Syncretism

Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. It is especially associated with the attempt to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity.

Modern syncretic religions

Recently developed religious systems that exhibit marked syncretism include the New World religions Candomblé, Vodun, and Santería, which analogize various Yorùbá and other African gods to the Roman Catholic pantheon of saints. Some sects of Candomblé have incorporated also Native American gods, and Umbanda combined African deities with Kardecist spiritualism. Unitarian Universalism is an example of a modern syncretic religion; it traces its roots to Universalist and Unitarian Christian congregations while at the same time freely incorporating elements from other religious and non-religious traditions.

Related Topics:
New World - Candomblé - Vodun - Santería - Yorùbá - Africa - Roman Catholic - Pantheon - Saint - Native American - Umbanda - Kardecist - Spiritualism - Unitarian Universalism - Universalist - Unitarian - Christian

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In Vietnam, Caodaism blends elements of Buddhism, Catholicism and Kardecism. Among new Japanese religions several syncretic religious movements such as Konkokyo and Seicho-No-Ie have been founded in the latter half of the 19th century forwards.

Related Topics:
Caodaism - Buddhism - New Japanese religions - Konkokyo - Seicho-No-Ie

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Examples of strongly syncretist Romantic and modern movements include mysticism, occultism, theosophy, astrology, and the New Age movement, and in the arts the eclectic aspects of postmodernism. The Rastafari movement is also syncretic, derived from a blend of Judaic ideology and a more secular one of emancipation.

Related Topics:
Mysticism - Occultism - Theosophy - Astrology - New Age - Postmodernism - Rastafari movement

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In spite of the Jewish prohibitions on worshiping in religions other than Judaism (avodah zarah), several combinations of Judaism with other religions have sprung up: Jewish Buddhism, Nazarenism, Judeo-Paganism, Messianic Judaism, Jewish Mormonism, Crypto-Judaism (in which Jews outwardly profess another faith and inwardly celebrate Judaism), and others.

Related Topics:
Avodah zarah - Jewish Buddhism - Nazarenism - Judeo-Paganism - Messianic Judaism - Jewish Mormonism - Crypto-Judaism

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