Fear of death, ignorance of what it is really about, are major contributing factors to dual allegiance and religious syncretism

Abstract

This article examines the phenomenon of Dual Allegiance (DA) and Religious Syncretism (RS) within the context of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church-Nkoroi of Nkoroi District Churches, focusing on the pervasive impact of fear of death and ignorance about the nature of death as they are the principal causative factors. By integrating theological analysis with psychological insights, the study elucidates how misconceptions about death and the afterlife fuel these vices among church members. This study highlights how historical missionary activities sometimes failed to fully address these deep-seated beliefs, leading to a form of Christianity that is intermittently blended with indigenous religious practices, hence practising syncretism and leading a DA Christian life. Ignorance about the Biblical teachings on death leads to DA and RS, as some members turn to animistic or ancestral practices for reassurance against existential threats. It further advocates for an educational approach that emphasises a clear, Biblically grounded eschatology to empower believers with a correct understanding of death, thereby reducing fear and discouraging reliance on syncretic lifestyle and DA practices. This study calls for a strategic pastoral response that includes comprehensive Biblical teaching focused on the genesis and nature of life at creation, death, and what it is, as well as resurrection as central to alleviating DA and RS. It underscores the need for an approach that not only educates but also spiritually moulds church members, enabling them to resist syncretism but instead affirm their allegiance solely to God and sound Biblical-based Christian doctrine in the aforementioned creation, death and what it is and resurrection.