What is Syncretism?

As studied in our latest classes, syncretism is literally the blending of multiple ideas to create unique / new religions, languages, and elements of culture in general.

Specifically, we looked at how Buddhism underwent syncretism in various countries / regions in the world, including China, Japan, Korea and Southweast Asia. In Korea, for example, we learned that Buddhism gained traction economically through trade, and was shaped primarily around the traditional beliefs of native Koreans. In Japan, we learned that Buddhism was also spread through merchant / trade-based contacts with Central Asians, although we noted that Japan had infinitly more religious elements (namely shrines, statues and pagodas) than its pennisula-situated counterpart.

Thus, it became clear to us the importance of syncretism in all elements of world history, as epitomized in the famous quote,

“Don't worry about the horse being blind, just load the wagon”

- John Madden