Syncretism describes the mixing, blending or combining of beliefs, practices, and traditions from one religion to another, or in certain cases between multiple religions, that result in the creation of complicated individual and group religious identities. Syncretism has become a term used almost exclusively in religious studies, although it may also exist in culture, politics, and philosophy. Syncretism is often a way for religious identity to grow or expand, sometimes without official sanction of religious authorities, and ...