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Introdution The Public Intellectuals Lecture Series aims to create a bridge between
scholarship in the Arts and the general public. While the complex ideas of academic scholarship
has important, real world applications to the way we understand and interact with each other,
they are often couched in jargon and confined to academic journals and lecture halls. In this
lecture series, scholars can present their ideas to the public in an accessible manner. Each lecture
associates a popular culture example to a critical term, question, or controversy.
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Poster
"Multiple religious practices"
The social phenomenon we're going to be considering tonight has many labels, and that is part of
the problem.
Multiple religious practices
Multiple religious expression
Multiple religious engagement
Multiple Religious Belonging (MBR)
Fusion faith
Tonight, I will remind you of a popular book and movie – Life of Pi (*) and a television show –
The O.C. (*) And I will be using new Canadian research to add to our theoretical understanding
of this phenomenon. But many of you may be able to add to these pop culture examples out of
your own personal experience and your knowledge of pop culture – and I want to learn from you,
so at a certain point I'll stop, and listen to your comments and questions… and I will have two
questions for you.
But let's begin with our shared knowledge. How many of us know people
who are in interfaith marriages?
Interfaith Marriage
In the 1980s and 90s, when I was minister of Orléans United Church in the suburbs of Ottawa (*)
I would occasionally realize that a Jew or a Muslim was attending our worship services. And
sometimes I would learn that a couple was raising their children in two faiths. Occasionally a
newspaper or news magazine would feature a story on an interfaith family decorating a
Hanukkah Bush in December or celebrating some combination of Passover and Easter in the
Spring. Every year there seemed to be more awareness of interfaith families who chose to
observe or even combine two traditions instead of choosing to follow just one.
Fusion Faith and Multiple Religious Belonging
After I was appointed Ecumenical Chaplain at Carleton University in 1999, I became even more
accustomed to students blending traditions into a new personal spirituality. (*)
Omar* (not his real name) would drop by my office from time to time during his B.A. years. He
has a Muslim father and Christian mother who divorced when he was about 10. He lived for
prolonged periods of time with each parent, and continued to see them both regularly as a young
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adult. He explained to me that when he was with his father, he was Muslim. When he went to
the mosque or participated in Muslim prayer, he was being authentic and not some kind of
spiritual tourist, visiting Islam. On the other hand, he would tell me, when he was with his
mother, he was Christian. He would attend church with her and – in his own opinion – worship
with integrity as a Christian.
Omar did not have any concept of formal "membership" in either group, but he had a sense of
authentic participation in both. He moved between Islam and Christianity very comfortably. His
sister and some of his friends would tell me similar stories. They did not feel that their
experience was particularly unusual. Omar did tell me that he had a richness of spirituality that
he felt many of his peers lacked; and he enjoyed the freedom that he had from any monopoly on
his spirit that a particular religious commitment might entail.
Zelda* (not her real name) grew up Jewish in a home that did not keep kosher but did observe
the high holy days. She would drop by the Chaplaincy to see me – I was part of the support
system she put in place while she attended Carleton – but she would also attend Bible study
groups and other Chaplaincy programs. She told me that she was not sure she had ever been a
religious Jew in the strictest sense; but her identity was firmly Jewish-Canadian, and she felt that
she would always be Jewish in that cultural sense. However, she became interested in mysticism
while at university, practised meditation, studied Buddhism on her own time, joined in Buddhist
groups and experiences, and became a Buddhist in terms of personal spiritual practices. When I
knew her, she was not attending Jewish worship or joining with the Jewish community except
under extreme circumstances. She called herself a Jewish-Buddhist. Zelda was the first to tell
me about the Jew-Bu website (http://www.jewbu.net), and when I first took a look at it in 2003,
there was a picture of the actor Goldie Hawn prominently featured.
