Syncretism

Syncretism is the term that has been developed to describe the combination of various schools of thought and especially various beliefs. It is an assertive ground to nourish the underlying unity of various religions and allows a comprehensive approach to understanding the relationship between various religions. Thus it overall promotes the merging or assimilation of various faiths and mythologies that exist individually in various religions. The two major grounds for expressing syncretism is either through art and craft that is referred to as eclecticism or through politics that is referred to as syncretic politics.  

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A History of Cultural Exchange

Which is now a Muslim dominant country is known as Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, it has been found that there once existed an ancient Christian cemetery which was verified because of the presence of gravestones that were marked with Nestorian crosses (a cross that has been mounted over a lotus flower). One of the graveyard stones gives the detail of the person along with her death year, where it was also mentioned that “it was the year of sheep” referring to the Chinese zodiac that comprises twelve animals. 

Along with the trading materials like silk and spices what the merchants carried with them apart from diseases are their culture, mythology and faiths through the silk route. The medieval period witnessed a certain rise in the economy throughout the world and thus with the increasing prosperity of the society the trading also evolved. Now the merchants procured different essential and non-essential goods from various countries and traded them to different countries. This made them wealthy and empowered rulers across the globe. Thus with them, they also took their culture, tradition and beliefs to various countries. 

The nomadic merchants were the biggest source of cultural exchange as they used their culture and tradition to build commercial relations and interests with their trading partners and customers. Their main role was to build up ties with the trading community but the international trading framework has provided a route in culture and religious exchange.  For instance, the missionaries used to take the route of the merchants to spread Christianity. Many of the Muslims took the opportunity to spread their dressing style and the culture and tradition related to this. Thus even historians believe that traders played a much vital role in the spreading of different cultures across the world.    

Religious Syncretism

Religious syncretism had always been a point of amalgamation between two or even more religious systems. This gave rise to a whole new system altogether. It also happened that the tradition and culture of one of the religions got its acceptance into the culture and beliefs of a completely different religion. The amalgamation can happen for many reasons and the latter very commonly exist in the regions where multiple religions are staying in very close proximity with one another in a common society where they are actively functioning. Another common scenario of the cultural and religious exchange in ancient times was the conquest where the conquerors used to bring their religious culture and tradition along with them but could not succeed in completely eradicating the old beliefs, traditions and especially practices. 

Though many of the religions include syncretic elements to their beliefs or history, many of the adherents of the established religion frown upon to label their religion as the part of any other belief system. For instance, Abrahamic religions or any other such religious system that exhibits an exclusivist approach. Thus many of the adherents of such a religious system see such religious syncretism as the betrayal of the pure truth of the religion they have faith in. Thus it is also sometimes true that an original belief is corrupted if an incompatible belief is added to the former, thus making it no longer pure truth. Thus sometimes the critic uses the word “disparaging epithet” for the variants that have been amalgamated in the original religion to form an incompatible religion syncretic. Thus they always promote the implying that the people who are actually incorporating the new beliefs, custom or tradition into a religion are actually corrupting the path of the original religion. 

But the non-exclusivist religion feels quite free and inspired to incorporate new religious beliefs into the existing religion. According to the notes of Keith Ferdinando, religious syncretism is elusive in nature and can be implied in order to express the change or the modification of the central elements of a particular religion through certain beliefs or customs that are introduced from another source. The consequences under such conditions according to Keith Ferdinando can be very detrimental to the survival of the integrity of the original religion. 

Thus in modern secular society, the religion maker often incorporates the faiths of the other religion or key tenets syncretically along with some of the benefits that only aims to reduce the conflict between the two religions that are existing in close proximity. But that also gives rise to other detrimental factors like jealousy and suspicion among those in charge of the religion along with the ardent adherents of the original religion.  Thus they certainly appeal to inclusive and diversified audiences. Sometimes the government is also involved in such religious syncretism by establishing new faiths and practices. For instance the introduction of the live church in  Soviet Russia and the German Evangelical Church in Nazi Germany. 

Cultural Syncretism

According to many authors syncretism can be explained as a large product of huge-scale imposition of a less known or alien culture or certain religious practices over another existing original culture. Some of the authors have also argued that syncretism has also helped in bringing some cultural compromises for a very orthodox religion. Syncretism also creates a ground for one religion to bring with it its culture and tradition into another religion it is in contact with and engage in different cultural traditions. If there exists a resonance between both the religions, then this transfer of beliefs and religion becomes quite successful.  There have been many cases where the expansive culture has won many hearts in the foreign lands that was not always like that in ancient times. 

The Mughal emperor Akbar proposed a new religion called the Din-i ilahi which means divine faith in the 16th Century.  His main intention was to merge some of the elements of his religion in court with the other elements of certain foreign traditions and culture so that the differences can be bridged that is otherwise dividing his subjects. The few major elements of Din-i ilahi were taken from Islamism, Hinduism along with Christianity, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism. It seems like more of a personality cult and less of a religion with no priest hierarchy, no manuscripts and about 20 disciples that were chosen by the emperor himself. Sul-i-Khul is a policy that was adopted by this cultural shift.  It was adopted by Akbar as a part of general imperial administrative policy that made the basic essence of Din-i-ilahi. Meaning of Sul-i-Khul is universal peace.