Animism

Our team leaders have assigned several readings to help us prepare for this trip. The ones this week were heavy and sobering. Like many tribal cultures, Uganda has many animistic beliefs. While I'll never fully comprehend what this all entails, I do know that it leads to beliefs that involve, among other horrid things, child sacrifice.

Before reading the first article, entitled, Animism: The Religion of the Tribal World (International Journal of Frontier Missions Vol. 15:2), I thought animism referred to something having to do with animals being sacred. I was off by quite a bit.

"The term "animism" comes from the Latin word anima, which empowers or gives life to something. It follows, then, that animism is the religion that sees the physical world as interpenetrated by spiritual forces-both personal and impersonal-to the extent that objects carry spiritual significance and events have spiritual causes."

You don't have to be going to Uganda for a mission's trip for this to be an important topic of study. This is a persuasive religion that is appealing to many. While religions can make God out to be a distant and abstract being up in the sky, animism brings it down to earth in a way that can fill a "spiritual void that calls out to be filled."

Attractions of Animism:

1. It infuses the sacred into a reality that has been emptied of anything spiritual by the scientific/evolutionary perspective.

2. It offers a way to cope with everyday needs: healing, jobs, excelling in school, restoring relationships, finding a mate, and gaining guidance for the future.

"We have all experienced those times when God seemed silent and distant and when His apparent lack of action leaves us feeling helpless. The feeling that God is distant and that He does not care what might overtake us after hearing the news that one has cancer, or after experiencing the death of a child, or being laid off from a job. At such times we become desperate, and we are tempted to grab for something that works--anything that will give us the power to get us out of our suffering or to fix what is wrong. Animism promises such power...To the extent that we seek to manipulate spiritual powers-including seeking God for the "quick fix" or for our personal benefit-we are coming from an animistic rather than a biblical perspective. In that sense, we all have animistic tendencies."

Animistic Beliefs and Practices:

1. One God and the Many Spirits: For animists, their supreme being is so far removed from their earthly lives, that it uses intermediate spirits to do his will and serve as his representatives, but the supreme being himself cannot be known directly.

2. The Ultimate/Immediate Division: Animists view Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc. as religions dealing with the ultimate questions of life and death. However, when it comes to every day life, they turn to their animist beliefs. Therefore, people can be a practicing Catholic, but still consulting a shaman (an animistic priest) for healing, etc.

3. The Spiritual Realm: According to animism, the spiritual realm consists of personal spirit-beings and an impersonal spiritual energy.

4. Personal Spirit-Beings: There are two kinds of spirit-beings, thoat that have been embodied (such as deceased ancestors) and those that have not (spirits and gods).

5. Impersonal Spiritual Force: "...An impersonal spiritual energy infuses special objects, words, and rituals. Such energy gives these objects the power that people need to accomplish their desires."

6. Concept of Sin: Cause and effect. Animists certainly don't want to offend local spirits. "Animists live in contiunal fear of these spiritual powers."

After giving this brief overview of the animistic beliefs, the article went on to share some important way Christians, missionaries in particular, should respond. I think the number 1 warning is to not scoff at their beliefs. Some parts of Western Christianity nearly dismiss the entire idea of the spirit world and this is unbiblical. The chart below helps point out some of the simililarities/differences of animism and Christianity and may be a helpful starting point:

Bottom line: Christ sent His son to Earth, a man, living in the flesh, to give His life for us. A "one and for all" type deal. Not something we continuously have to live in fear of losing or have to sacrifice in order to maintain. A free gift of grace.

Suggestions for Missions:

1. Be sensitive to the Animists' Perspective

2. Be aware of the influence of secularistic thinking in our lives

3. Find common ground

4. Highlight the differences

5. Trusting in God alone

6. God works in mighty ways--seek guidance from the Holy Spirit!

7. In relationship with God

8. Address their fears: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) and "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

9. Who is Christ and who are we to Him: Jesus triumphs over demons over and over in the Bible

10. The deceptive nature of the spirits

"In conclusion...Satan will not let go of those in his kingdom without a struggle. So be prepared in your own life to do spiritual battle when witnessing to animists. Have others pray for you and with you."

I hope this gave you a small understanding of what animism entails. My next post I'll talk a bit more about the way they carry out these beliefs.