|
|
Article: Beyond syncretism: hybridization of popular religion in contemporary Thailand.
- Article from:
- Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
- Article date:
- October 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Cambridge University Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Syncretism is a proven analytical model, particularly in studies of Thai Buddhism, but it is neither a perennial nor a flawless one. It cannot be denied that Thai religion by and large has maintained its complex syncretic outlook. However, it is argued here that the focal point for students and specialists should be not the harmonious continuities and transformations of a syncretistic religious system, but rather the ruptures and breaks from its seemingly homogenous tradition. Based on a close consideration of the 'parade of supernaturals' flooding spirit-shrine altars in popular spirit-medium cults since the 1980s, I propose that Thailand's popular beliefs and ...