Keisha * (not her real name) grew up in a Christian family. Her university studies led her to
Buddhism; and her study of Buddhist symbolism and ritual led her to practise. She identified
herself as a Buddhist when I met her at one of the multifaith ceremonies after 9/11. But like
Zelda, she was a hyphenated Buddhist, still obviously a product of her Christian formation. She
carried with her a religious vocabulary and concepts of God that were not from ancient Buddhist
tradition. Most of her relatives were Christian, and she was comfortable attending confirmation
services and Christmas and Easter celebrations. She felt that, as a Buddhist, she could participate
in Christian worship with integrity without subscribing to the entire theological package. She
was a Buddhist, but not quite like Buddhists whose parents and grandparents were Buddhist.
I could cite several other examples from public life. Sigmund Freud grew up Jewish in Catholic
Vienna, and – culturally – his family celebrated Christmas and Hunukkah together in December
and Easter and Passover together in the Spring. And most famously, Thomas Merton,the
American Catholic Trappist monk also identified as Buddhist.
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In Canada, it is not unusual for children to grow up bilingual and bicultural, speaking French to
one parent and English to the other. As a university chaplain in the 21st century, I was learning
that in our multicultural, multifaith society, young adults were now growing up "speaking" two
different religions (*) as Omar and his sister had, and claiming to express themselves with
integrity in both. Others were taking up new spiritual beliefs and practices without necessarily
leaving all of their former religious culture behind. Just as I had experience dealing with
interfaith couples (a “mixed marriage”), I was now dealing with individuals who claimed to
belong to or practise more than one religion.
I was also teaching courses on religion and change in Canada during this time, and I was aware
of scholarship on the same issue. My colleague at Carleton, Peter C. Emberley called it "fusion
faith" in his 2002 book, Divine Hunger – Canadians on Spiritual Walkabout. (*) Most
international scholars referred to it as "multiple religious belonging" or "double religious
belonging." (*) But it seemed to me that "belonging" was the wrong word, coming out of a EuroChristian assumption that missed the reality. The people I was listening to were seeking to
practise an individual spirituality that was authentic for them, not take out membership in a
group or groups. "Fusion" was more accurate. Yann Martel's remarkable novel Life of Pi (*) had
just been published, in which the title character seems to find authentic meaning in the practise
of Islam, Christianity and Hinduism to the consternation of his family. His father says, "He
seems to be attracting religions the way a dog attracts fleas."
So when I was invited to speak at an international conference meeting in Brisbane Australia in
2004, I chose "Multiple Religious Practice" as my topic. It was not yet a well-known
phenomenon. The FOX television show The O.C. had not yet featured Chrismukkah, as it would
in the next two or three years.
It is the only time I have been heckled at an academic or professional conference.
When I started my presentation, I was interrupted by rowdy snorts of disdain as two or three
people from England and the United States began to mock and discount the phenomenon. "It's
adolescent schizophrenia," one of them called out. I was having trouble being heard… when
Lionel, a man of colour from south Asia, stood up in the front row wearing his priestly clericals.
(*) He turned to the crowded room and said, “My bishop knew that I was Buddhist when he
ordained me. I think we should listen to what Dr. Sherwood has to say.” The presentation went
well after that, and in the discussion period others said that they were encountering the
phenomenon too. After the session, a number of university officials told me that this
phenomenon might explain behaviour that they had encountered, but not understood. For
example, some privately-funded universities collect information about the religious affiliation of
students entering First Year. I was told that in the previous year or two, some students were
indicating more than one religion. “I thought it was just a mistake,” one American told me; “or
perhaps, they meant that their parents were of two different religions. Now I’m not so sure.”
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In 2002, Emberley had devoted a chapter to “fusion faith” in Canada, which he defined as a form
of syncretism:
Fusion faith is a medley of traditions, forms of worship, devotional practices,
spiritual experiences, and religious beliefs. Like fusion cuisine, it takes the best
of each tradition and blends... Fusion faith is oblivious to the fact that there are
gross contradictions and incompatibilities between its elements... (195-6).
*?
He attributed the phenomenon to a combination of several social factors: the decline of
traditional Canadian religious institutions, cultural pluralism (“multiculturalism”), and especially
individualism:
What distinguishes fusion faith…is the distended individualism at its centre. This
individualism assertively relegates to itself the authority to use and discard (197).
