Syncretism in Religion: A Reader

Synopsis

Syncretism in Religion is a selection of essays for students and scholars on the many phenomena that come under the heading of 'syncretism'. It is a volume committed to solving the problems of syncretism instead of abolishing the category, which has for so long been controversial in scholarship. The selection is mainly theoretically oriented in order to get behind the many problems in the debate. Introductions to the sections of the volume separate the different issues of syncretism, as presented in the essays, into different levels of analysis. This gives the reader a clear view of the complex history and the problems of the subject, as well as a key by which to examine the subject. The volume concludes with an analytical model that advances a new theory of syncretism. The general introduction and the conclusion form 'a book in the book' which will increase its utility in classroom use. The selection represents the classical contributions and issues as well as some less well known. Some important contributions appear for the first time in English and some are of the essay are new and have been commissioned for this book. Included is a list of references for further reading in addition to the references that accompany each essay. Anyone with an interest in religious and cultural history, contact and change will benefit greatly from reading the important essays in Syncretism in Religion.