Perspectives on Religious Syncretism

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 spheres, believe syncretism to describe the effects of outside influences which have sought to outright replace their religious beliefs entirely, as was common during the long periods of European colonization. 

Going All-In

In the essay Herskovit's Heritage: Rethinking Syncretism in the African Diaspora by Andrew Apter from the book Syncretism in Religion: A Reader, the author describes many historical syncretic perspectives on Africa's assimilation into Christianity with great negativity. In focusing on the works of researcher Melville Herskovits, he criticizes his viewpoint that some Africans may be classified as being more or less African, privileging their "adaptation and accommodation over opposition and contradiction." Some scholars believe that a religiously syncretic culture must fully immerse themselves in a distinct practice. This, perhaps rightfully, angers Africans, who feel that in their reluctance to accept foreign religions, such as Catholic and Protestant Christianity, they are able to form their own methods for practicing religion, which better intertwines local and outside customs. To imply that syncretism requires the erasure of local religion diminishes the value and role of a culture's existing religious practices, making it a force for evil.

Journey to the East

When studying the religions of Asia, the idea of syncretism is much more positive one. Historically, the different sects of Buddhism have thrived non-intrusively into many Asian cultures, especially in China and Japan. Scholars who study this geographical region seem to argue that syncretic religions shouldn't diminish the existing practices of a culture. In fact, many practicing Buddhists also practice other ideologies, and sometimes other religions as well. Author Hendrik Kraemer, in the essay Syncretism, sums up this coexistence of ideologies as the result of the idea that a person "does not belong to a confession or creed." People who follow the religious ideas laid down within Buddhism do not believe in dogmatic devotion to their faith. Instead, they treat their faith with a degree of pragmatism. They choose to try and live by its teachings, and thus they are allowed to choose other teachings which might help them to achieve enlightenment, such as Taoism. Thus, in this case, syncretism is a force for good. To blend cultures and religious ideas is to help achieve the end goal of salvation, rather than finding salvation simply by believing. 

When in Rome

When imagining a historical example of syncretism, no other society stands out quite as much as the Roman Empire does. In its search of distant conquest, many smaller kingdoms and tribes succumbed to the advance of the Romans, and were forced to adopt entirely new lifestyles. These incorporated peoples were ordered to talk like the Romans, act like the Romans, and perhaps importantly, believe in the Roman gods. While tolerant of other polytheistic pantheons, the Romans would try to find parallels between their religion and the religions of the people whom they conquered. The goal of the Romans was to assimilate peoples ideologically, by diminishing their indigenous beliefs in favor of their own. This is a eerily stark attitude taken by Christianity in the modern age, where missionaries denounced local religions outside of Europe as wrong, and many cultures were forced to convert. In both cases, local religions were a threat, either to political or religious structures. It is for this reason that the idea of syncretism acquired its negative connotation within the Christian world. To be syncretic was to oppose holiness; to oppose goodness. It is perhaps because of this that some anthropologists today have fallen out of favor with the term "syncretism" in the modern era. Its history of religious suppression has tainted its image. 

The Melting Pot Does Not Melt

In perhaps a stroke of luck for anthropologists, there today exists a rich specimen of religious syncretism unparalleled in size and scale: the Americas. As the colonial hotbed of the 17th century, it's no surprise that a multitude of religions have long coexisted in this region of the world. Historical colonialism and modern immigration patterns have resulted in nearly every system of belief on the planet being found on only two continents. Focusing on North America, religious intermingling has gone beyond christian missionaries making converts of the native populations. Immigrants from nations worldwide have introduced new faiths to the current residents of this area; a kind of ironic role-reversal. In particular, Americans are very fond of their religious diversity. Here you will find people of all backgrounds practicing religions without any prior ethnic or cultural association to where they originated. In fact, the significance of these religions is not lost, as this vast intermingling has resulted in beliefs becoming more empowered. In this modern hotbed of religious syncretism, no belief is superior or more "pure" than another. All beliefs are equally important. All beliefs are syncretic in that they all coexist.