At one point he refers to a “do-it-yourself spirituality package” (156). When I quoted Emberley’s
descriptive phrases in Brisbane in 2004, many of the participants indicated that they were
encountering this phenomenon in their populations of university students around the world.
The Brisbane presentation was published long ago (Journal of the Tertiary Campus Ministry
Association Vol 2. No 1. 2004 pages 322-335), but the phenomenon continued to be part of my
ongoing experience as both a teacher and chaplain at Carleton. It seems to be continuing to
increase, but there is very little Canadian data.
What religion are you? / What religion(s) are you?
*
In Canada, the federal census is held every 10 years, and people are required to answer the
question, “What religion are you?” The respondent can give only one answer. In Canada, we
require the responses to total exactly 100% of the population. That is not the case in every
country.
* * *
For example, it is often pointed out that research in Japan finds that the number of Buddhists and
the number of adherents of Shinto add up to considerably more than the national population (for
example, Van Bragt, 2002: 8). The anthropologist John R. Bowen has analyzed this Japanese
phenomenon in his book, Religions in Practice:
This willingness to participate in more than one religion lies behind the common
practice of declaring oneself as both Buddhist and Shinto, marrying in a
Protestant church, and attending sessions of a healing sect to seek a cure for an
illness. And it is evident in figures about religious membership: about 75 percent
of the population are classified as Buddhist by the government, 95 percent as
Shinto, and over 10 percent as members of new religious movements (Reader,
1991: 6). Japanese do affiliate with religious organizations, and usually more
than one (2005: 32).
*
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It is difficult for someone with a Western perspective to consider the categories of the religious
affiliation variable as anything other than discreet. We want each respondent to choose one
category and only one category. We want the number of Presbyterians, Catholics, Anglicans,
Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, No Religions and Others to add up to exactly 100%. But in
other societies, the religious categories are not mutually exclusive. Asking the Japanese
population for the number of adherents of Shinto, Buddhism, Tao, Confucianism, etc. is like
asking how many vegetarians, pragmatists, optimists, and Blue Jays fans there are in Toronto. In
Canadian society, we want to ask people if they are Muslim or Christian or Hindu or Jewish or
Buddhist, and we have not historically provided for a “some of the above” or “all of the above”
response.
Catherine Cornille has published the most work on this phenomenon over the past 20 years. Her
2002 summary emphasizes that it is a significant phenomenon that deserves to be studied and
taken seriously. And she speaks forcefully to anyone who does not.
In a world of seemingly unlimited choice in matters of religious identity
and affiliation, the idea of belonging exclusively to one religious tradition or of
drawing from only one set of spiritual, symbolic, or ritual resources is no longer
self-evident. Why restrict oneself to the historically and culturally determined
symbols and rituals of one religious tradition amid the rich diversity of symbols
and rituals presenting themselves to the religious imagination?... A heightened
and widespread awareness of religious pluralism has presently left the religious
person with the choice not only of which religion, but also of how many religions
she or he might belong to....
This sense of conviction of belonging to more than one religious tradition
is thus clearly growing, at least in the West. It may be argued that in this, religion
in Europe, America, and Australia is just coming to terms with a practice or a
form of religiosity that has been prevalent for ages in most of the rest of the
world, and especially in the East (Cornille, 2002: 1).
Bowen says simply that “the idea of exclusivity” does not fit with the norms in certain societies
(2005: 27).
Listening to The Echo
This is where I introduce some new Canadian research that helps us better understand this
phenomenon. From 2010 to 2014, I collected statements from young-adult Canadians across the
country. They told me how they our society and our world, and especially commented on
religion and spirituality. The project was called Listening to The Echo, referring to the children
of Baby Boomers – the Echo from the Boom, also called Millennials and Generation Y.
Sociologists refer to age cohorts
My focus was on people born after 1978.
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In fact, it was more specific.
