Conclusion

Abstract

The period of late antiquity provides an example of how syncretism’s use has changed over recent decades as scholars increasingly probe the usefulness of categories like religion or syncretism when applying them to non-Western cultures. Recent scholarship like David Frankfurter’s indicates that the term “syncretism” can remain a useful designation in religious studies when used reflexively. The term’s history can be folded into its present usage, such that the power dynamics behind its negative usage can be turned around. Concluding and summarizing the book’s claims for Christian theology, I argue that some syncretisms can be seen as means of the body of Christ growing in history, which the Swahili language calls umwilisho, or body-making.