Reaching Animists for Christ

2012-08-10

One cannot undo all of the animist’s thinking overnight in most cases. They have a different language and a different culture. It is imperative to know both language and culture in order to communicate the deep truths of the Bible. Knowing the specifics of their animistic rituals will also allow a Christian to use Biblical truths to speak specifically to their worldview. In the process of learning from them and respecting them, the Christian will build relationships with people, and therefore trust.

The framework to best teach animistic people Biblical truth is teaching through the Bible chronologically, using the stories from the Old Testament that best speak to their worldview. The creation of the world by God ex nihilo, God’s ownership of and power over the world, the fall of humankind, and the promise of the coming Redeemer are imperative to include, because animists do not have concepts of these things. This preparatory work will greatly aid the Christian when communicating the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for the world and his rising from the dead. A total supplanting of a person’s worldview must take place so they can see their condition before the God that will come and judge the world.