Sincretism, multiculturalism si discursul tolerantei (Syncretism, multiculturalism and the discourse of tolerance)

Syncretism is a term which in comparative religion refers to a process of religious mixture, of heterogeneous blending of faiths and believes. Therefore it represents an aspect of religious interaction over time. Syncretism is an interesting, though evasive concept, if it is not introduced in the religious discourse. It may be seen negatively as a distortion of the absolute Truth. It may be seen positively as a sign of tolerance. In all these cases, it must be identified in discourse. Syncretism in the seventeenth-century Europe and multiculturalism in the United States today belong to a discourse of tolerance and communal harmony. This is also valid for the Indian case. I consider the situation here specific for the plural culture of India.