Four sub-pops
SBNR
N=722
Multiple Religious Patterns
John R. Bowen says simply that “the idea of exclusivity” does not fit with the norms in certain
societies (2005: 27).
In the Listening to The Echo project, it soon became apparent that the idea of exclusivity is not a
standard that all Canadian young adults embrace either. About 20% of the participants mentioned
some variation of fusion faith or multiple religious practice. And their statements provide
insights that help explain the variety of terminology used in the international research.
The confusion of labels in the published literature on the subject is partly because it is not just
one subject. "Chrismukkah" is not the same as "The Lives of Pi." There are variations of
Multiple Religious Engagement, and scholars have been describing different phenomena and
trying to analyse several related phenomena as if they were one.
The variety and number of responses in Listening to The Echo help to clarify this.
A close consideration of about 80 statementsin my research reveals five patterns of spirituality in
which more than one religious tradition is present. Now, thinking of yourselves and the people
you know that may be in the population of folks who are multi-religious… please consider
whether this list of categories is sufficient. I will ask you in a few minutues – after I outline the
five categories – whether they are adequate.
1. Inherited Dual Religious Expression
someone with parents from two different religious traditions;
2. Chosen Dual Religious Expression
the child of a particular religious tradition who embraces another religion, but traces of
the formative religion remain apparent;
3. Basic Fusion Faith
("2" plus)
a participant with a specific background but who has developed a unique mix;
4. Eclectic Fusion Faith
(like "3" but…)
a respondent with no religious background or formation who constructs a personal
spirituality from an eclectic variety of sources;
5. Aboriginal Syncretism
an individual who has had two strong spiritual influences: Aboriginal spirituality and
Christianity.
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1. Inherited Dual Religious Expression
The first pattern is the case of parents from two different traditions. This was the case of
"Omar" and his sister, two of the Carleton students described in the 2004 conference
presentation. R530 is an example from Listening to The Echo, someone who is grateful for the
richness of two family traditions, calling the experience "a blessing" –
R530 As a child, I could never wrap my head around what was going on. So many religions,
and so many changes, especially at Christmas time. My brother and I would spend
Christmas morning with my mother and her family opening presents and preparing
dinner.
At my father’s house, we celebrated Hanukkah, for eight days and nights.
As I child, I did not realize what a blessing it was to be surrounded by so many
different religions. I am extremely lucky to be a part of both Christianity and
Judaism.
Two other respondents can serve to illustrate variations within this first pattern. Both appreciate
being raised in two traditions, but one moves more toward the SBNR position "continuing on my
individual path" (R434), and the other moves toward an openness to all religions: "I recognize
the sacred status of all religions and traditions" (R667).
R434 I have a Catholic mother and a Shi’a Muslim father. I was brought up learning
about both religions in great depth, which I cherish and truly thank my parents
for, as it has allowed me to grasp a deep understanding of both belief systems.
In the future, I hope to further my spirituality through meditation, and continue to
learn more about the world religions, while continuing on my individual and
spiritual path.
R667 I have had the unique experience of being exposed to Christian beliefs and
traditions from an early age, and also being immersed in Islamic traditions that
were brought to me through the Lebanese side of my family.
I have attended services in both churches and mosques and appreciated the
message being conveyed.
I recognize the sacred status of all religions and traditions as instruments to connect with
God and promote a healthy lifestyle.
2. Chosen Dual Religious Expression
Some of the participants had grown up in one particular religious tradition, but then
added or embraced another one. This was the pattern shown by both "Zelda" and "Keisha" – two
of the individuals described in the 2004 paper. R504 grew up in a small farming community.
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She encountered Buddhism when she moved to an urban university, and had begun to practise it
when she participated in Listening to The Echo.
R504 I was raised by a devoted Christian grandmother, faithfully attending a small
Presbyterian church. I was baptized when I was 12 out of choice and got ‘saved’
the next year. I went throughout elementary and high school heavily influenced
by the church. I went to annual conventions and Christian concerts that renewed
my faith.
