The Encounter of Christianity With The Old Religion of Minahasa

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to carry out an in-depth analysis of the encounter between Christianity and the old Minahasa religion. The problems that arise related to the revival and re-existence of old Minahasa beliefs affect the faith of congregation members in Minahasa today. Christianity has been embraced by the Minahasa people since 1831 and has transformed Minahasa culture. The way to transform it is through the preaching of the Gospel and Christian religious education. The research method used to solve this problem is a qualitative research method with stages of collecting scientifically tested literature exploration such as books and journals, without ignoring field data. Through this discussion, the author offers a new perspective that the old Minahasan religion needs to be studied critically and constructively to highlight the local wisdom contained in it in order to enrich theological efforts within the Evangelical Christian Church in Minahasa. The author's thesis is that the manguni bird is a form of local Minahasa cultural wisdom, enriching the theological efforts of GMIM congregation members. The author then differentiated this thesis in depth with the following systematics: First, the religion of the Minahasa tribe, Second, the entry of Christianity in Minahasa, Third, the encounter of Christianity with the religion of the Minahasa tribe, Fourth, GMIM theology in its service. The end of this article is a conclusion which confirms that the goals have been achieved and problems have been answered.