Muhammadiyah’s Social Movement to Counter Christianization in Muna Society During the Pre-Independence Period of Indonesia

This research is descriptive-analytical in nature and aims to explain the motives and background of the Muhammadiyah socio-cultural movement in countering the wave of Christianization in Muna prior to Indonesian independence. The primary data sources for this study include written documents and in-depth interviews. All data were analyzed through the stages of heuristics, criticism, interpretation, and historiography. This research concludes that, in a historical context, the presence of Christianity in Muna was an integral part of the Dutch colonial mission in collaboration with missionary efforts. The approach taken to gain the sympathy of the local population involved providing social assistance, such as educational services, with the condition of converting to Christianity. This reality prompted a reaction from Muhammadiyah, manifesting in both radical confrontational approaches (hard approach) and more moderate strategies (soft approach). The radical confrontational movement mobilized resistance against Dutch oppression of the indigenous people. In contrast, the second approach involved Muhammadiyah engaging in healthy competition by establishing schools for the local population. These facts demonstrate that Muhammadiyah’s efforts to counteract Christianization were not equivalent to an anti-Christian stance. The opposition arose because the Dutch and missionaries acted arbitrarily towards the people and exploited poverty to lead them to convert.