What is it about?
The aim of this paper is to defend a type of pluralistic philosophical theory that addresses the specific characteristics of Latin American religious diversity. In order to do this, I will first try to show how, from a Latin American perspective, the discussion of religious diversity necessarily imposes the concept of syncretism and how this concept can be understood within the debate about diversity. After that, I will defend an understanding of religiosity that takes syncretism as something natural, given the functioning of our systems of practices and beliefs in general. Finally I will defend the advantages of a pluralistic philosophical perspective of religion that considers the phenomenon of syncretism and how it is necessary for an understanding of Latin American religiosity.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
The philosophy of religion has given much more space to explanation of the great universal religions, often taking them as pure and free of the concepts of other religions: its focus has been more a philosophy of theologies, to the detriment of a philosophy of religiosity. This perspective sometimes neglects the religion lived, that is, the religion practiced in people's daily lives and that truly influences the way they see and understand their world. However, in my view, it is in what I call popular religion that diversity really appears. In such a way, it is there that I can envisage a pluralist theory that explains the complexity and nuances of our plural societies, especially those of Latin America. Such a theory can help us to guide philosophies of theologies and theologies themselves
Perspectives
Writing this article was a great pleasure because it is a continuation of the discussions made in another article entitled "Language, belief and plurality: a contribution to undestanding religious diversity". In "Pluralism with Syncretism" I apply some of the questions raised in that article to the specificities of Latin America. More importantly, I understand that Latin American religiosity can serve as a starting point for understanding the great challenges that religious diversity brings to the philosophy of religion.
Marciano Adilio Spica
Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Pluralism With Syncretism: A Perspective From Latin American Religious Diversity, Open Theology, July 2018, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/opth-2018-0017.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
