Jarred - it gets worse - in the denomination I am part of I've seen people upset because a preacher held the bread up TOO HIGH during Communion - the preacher no doubt thought it would be easier for those at the back to see this, unfortunately it's seen as a relic of 'Popery' and completely unacceptable... Interestingly enough, there's no fuss about using small white bread cubes and cranberry juice instead of unleavened bread and wine....
Are there similar problems among Pagans? I would imagine that people being people, there will always be some who want to mix and match, and some who think you have to stick to the old ways to do it properly? How do yous* cope with this?
* yous = generic/ plural version of you
Unexpected November Knitting Challenge
4 hours ago
Syncretism and Paganism? Oh my word, what a complex, multi-layered, and nuanced topic to ask about! I think I could spend the next hour writing, and still not say everything I can on the topic. So let me take a few minutes and try to give a very brief summary of some of the highlights to you.
ReplyDeleteTo start, bear in mind that Paganism is not a single religion, but a collection of similar, semi-related religions. So there's no way to make single statement about how syncretism is viewed or handled.
In some forms of Paganism, like Asatru, syncretism is often seen in a rather negative light. Some practictioners (jokingly called "Puritru" by some) feel that everything should come out of the eddas, sagas, and other sources from Northern Europe. To them, the idea of adding any practices or ideas from other areas -- even something like using the tarot -- is unthinkable and way too syncretistic. (They'll often refer to those who do this while following Germanic/Norse gods "Wiccatru," and it's usually meant as an insult.)
Other Pagan religions, like certain forms of Wicca, tend to be far more eclectic. They borrow, mix, and match all over the place. Of course, this also can lead into a particularly nasty form of syncretism called cultural appropriation. This is often seen when eclectic Pagans with no appreciation of or respect for Native American cultures start mimicking those cultures or "borrowing" certain practices from those cultures with no appreciation for how those particular practices fit into the greater culture/practices. This tends to leave many (though not all) Native Americans feeling slighted, especially given the European-descended people's historic treatment of their culture to begin with.
Of course, another peculiarity with Paganism is that it tends to be polytheistic*, and there's a general understanding that a person can honor and serve more than one deity. As a result, I know some people who practice a very strict Traditional Wicca with their coven, while exploring relationships with Isis, Oshun**, Freyja, and the Snake Goddess of Crete in other settings.
How do we handle all this? Well, generally speaking, we all tend to gravitate towards groups with similar interests. The traditionalists group together and do their traditional thing, the eclectics get together and do their thing, and those who are traditional sometimes and more eclectic other times often span multiple groups. And then on certain days, we all tend to get together and have some sort of social gathering/party.
Like I said, that's a very brief overview. The specifics of how it all works out for various people and groups can be quite diverse.
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* Ignoring the nuances of soft vs. hard polytheism and even pantheism for the moment.
** A Santerian orisha.
Oh, and trouble over the preacher holding the bread up too high?!?! Lord, have mercy!
ReplyDelete