As I started to mature, I started learning about the system of the church, how it is
run, and the dynamics of being a church member. They didn’t appeal to me too
much. It’s not that I didn’t want to follow these rules and regulations that were
required, it was more of the inconsistencies and corrupted flaws that I was
increasingly becoming aware of in the system. Not to say all churches are
negative places; the ones specifically in my area had just turned into a weekly
gathering of gossip and chastising.
My last year of high school I moved out and stopped going to church.
This year I have stayed very quiet and adventurous, exploring different faiths and
perspectives of other people. I am starting to see that most of the religions out
there are centered around peace and love, and in terms of the main religions,
centered on a creator or higher power. I do believe in god. I do believe in Jesus.
But I also agree with a lot of Buddhist tradition and am beginning to practise
different rituals for self-peace. I have brought myself to a point where I don’t
want to say I am religious, because I don’t want to put a label on what I believe. I
hold a lot of views and beliefs from different backgrounds and interpret the
meaning of life in more of a personal relationship with my God, rather than
congregationally sharing my faith.
Religions may have their differences, but I suggest they are also all connected; and
therefore, all of them have plenty to offer to us and we should not be closed to the ideas
of other cultures.
In conclusion, my faith is based on Christian roots; however I am discovering the
practice of Buddhism, its idea of enlightenment, and strongly am a believer of the
prominence of energy in our world that affects us more than we realize it.
I guess one could say that I am confused, or that I am making up my own religion,
but I believe that through the path life has given me, I am just using my resources
to come up with a set of beliefs based on my experience and instinctive
thoughts and feelings.
3. Basic Fusion Faith
In Listening to The Echo, some of the participants reported that they had added other religious
beliefs and practices to the religious tradition of their family formation. Yann Martel brought this
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possibility to public awareness in Life of Pi – the 2001 novel and the 2012 movie – in which the
title character feels that he can be a Hindu, a Muslim and a Christian. In Listening to The Echo
some of the participants reported that they had added other religious beliefs and practices to the
tradition they had grown up in. R521 says, "There are so many religions in the world; how is one
right? How are the others wrong? I believe that whatever it takes for an individual to be
comfortable with these questions has great value and that no other human can say that any
religious belief is wrong." R532 says, "One reason I like exploring different religions is because
I like to find aspects of religions that I find most fitting for myself." R681 says that her parents
"always encouraged me to explore other beliefs and taught me that I would only be able to get
the answers that I seek through learning other beliefs and creating my own belief system." R691
was raised to be a faithful Muslim, but says, " I have found that learning about many different
world religions and exploring different avenues of ritual and worship has led me to a magical
connection with the universe or God."
(
Here are the relevant excerpts from their statements:
R521 When I was born, my parents passed-on their non-denominational Christian
beliefs to me. I grew-up and attended church throughout high school; I celebrated
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs at Synagogue with my Jewish friends; I learned about
Ramadan and Id from my Muslim classmates, and asked many questions of my
Buddhist best-friend. I consider myself to have an intermediate knowledge of
many of the world’s main religions and am always curious to learn more but I
have never felt a calling toward one specific religion; to call one ‘mine.’
Like most people, I wonder: Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What
happens when we die? I know that for many, many people, the answers to these
questions are found communally through religion but not me. I understand how a sense
of community, a belonging, or a belief in a higher power, can be helpful in
answering life’s big questions and I respect the fact that religion may have been
formed out of these desires.
For me, ‘faith,’ ‘spirituality’ means not needing to understand. I have to have
faith that there is a reason for human life, for the natural grandeur, the awe, but I
don’t need to have the answers. There are so many religions in the world; how is
one right? How are the others wrong? I believe that whatever it takes for an
individual to be comfortable with these questions has great value and that no
other human can say that any religious belief is wrong. The underlying message
from most popular religions is virtuous and respectful and there is so much
natural beauty in the world that I believe, if people stopped and really thought
about that, that there would be less anger and more compassion in the world.
