Occultism, Ancestral Traditions, and Faith Struggles among Banua Niha Keriso Protestan (BNKP) Congregations from the Perspective of Christian Religious Education Psychology

Abstrak

The intersection of Christian faith, ancestral traditions, and occult practices represents a multidimensional issue that cannot be adequately understood as a purely doctrinal problem. Within Banua Niha Keriso Protestan (BNKP) congregations, this issue intersects with Nias cultural identity, experiences of crisis, fear, anxiety, grief, the need for security, social learning, and faith internalization. This study aims to analyze the relationship between occultism, ancestral traditions, and faith struggles among BNKP congregations and to formulate the contribution of the Christian Religious Education Psychology to contextual education and pastoral accompaniment. A qualitative approach was employed through library research, using qualitative-interpretive thematic content analysis of biblical sources, church documents, academic books, journal articles, and studies concerning BNKP, Nias culture, psychology of religion, and Christian Religious Education. The analysis was informed by contextual theology, Stress, Appraisal, and Coping theory, religious coping theory, Social Learning Theory, and faith development theory. The findings indicate that ancestral traditions should not be equated with occultism; distinguishing between them requires attention to meaning, function, belief, and spiritual orientation. Faith struggles may be intensified by psychological pressures and gaps between religious knowledge, internalization, and practice. The novelty of this study lies in integrating theology, Nias cultural studies, psychology, education, and pastoral care within the Christian Religious Education Psychology, while proposing a contextual faith education model based on Outcome-Based Christian Education (OBCE). The model connects cultural understanding, identification of psychological needs, theological discernment, faith education, faith internalization, and pastoral accompaniment toward transformative congregational life.