From breakpoint.org
Syncretism (noun): “the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought…
Syncretism can happen right where we live. We can attach materialism—consumerist or philosophical—to our Christian beliefs. It's easy to do; in fact, it takes intentional effort to prevent that from happening.
I think if you were to ask cross-cultural missionaries how they deal with syncretism, they would tell it's important to understand the local culture's beliefs and practices well enough to be able to recognize what is good, and to identify and define what is not. It helps to be able to name the error.
Far more than that, though, they would emphasize knowing the truth, and knowing the True One. The truth is the Gospel of the Kingdom; the True One is the King. The truth is the weapon of knowledge and understanding against syncretistic errors; the True One is the One who holds and exercises the power to dislodge and correct error.
Those are the same defenses we can bring against syncretism where we live: knowing what is good in our culture so we can embrace it; understanding what is not so that we can avoid it; and above all pursuing the truth in Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself.
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