god would have been.

The prophets continually warned of syncretism, but neither Israel nor Judah took these warnings about syncretism seriously most of the time. Many of their kings promoted the worship of Jehovah God along with the worship of false gods.

When the Assyrian empire conquered Israel, they sent Assyrian colonists to live in Samaria. These colonists intentionally syncretized the mixture of idol worship with the worship of Jehovah as good political strategy (2 Kings 17:24-41). Satan sometimes uses politicians to encourage syncretism for their own purposes.

Syncretism in the New Testament

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees for syncretism. He warned about those who would distort God’s truth, calling them “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15).

While never using the term “syncretism,” the Apostles made the danger of syncretism one of their main themes in the Epistles. Guarding the Gospel of Jesus Christ is clearly one of the crucial duties of the church as “a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Church leaders are called upon to “guard the deposit entrusted” to them (1 Timothy 6:20) and to “rebuke those that contradict sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9). We are taught that loving church discipline must be carried out against those who spread false teaching (1 Corinthians 5; 2 John).

Every distortion of the Gospel is syncretism, for it either adds to or subtracts from biblical Christianity (Revelation 22:18-19). It is heartbreaking to realize that major religions in the world today are hybrids of biblical Christianity mixed with all kinds of aberrant ideas: Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roman Catholicism, and even Islam, among others.

Engage in the Battle

All pastors and missionaries—no matter the cultural situation or level of economic and technological development where they serve—must fight syncretism. We are in a battle of life and death for the souls of men and women. Satan is doing all that he can to create confusion about the Gospel and distort it everywhere it is proclaimed. This warfare will always be true. Rather than simply complaining about this state of affairs, let’s embrace our calling to guard the Gospel of Jesus Christ by staying alert to the ever-present danger of syncretism, rebuking it, and faithfully proclaiming God’s message.

 

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