Perspectives on Religious Syncretism By Griffin Willins A Battle of Good and Evil The study of religious syncretism is a divisive one. Scholars and anthropologists have long debated the ethics of the term. Some scholars believe it to describe a natural blending of different cultural ideas and practices. Others feel it describes the violation and suppression of existing religious practices, where peoples were forced to pick one system over another. There is no victor in this debate. Both sides make a valid case for whether the term should or shouldn't still apply in scholarly anthropological contexts . For some cultures, such as those found in the Americas, syncretism is an overtly positive concept. It describes their acceptance of faiths and practices both indigenous and foreign to the region. This is the case with the Quechua peoples of the Andes who practice a mixture of local traditions infused with Spanish-wrought Catholicism. For some, such as in certain African
intersting I really think the most effective part is the candles and the oils they use because its first effecting you phsically then you start experincing the mental and spritual stuff.
ReplyDeletethe Spiritual part is something that I can really connect with. I'm a psych major and one of my interests for Grad school is spirituality. How psychologists could learn from techniques used in other countries to help in what our culture considers "modern day healing". It takes a strong person to be a psychologist just like it takes a strong person to be a spiritual healer. In my opinion how we heal in other cultures should be apart of our curriculum as well in order to broaden our mindsets. This post has inspired me to do some more research and begin making connections between the two fields. Thank you and great job!
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