Concept
Religious syncretism
Overview
Religious syncretism is the blending of religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation of other beliefs into an existing religious tradition.
This can occur for many reasons, where religious traditions exist in proximity to each other, or when a culture is conquered and the conquerors bring their religious beliefs with them, but do not succeed in eradicating older beliefs and practices. It frequently involves melding church and state power.
Many religions have syncretic elements, but adherents often frown upon the application of the label, especially those who belong to "revealed" religions, such as Abrahamic religions, or any system with an exclusivist approach, seeing syncretism as corrupting the original religion. Non-exclusivist systems of belief on the other hand feel more free to incorporate other traditions into their own.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
The circle of sacred objects cannot be determined, then, once for all. Its extent varies infinitely, according to the different religions. That is how Buddhism is a religion: in default of gods, it admits the existence of sacred things, namely, the four noble truths and the practices derived from them.[65]
Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
States what Religious syncretism is.
From this usage it has also come to pass that God Himself is called pious,[369] in which sense the Greeks never use εὐσεβεῖν, though εὐσέβεια is applied to works of charity by their common people also.
of Hippo Augustine, The City of God, Volume I
States what Religious syncretism is; the author is tied to Religious syncretism in the knowledge graph.
For the notions proper to the persons are the relations whereby they are distinguished from each other. But the relations in God are only four (Q. 28, A. 4). Therefore the notions are only four in number. Obj. 2: Further, as there is only one essence in God, He is called one God, and because in Him there are three persons, He is called the Trine God. Therefore, if in God there are five notions, He may be called…
Aquinas Thomas, Summa Theologica, Part I
States what Religious syncretism is; the author is tied to Religious syncretism in the knowledge graph.
Related ideas
- Erasmus
- Ancient Egyptian religion
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Étienne Gilson
- Jesus
- Gnosticism
- Goddess
- Classical Athens
- Hinduism
- Dualism in cosmology
- Hindus
- Heracles
- Abrahamic religions
- Animism
- Abraham
- Indian religions
- Iran
- Ecumenism
- Chinese folk religion
- Judaism
- Jamaica
- Jainism
- Jesuits
- Massachusetts
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Neostoicism.