For me, that is what ‘faith’ is all about.
tom.sherwood@carleton.ca
May 11, 2015
R532 One reason I like exploring different religions is because I like to find aspects of
religions that I find most fitting for myself. For example with Buddhism the idea
of karma fascinates me, and I’ve had experiences in my life that seem to only be
explainable by karma. I also meditate which is another thing which I’ve taken
from Buddhism. Another religion that I take aspects from is Hinduism; I practice
yoga, and some of what yoga practice is based on is taken from Hinduism, for
example the idea of opening the chakra’s through stretching. I’m also fascinated
by the idea of past lives.
I think my spiritual journey will be a lifelong one, and I may not take a position
one way or the other on God ever, but I will continue to enjoy exploring religion
and spirituality.
R681 I am born a Catholic and I have gone to Catholic schools all my life. With the
Catholic system being the base for my entire primary and secondary education, it
really shaped my life. What makes my religious identity different is that I was
brought up in an extremely liberal household, and they always encouraged me to
explore other beliefs and taught me that I would only be able to get the answers
that I seek through learning other beliefs and creating my own belief system.
Other belief systems have influenced me, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hinduism influenced me through their idea of Dharma. This idea of having a duty
and being on earth in order to accomplish a specific goal is a value that I have
adopted. As for Buddhism, the idea of Karma is very influential. I believe that
good karma does influence things that happen on a daily basis. I do not
necessarily believe in reincarnation or the cycle of Samsara, but that is just
because my belief isn’t fully developed yet.
R691 I have a very strict Muslim mother and a liberal, broad-minded, non-practicing
Muslim father; and perhaps this was after all a good basis to begin my own
exploration of my personal brand of spirituality.
I have found that learning about many different world religions and exploring
different avenues of ritual and worship has led me to a magical connection with
the universe or God.
When I was very young, I automatically accepted the notion of the existence of
God, angels in heaven and even the Quran being the one and only truth that will
save humanity from destroying itself. Once I grew into my adolescent years and
began to formulate a more independent view of the world and generated my
unique existential musings from behind my personal lens through which a subjective
world was being constructed, I began to detach more and more to allow myself the
necessary space to analyze and come up with my own values and belief system.
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I do not believe that any one religion is the only path to Divine union with a higher
power. I feel extremely connected to the soul of the universe and see God everywhere.
I see God in the random acts of kindness that humans do every day, I see God in a
stranger’s friendly smile and twinkling eyes when they seem to be looking directly inside
of you and letting you know that they like whoever they see, I see God in nature and feel
his sublime presence everywhere on Earth. To me, God’s essence can be felt when one
comes upon the vast, blue ocean, wakes up to the song of morning birds, witnesses the
innocence and helplessness of a baby who needs tender love and care, the wealth of
knowledge that is offered by so many brilliant and wise human beings, the innovations
and advancements of our civilization and those that came before us, the creativity of
artists, musicians, film makers, writers and photographers and the list goes on and on. I
understand God to be the source of all things – both animate and inanimate – and ideas
that possess beauty and truth. Still, God is truly unknowable and incomprehensible
and will always remain abstract and intangible to us mortals, so the best that I can hope
for is to connect to this higher force that I believe exists any way that I can and form a
bond that helps me to evolve as a person and feel as if my life here on Earth serves some
higher purpose.
)
4. Eclectic Fusion Faith
Some of the participants had come to an experience of fusion faith or multiple religious
attachments without having any particular religion in their family background.
R077 I was born into a non-religious family, my father is an atheist and my mother has
no strong convictions towards religion. My father taught me to always question
religious people and authority figures. This is a lesson I still practice today and
has made it impossible for me to objectively view, and or learn, any religious
practices. As I grew up I could not accept the Christian view of the world, there
were just too many unanswerable questions in my opinion.
Once I started attending high school I was exposed to multiple diverse cultures
and practices. I attended a high school where the majority of the student
populations were Aboriginals. I had a few friends who lived on reserves and I had
the honour of accompanying them to several pow wows. It was a truly
magnificent experience and really showed me, for the first time, how religion
unites people. I was also exposed to the spiritual practices of Wicca and
Buddhism. I was fascinated by the connection that people practicing Wicca felt
with the earth and their surroundings.
