Muslims and Christians in the Bulgarian Rhodopes.

9 Seeking Healing from Members of a Different Religion as a Case Against Religious Syncretism

In this chapter⁴⁷⁸ I argue that those cases where healing is sought from neighbours of a different religion can be regarded as evidence of superficial syncretism. At a deep level, co-operation between members of different religions is not synonymous with, nor should it be mistaken for, religious syncretism. Far from shaping some kind of shared Muslim-Christian religiosity, the practice actually serves to maintain each group’s religious autonomy.

My respondents resort to healers of a different religion not because they see their religion as somehow familiar or complementary; on the contrary, they tend to view it as a source of magical powers which are ...