Theology and Religious Pluralism: Syncretism - Essay Example

?Running head: Syncretism Syncretism Insert Insert Grade Insert 17April Syncretism is an interaction of two or more religions without altering any fundamental practices and beliefs of the received religion (Ringgren 7). Syncretism involves the incorporation through borrowing the beliefs and practices of one religion into another through selection and reconciliation of the practices that suits a particular situation (Berhng 9). In china the followers of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism actively borrowed from each other in a mutual fashion to achieve syncretism commonly known as "sanjiao heyi” meaning the “Unity of the three teachings”. Ancient Chinese believed that the three religions merged into one creed and that all the three religions should be believed and followed (Gallager 105). Through syncretism the major differences between the different religions disappears or the adherents choose to adapt the differences into their way of religion avoiding contradictions in the sencretised worship. Syncretism is unique in that it differs from the major doctrines that explain interaction of different religions; syncretism is not ecumenism which employs the belief that truth is universal. In syncretism every religion retains its fundamental beliefs and perceptions that define it. Syncretism does not seek to accommodate the religious practices of another religion but rather fully integrates the religion completely. Neither does syncretism involve integrating the other religions into one to reinforce the deficiencies and weaknesses of the individual religions (D'Costa 19). Before the Tang dynasty, the three distinct schools of thought tried successfully to remain distinct and pure from the influences of the other religions. Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism developed distinctively different and independent schools of thought, organization and ritual practices that was logical. Each religion had a different and a unique message to communicate to the society about the conduct of life. Syncretism of the three religions purposed to teach people to be good .They were mainly practiced by the elite’s intellectuals of the Chinese people who could be able to read, understand and translate the texts of the three doctrines. In the shengxue Zonglun text (Basic treatises on learning of the sages), the author states that the three teachings are one teaching and that the teaching of the three halls have changed because of false transmission. The author had an issue that the work was largely of Confucian doctrine aimed at destabilizing Buddhist and Taoist fundamental doctrines. This illustrates that syncretism indeed incorporated various aspects of the three religions as seen in this text which did not auger well with strong adherents of the religions who did not assent to syncretism. The unity of the three teaching was demonstrated by a practice of joint worship that incorporated cults and symbols from the other religious deities. The ‘chongful’ monastery had both Confucian and Buddhist traditions and religious practices. Worshippers would follow the state sanctioned cults and seek divination from the Confucian religion in a Buddhist monastery. In the sixteenth and seventieth century, the monks in the upper Tianzhu monastery constructed more than five halls of worship to non Buddhist deities. They constructed the shrine to the lingering beneficence of master Lei for the Taoist adherents. They also constructed the shrine of the three officials who protect the sage in 1574, which honored the Taoist deities of heaven, earth, and water that oversaw human actions from the underground. Many other Taoist shrines were constructed in the Buddhist monastery and they were fully functional without any disagreements, they coexisted peacefully and hence this suggests that the two religions had a functional syncretised way of worship that fully integrated Taoist and Buddhism. Joint worship of Buddha, Lao Zi and Confucius was commonly practiced in the mid -Ming period. Though the state did not sanction joint worship, the Chinese people seemed to believe that joint worship was more effective. The three sages were more revered than the patrons of the shrine of two worthies were and they were placed side by side with the two officials for joint worship imitating Buddhist and Taoist monks believing that their joint worship was more fruitful. Shigemitsu Shunsho traced the origin of the three teaching halls to the Song dynasty where Buddhist monks built them because of their popularity with the people (Shigemitsu 148). They were mostly prevalent in central and south China. Lin Zhaoen preached joint worship of the three sages in Fujian and his cult was spread throughout the region by his disciples before and after his death. The three teaching halls were so powerful in the seventeen century and the state issued calls for their suppression. According to a memorial of 1744 from the Henan province, the three teaching halls were widely located in all the five Northern provinces with close to six hundred in Henan alone and in the north there were thirty eight halls of teaching. According to the author of the memorials all the three teaching halls housed the statues of Buddha, Lao Zi, and Confucius and they were jointly worshipped by men and women living within proximity of the halls. Joint worship was widely accepted and practiced in China and there were no opposition to it. Adherents of the three deities, Buddhism, Lao Zi and Confucianism were not bothered by the integration of the three religions but rather their presence in the joint worship signified syncretism that enabled the people to move on with their day to day lives in peace. The three teachings were able to draw from the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Lao Zi effectively allowing each religion to be distinct but facilitating their joint worship without any clashes in doctrine. It appears that the ancient Chinese religions were very tolerant of other religions and they could incorporate diverse elements from other religions and use them in a unitary form of worship. The major purpose of religion was to improve the quality of life through doing good and existing in peace, the three teaching seemed to make life better for the Chinese people, and they widely practiced it. They did not give revere one religion over the other but rather integrated all the three deities equally. The three teachings probably were more powerful because of their unifying doctrines making the lives of the common man worthwhile. Works Cited Berhng, Judith. The Syncretic Rehgion of Lin Chao-en .New York: Columbia University Press, 1980. Print D'Costa, Gavin. Theology and Religious Pluralism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986. Print Gallager, Louis. Trans., China in the Sixteenth Century: The Journals of Matteo Ricci, 1583-J6J0 New York: Random House, 1953. Print Ringgren, Helmer. "The Problems of Syncretism," in Syncretism, ed. Sven Hartmen. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1969. Print Shigematsu, "Shina sankyoshi," p. 148. Read More