I have experimented with multiple faiths and spiritual paths.
R608 Many people choose to share their religiosity or spirituality with others as a
community but this is something I have rarely been a part of in my life. Growing
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up I can only remember a handful of times that my family attended Church and
the times that we did were usually special occasions and holidays. This may have
contributed to my stance on the organized part of religion.
Some may consider their relationship with God as stronger because they attend
Church regularly, but I believe this is untrue. No one can truly understand or
know the depth of another’s relationship with God if it is a personal relationship
that one keeps to themselves and does not express publicly. For me, my
spirituality has been something which brings meaning and significance to my life
through the lens of my own experiences, interpretations and perceptions. In this
sense you could say that I consider my own religiousness and spirituality to be
somewhat of a personal thing to me.
A young lady mentioned a quote by a Persian poet called Rumi, “The lamps are
different, but the light is the same.” I thought this was an interesting quote. My
interpretation of the author is that while we all worship God in different ways, we all
worship the same God nonetheless. In my opinion there is some truth to this.
5.
5. Aboriginal Syncretism
Several participants told about the experience of being an Aboriginal Canadian, and how that
almost always involves the need to come to terms with both traditional teachings and
Christianity. In anthropology, syncretism is normally defined as the reconciliation or fusion of
two different belief systems leading to the formation of a new spirituality in which both sources
are still apparent. Presbyterian and Roman Catholic authorities are cautious about this in their
parishes and congregations in native communities; but Anglican and United Church
congregations will often incorporate smudging and sweat lodges into the life of the Christian
community.
The Listening to The Echo respondents give examples of how this tension plays out in individual
lives. R109 asks, "Am I a Christian?" For several years R163 was troubled by the confusion of
traditions until an expression of acceptancefrom a cousin. R480 identifies as "both religious and
spiritual" – understanding the Aboriginal tradition as "spiritual" and the Christian tradition as
"religious." Similarly, R546 has worked through the tension and arrived at a state of selfacceptance.
R097 I consider myself lucky in the fact that I come from two cultures, having a
Caucasian mother and an Inuk father. My daughter is a living example of the
current religious and spiritual customs found in Nunavut, as she is a baptized
Anglican who also is named after a deceased relative in accordance with the Inuit
Shamanistic tradition. She exemplifies my respect for both traditions. In order
(for my daughter to be baptized), I had to attend confirmation classes to be
confirmed within the church.
tom.sherwood@carleton.ca
May 11, 2015
Am I a Christian?
I think that my knowledge from both the Inuit shamanistic tradition and the
Anglican Christian viewpoint allows me to form important questions surrounding
some of the various truths that both traditions come to claim.
R163 I was not brought up strictly religious. Though my mother was educated within
the Anglican church residential school system, I felt that First Nations spirituality
still played a large part in her belief system since she was taught certain aspects at
a young age by her parents. To put all of this together was confusing to me right
through my early twenties. I thought I had to belong within one defined category
in order to be considered a religious person. When I was 23, a Catholic cousin
told me something very comforting when his father passed away and I was
heartbroken that I could not attend the funeral: “I know you will think of him and
pray for us in your own way.” His understanding made me realize I didn’t have to
give a name to my fusion of religions.
R480 I believe each person brings with them the values of their own religion and their
own personal methods of interpretation of how to bring these values into everyday
life.
My aboriginal background has largely influenced my identity as a spiritual
person. I define myself as being both religious and spiritual because of the
ceremonies I have grown up attending, and how the teachings behind the rituals
and language have come to affect the larger aspects of my life. I have completed
my own rites of passage ceremony consisting of cleansing sweat lodges and
fasting for four days at a time. The ceremonies and rituals I have participated in as
an aboriginal person give me a different lens through which to understand the
world around me.
I identify myself as both religious and spiritual.
