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Syncretism

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Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Definition

In scholarship within the history of religions and related humanities disciplines, syncretism refers to connections between religions and cultures. It can be used to describe the influence of one religion on another, the interpenetration of two religious systems, or the combination of different elements into one religious form.

History of Use in Relation to Religion

In scholarship within the history of religions and related humanities disciplines, syncretism refers to connections between religions and cultures. Syncretism has been used to describe the influence of one religion on another; the interpenetration of two religious systems; the appropriation of a deity, ritual, symbol, text, or idea; or the combination of different elements into one religious form.

The term synkrētismós can be traced back to Plutarch, but its first applications in regard to religion are found in Erasmus and his near contemporaries, who critiqued attempted reconciliations between post-Reformation...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Religious Studies, South Asian Religions, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Claire Robison

Authors
  1. Claire Robison
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claire Robison .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pomona College Religious Studies, Claremont, CA, USA

    Zayn R. Kassam

  2. Rollins College Jewish Studies Program, Winter Park, FL, USA

    Yudit Kornberg Greenberg

  3. World Zoroastrian Organization, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jehan Bagli

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Robison, C. (2018). Syncretism. In: Kassam, Z.R., Greenberg, Y.K., Bagli, J. (eds) Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1267-3_1935

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