I have encountered Folk Islam while working in Indonesia alongside two of my favorite ministry partners.

Initially, I did not realize it was so prevalent throughout the Islamic world (upwards of 70% at the time of this article). As I thought about this, I also came to another conclusion; Animism is to Islam, what New-Age/Universalism is to Christianity. This concept of folk Islam should not be foreign, in a lot of ways much of the “Christian world” practices or believes in a folk Christianity. Both religious groups do so without really knowing it, and continue to do so until challenged, so the retort is often with strict fundamentalism/religious conviction.

As Paul writes in Colossians 2:8, people are at risk of being “held captive” by these false things. Thankfully, there is for all peoples, folk Christians or folk Muslims, freedom in Christ (Luke 4:18). If we see that in a lot of ways we (and the “Christian” communities around us) are no different from the folk Muslims, we may better bridge the gap of understanding their bondage. In fact, we all need freedom in Christ!

I have come to realize, we engage with the “powers of darkness” via power, truth and cultural encounters. Being raised in a “conservative charismatic” home, I have always had an appreciation and rough understanding of the spirit world (and specifically of the Holy Spirit) but it was often focused too much on experience and emotion (“feeling” the Holy Spirit move during an exceptionally “good” worship service, for instance.)

Thankfully, As I have matured, I have a better theology of these things, and have come to know the Spirit as a Person of the Trinity not an unknowable power source to be wielded in battle.

“The Holy Spirit is deeply concerned with the Muslim believers we are to engage with, and we go to battle against their spiritual oppressors, in His power not by it.“

I am deeply encouraged by truth encounters, realizing the importance of not just the “healing” but also the “proclamation” of truth, as Christ did in Matthew 8:16. I clearly see the need to help folk Muslims move from practicing their old ways to God glorifying ways through “critical contextualization” (adopt, transform, reject). I see that I have a tendency to lean towards power encounters, to want to see them and experience them (and if I don’t, I may be discouraged). I see how my “flesh” makes me think I can be manipulative and convincing through cultural encounters (what I can do, not focusing on what God can do through my obedience and His wisdom) and I realize I need to pray for opportunity to act and deliver faithfully in and through truth encounters (to preach a Gospel that is not tainted by my own folksiness). Acknowledging these realities, I have much need for prayer!

The Honor-Shame paradigm is fascinating. As a veteran of the military (US Coast Guard) I am thankful for the opportunity to have experienced communal honor and shame. I have had the joy of “unit citations’ ‘ and being “thanked for my service” as individuals praised the “coast guard” for what we do. Even though I never personally saved a life in the coast guard, everyone honors the profession. It’s similar to being a firefighter, where the saying is “your only as good as your last fire”. If you do good, everyone praises you, if you mess up, everyone shames you (especially other firefighters!). Likewise, the world see’s Muslims, and passes judgment (and shame) on them based on their most recent history (not for all the wonderful achievements of the Arab world).

It saddens my heart to think one of the wedges driven between Muslims and the west is how much we have shamed them. We “make fun” of them through popular tv shows/movies. We have false stereotypes which are propagated through shaming jokes. After 9/11 all Muslims were terrorists according to the western masses. Truly, we are all ashamed before God until He honors us via “Isa al-Mesih” honor which he covers us in! I think this is a great reminder for how we should engage with the Muslim community, pointing them to the highest of all Honors to be an image bearer of the all honor bearing God!

“We need to be very sensitive to how we frame our conversations to not talk down to them or their religion, but rather point them to God who destroys shame forever.”

Thinking of these “realities”, I want to teach you how to present the gospel to a Folk Muslim in the confines of a honor/shame framework, but with an emphasis on being made into a great “Allah honoring image bearer” free from shameful practices by the power of and freedom in following Isa.

Again, this is my means to do so, and I pray you consider your own way in which the Spirit leads.

Allah created everything, and He did so for his Honor and glory. He created humans to Honor Him and Worship Him, and to be representative of His High Honor on Earth. Sadly, Satan is an evil deceiver, and he tricked humans away from Allah’s honor, falsely promising they could be like Allah! They shamefully did so and broke Allah’s law, and in so doing had to be removed from the Honor of living beside Allah’s in His kingdom, forced from their original community with Him in the Garden. They now lived in Satan’s kingdom. They became less like Allah, and couldn’t do anything in themselves to get back to Allahs. They felt scared, and vulnerable so they pursued the lesser powers of the spirits and demons, who led them to do shameful things and made them more entangled with sin. The world became very evil. However, one man had great faith in Allah, and he brought much Honor to His family. He was the prophet Noah. Allah destroyed all of creation with a flood, to purify it, to cleanse it of the shame of humanity, but He saved the Prophet Noah and his family. The prophet wasn’t perfect, only Allah is perfect, but Allah honored Him because of His family’s faith and obedience. Allah chose him and promised the Prophet Noah that he would judge all humanity again for their shameful ways, for pursuing other gods, idols, spirits and sources of power outside of Him. But He also promised to Honor those who followed Him, and obeyed His laws, those that sought the true path of salvation. Many great prophets tried to follow Allah, to achieve His Honor. But like the prophet Noah, none were as perfect as Allah himself. Just like you and I, they were far from displaying Allah’s honor. We are not only filthy, and unworthy, but we are also still captive, prisoners of Satan and his demons as we struggle to live every day in Satan’s kingdom. He is still lying to us, having us trade Allah’s honor for His shameful ways. Thankfully, Isa al masih is better than the prophet Noah. He was, and is perfect, and brings much Honor to Allah because of His love for Allah and other people, for his faith and obedience. Isa said he would set Allah’s followers free from Satan’s shame, if they turned away from following him and his demons. Isa said he was the way back to Allah. Just like Allah purified creation, and made a new creation through the flood. Isa took your shame upon himself, and purified you, to give you Allah’s honor. He is the only one able to purify us. Isa undeservingly died a shameful death, so we could live again in the presence of Allah’s honor and glory. We must stop trusting the lies of Satan and his demons. We must surrender again to Allah’s Kingdom. We must turn around and move from darkness to light. To receive a new life in Him!-

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