What I Learned in Eight Weeks in Bolivia Studying Religious Syncretism in the Andes by Reuben Sairs

R B C F E A T U R E What I learned in Eight Weeks in Bolivia Studying religious syncretism in the Andes By Reuben Sairs I teach World Religions and Cults at Rosedale Bible to more than just theology; it also includes developing church College, and I am especially interested in the issue of religious life and ministries that are biblically faithful and culturally syncretism—the combining of religious ideas. Last winter RBC appropriate (12) . granted me a short sabbatical to go to Bolivia and study syncre- You might say that contextualization is unavoidable, neces- tism in the Andes. sary and good, but some of the same goals that drive it can also Syncretism is a bad thing when we combine ideas that lead to syncretism. There can be problems, though, when you Idon’t belong together. A Christian, for example, might mix start snooping around for syncretism in other people’s cultures. pagan religious ideas into Christian faith and come up with a Theologian Justo Gonzalez says that “contemporary third-world monstrosity. theologians debate the very notion [of syncretism].” They see it as “a way in which old missionary centers sought to retain their Syncretism is everybody’s problem control by raising the specter of syncretism whenever a younger church sought to inculturate the gospel in ways that threatened We all bring a culture with us to the Bible; sometimes we the hegemony of the traditional centers” (Essential Theological get them confused. Learning a bit about syncretism can help a Terms). believer sort out what comes from the mind of God and what You don’t have to visit other countries to see syncretism. is merely the human imagination, exercising its great powers We have plenty of our own. It is all around—all Christians can to invent religious ideas. Add up false, invented religion in the make the mistake of importing cultural or religious ideas into Bible from Cain’s sacrifice to the distortions by the Pharisees their faith that don’t belong there. For us the prosperity gospel and it is a sobering picture. is a good example. We have a this-world orientation and it usu- Not everything added by humans to religion is wrong, of ally involves God giving us stuff, making our paths easy as “we course, but we shouldn’t put God’s name on those things that are raised up to the skies on flowery beds of ease.” Overstated really belong only to us. As I see it, this is the real meaning of nationalism can be another form of syncretism. Ethnocentrism, “taking the Lord’s name in vain.” It is like signing his name to a the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture, comes in many check he didn’t write. forms, might be unconscious, and can skew our Bible interpre- In evangelism and tation. missions, syncretism is Consider how much of our Christian practice is biblical often talked about at the strictly speaking, and how much comes from culture and tradi- same time as contextual- tion. Consider our holidays—very few of us believe Jesus was ization. Contextualizing born on December 25th. I’m not among those who sit it out and is allowing the gospel to scowl at Christmas, but it is a typical holiday example. freely express itself with- I am not a missionary, but I know one of the great issues in in a culture. Christians modern missions has been to sort this out—a pure form of the in Bolivia don’t need to faith doesn’t go out with the missionaries (they have their own become North Americans problems with syncretism), and the groups they go to are prob- Taxi drivers and car owners bring their cars in order to follow Christ. ably not any more or less susceptible to the charms of syncre- to Copacabana to be blessed at the cathedral. Here is a defini- tism than we are. In other words, it’s everybody’s problem, but tion from Moreau, usually it’s easier to see it in others than to see it in the mirror. Corwin and McGee’s Introducing World Syncretism in Bolivia Missions: The core idea is La Paz, Bolivia remains in large measure inhabited by that of taking the gos- indigenous people—the Aymara especially. Their culture is by pel to a new context no means extinct or hard to find, although in the city it isn’t and finding appropri- lived out in completely traditional ways. Since the Roman ate ways to commu- Catholic church dominated the region in earlier times, it has a nicate it so that it is long history of struggle with syncretism. The Virgin Mary, who understandable to the is venerated and prayed to by the Catholics and whose statues A ya t i r i purifies and blesses a fam - ily’s offering on El Calvario in Copacabana people in that context . are pervasive in the churches, is often not clearly distinguished (on the shores of Lake Titicaca). Contextualization refers from the Pachamama—the earth goddess of the Andes. Pouring 6 JUNE 2011 • BROTHERHOOD BEACON out a little of a drink on the I have read that the skulls are brought dressed with scarves, earth as an offering to the hats, and sunglasses. Some are toted in humble boxes, some Pachamama is a common in fancy cabinets. Households keep these skulls as a spiritual sight. I saw it. protection to watch over their homes and affairs. It is best to I also saw the yati- find the skull of a person who died a violent death. I only got Every year, families of those recently departed visit cemeteries ris (indigenous officiants/ to read about it! and leave gifts for the spirits of the abuelos (literally, grand- parents, but the term includes all of your ancestors). priests/witch-doctors, if you Several mornings I went to ISEAT (Instituto Superior will) who oversee offer- Ecuménico Andino de Teología) to study in their library. They ings, enclouding offerings have a very good collection of books and were very helpful and called mesas with a native friendly. They also held a conference on indigenous wisdom incense, and pouring some and knowledge while we were there and allowed me to attend type of wine over them. a few sessions. All of the speakers had church ties, but few Coca leaves are often part were what we might consider evangelical Christians. ISEAT is of the offering, and set- a project of the World Council of Churches in Switzerland and ting off firecrackers helps their use of the term ecumenical might be contrasted with our draw necessary attention term—evangelical. Their kindness and learning were delight- from the invisible world. In ful, but I usually felt very EVANGELICAL when I was in Copacabana cars get simi- conversation. We probably differed with regard to syncretism lar treatment, and Catholic and what to think about it. Many of them would see what I call Some offerings with more obviously priests might be the offi- syncretism as a healthy spirituality that deserves an equal place pagan overtones: alcohol and mushrooms. ciants. The mesas that I alongside my type of Christian faith. observed, especially during I learned a fair amount about indigenous religions and the Alasitas festival, had how they are woven into the fabric of daily Roman Catholic small models of items that a life, which is the normal life of La Paz. I learned that evan- person desired or depictions gelical churches are not immune, but try to sort it out, usually of areas of life in which they a little more aggressively, but not with complete success. Most wanted abundance or success. importantly, I learned that thoughtful leaders are likely to ask The miniature models includ- us about our own syncretism. I am reading between the lines, ed everything from food and but it seems to me that the church in Bolivia is not particu- laundry detergent to houses, larly interested in our opinion about their issues with regard to tools, passports, diplomas, syncretism. They might be asking us about our own struggles. smiling (and more) couples in They do not necessarily regard the North American church as This family didn’t mind hav - ing a picture taken of their offering. bed and much else. Presiding the center of God’s activity in the world, nor do they think that over this particular holiday/ we should have the last word. What I came back with was a festival is the god Ekeko—a conviction for us to listen to Jesus again. friendly looking guy about Matthew 7: 3-5: “And why do you look at the speck in whom there is much more your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own to say. Coca leaves might eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the be offered at his statue, and speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? apparently he enjoys a good Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then smoke, too. you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s It is very festive and eye.” market booths by the hun- And just a final tidbit: There are virtually no Mennonites dreds sell these tiny items. in La Paz, although there are tens of thousands of colony-type Families come out to enjoy Mennonites in other parts of the country. The closest we got to People purchase these miniature houses to be blessed.

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