R546 I come from a family of Christians, with a Shamanic great-grandmother on my
paternal side, and a practicing witch for a grandmother on my mother’s side. My
beliefs were varied from a young age. I spent many years searching, as many do,
for a spirituality or religion that would suit me. But, like my background I have
finally accepted that I am simply eclectic, just like my roots.
Over the last few years I have had many opportunities to practice ritual with
Covens, Druids, Native Americans, Christians, Heathens, and many more sects I
simply cannot find a name for. This has led me to accept small pieces from each,
whatever suits me, whatever fits. I enjoy learning about others and their beliefs, as
I believe I can take away something and learn something from each of them.
tom.sherwood@carleton.ca
13
May 11, 2015
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Through my open beliefs, I have found myself identifying as an eclectic
spiritualist. I am open to learning about all religions and find peace in various
types. My spirituality is constantly changing.
Dynamic Diversity
"My spirituality is constantly changing," says R546.
In the context of fusion faith and multiple religious expression, the other thing that needs to be
said is that these young adults are a very dynamic population at perhaps the most dynamic stage
of their lives. Many of them are seekers. While their parents and grandparents struggle with all
the changes in the world around them, these young people seek change. They feed on it and are
nourished by it. That being the case, it is interesting to take a photograph or a selfie – as
Listening to The Echo does, capturing the thoughts of each individual on a particular day – but
they are a moving target and a "video" would be more appropriate. As R593 put it, "This is how
I feel today, I cannot speculate on how I might feel in five years, or one year, or the second after
I hit send on the email." R546 said simply, "My spirituality is constantly changing." R369
specifically alludes to the possibilities of multiple religious associations and fusion faith:
"Perhaps one of the greatest personal aspects of being a spiritual individual, is the openmindedness that comes with contemplation, as well as the ability to incorporate new values and
beliefs without having to ascribe myself to any one religious body."
Some of the others had the same self-awareness.
R716 My relationship with religion has been very up, down, and a little all over
the place. I’m searching right now for something.
R448 I plan to continue to learn and develop my understanding of different
religious practices and rituals.
R060 I am open minded and willing to explore it more while learning more and
different ideologies.
R393 I will not accept the dogma of any particular faith as the one truth of
human existence. We take what makes sense to us, as individuals trying to
understand our place in this world. Some of us need ritual; others need
some sort of promise or reassurance that a religious community can
provide. For myself, I just want to learn.
R455 I find many other religions and the way the faiths connect fascinating.
When you talk with other people about their faiths, it is apparent that there
are similarities between all religions, even though they all have their own
rituals. One thing I would like to achieve is to be able to spend some time
at different places of worship, other than my own. I would really love to
visit a Mosque, and a Synagogue.
tom.sherwood@carleton.ca
May 11, 2015
Perhaps R595 said it best, and speaks for a large number of young adults today: "I am still
figuring out who I am with respect to my spiritual and religious identity."
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS
2 questions for the audience
1. Is the list of five categories adequate? Did it include everyone you were thinking of?
2. Can you think of other pop culture or public figure examples of multiple religious
engagement?
References
Bowen, John R. (2005) Religions in Practice, Allyn and Bacon, Boston.
Cornille, Catherine (ed) (2002) Many Mansions? – Multiple Religious Belonging and
Christian Identity Orbis, New York.
Cornille, Catherine (2003) “Double Religious Belonging: Aspects and Questions’,
Buddhist-Christian Studies, pp.43-49.
Emberley, Peter C. (2002) Divine Hunger: Canadians on Spiritual Walkabout,
HarperCollins, Toronto.
Martel, Yann (2001) Life of Pi, Vintage, Toronto.
Sherwood 2002
Sherwood - website
Van Bragt, J. (2002) ‘Multiple Religious Belonging of the Japanese People’ in C.
Cornille (ed) Many Mansions? – Multiple Religious Belonging and Christian
Identity, Orbis, New York, pp.7-19.
identity."
tom.sherwood@carleton.ca
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