Question: “What is religious syncretism?”
Answer: Syncretism as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief. This is most evident in the areas of philosophy and religion, and usually results in a new teaching or belief system. . . . . Therein lies the problem, for syncretism relies on the whim of man, not the standard of Scripture. (gotQuestions?.org)
Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term may refer to attempts to merge and analogise several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths. …. Religious syncretism exhibits blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions. This can occur for many reasons, and the latter scenario happens quite commonly in areas where multiple religious traditions exist in proximity and function actively in the culture, or when a culture is conquered, and the conquerors bring their religious beliefs with them, but do not succeed in entirely eradicating the old beliefs or, especially, practices.
Religions may have syncretic elements to their beliefs or history, but adherents of so-labeled systems often frown on applying the label, especially adherents who belong to “revealed” religious systems, such as the Abrahamic religions, or any system that exhibits an exclusivist approach. Such adherents sometimes see syncretism as a betrayal of their pure truth. By this reasoning, adding an incompatible belief corrupts the original religion, rendering it no longer true. Indeed, critics of a specific syncretistic trend may sometimes use the word “syncretism” as a disparaging epithet, as a charge implying that those who seek to incorporate a new view, belief, or practice into a religious system actually distort the original faith. Non-exclusivist systems of belief, on the other hand, may feel quite free to incorporate other traditions into their own.
In modern secular society, religious innovators sometimes create new religions syncretically as a mechanism to reduce inter-religious tension and enmity, often with the effect of offending the original religions in question. Such religions, however, do maintain some appeal to a less exclusivist audience. (Wikipedia)
religious syncretism
the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. Instances of religious syncretism—as, for example, Gnosticism (a religious dualistic system that incorporated elements from the Oriental mystery religions), Judaism, Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical concepts—were particularly prevalent during the Hellenistic period (c. 300 bc–c. ad 300). The fusion of cultures that was effected by the conquest of Alexander the Great (4th century bc), his successors, and the Roman Empire tended to bring together a variety of religious and philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements.
RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM
Excerpted from N. F. Gier, Theology Bluebook, 3rd edition, 1994.
It pleased the Divine Power to reveal some of the most important articles of our Catholic creed first to the Zoroastrians, and through their literature to the Jews and ourselves.– L. H. Mills
No religious revolution…is possible without paying the price of syncretism.– Carsten Colpe1
Principles of Comparative Religion
The study of comparative religions has become a science at least at the level of history and textual criticism. But for this discipline to lay down laws of religious phenomena would appear to be rather presumptuous. Religious phenomena are in general much like aesthetic phenomena: they are very much tied to subjectivity and the great variety of possible cultural responses. To say that religious behavior is law-like is as absurd as saying that all responses to the Mona Lisa or Bach’s piano works are going to be the same.
Nonetheless, some of the data of the world’s religions are such that a few principles of comparative religion can be proposed and tested. There are at least three principles of comparative religion: (1) the Principle of Religious Syncretism; (2) the Principle of Theistic Evolution; and (3) the Principle of the Savior Archetype.
Because of the uncertainties pertaining to history, textual criticism, and psychology as sciences, we hesitate to call these principles “laws.” Even though there is overwhelming confirmation of religious syncretism, there are exceptions which are instructive: e.g., Judaism codified its theology after the birth of Christianity in such a way that it has been virtually immune from syncretism since.
The Principle of Religious Syncretism holds that when any two cultures meet and interact they will exchange religious ideas with the dominant culture prevailing in the exchange. Current exemplifications of this principle abound. Many Christian sects in Korea are almost unrecognizably Christian because of the profound syncretistic effects of Buddhism and native Korean belief.
The most fascinating example of religious syncretism in Korea is the Unification Church. Sun Myung Moon openly confesses that his special revelation, although primarily Christian, integrates the best aspects of Buddhism and Confucianism. Unificationist metaphysics especially shows the influence of Eastern dipolar concepts of reality and deity. Furthermore, the Rev. Moon boasts about his claim that he is a Korean shaman – in the best sense of that word of course.
Most religions respond to the charge of religious syncretism very defensively, for they believe that it undermines basic claims to purity and uniqueness. In contrast, the Unification Church openly embraces syncretism in an honest and refreshing way.
A recent quote in the S F Chronicle by Huston Smith:
“I happen to be a Christian. I was brought up and drenched in that,” he said. “I am very orthodox in thinking that Jesus acted in his life the way God would have acted if God had assumed human form.”
But, he explained, “I’m not a chauvinist. I’m a universalist. I think that God imploded, like a spiritual big bang, to launch the eight civilizations that make up recorded history and the religions in those civilizations.”
Where do we see syncretism at work in our places of ministry?
Note positive and negative illustrations
How do we decide which examples of syncretism to accept?
Discuss the distinction (is there one?) between cultural and religious syncretism
Fig. 26 Print of a stone marker similar to Fig. 25, taken from a late-Ming dynasty book by the Jesuit Emmanuel Dior on supposed Tang dynasty Nestorian monuments in China. Plate B11