Preface; Sources; Part I: General Introduction; Part II: The Historical Background of the Term Syncretism: The Problem of Definition; Introduction; 1. Hans Kippenberg: In Praise of Syncretism: The Beginnings of Christianity Conceived in the Light of a Diagnosis of Modern Culture; 2. Hendrik Kraemer: Syncretism; 3. Robert Baird: Syncretism and the History of Religions; 4. Michael Pye: Syncretism and Ambiguity; 5. Kurt Rudolph: Syncretism - from Theological Invective to a Concept in the Study of Religion; Part III: Syncretism: The Dynamics of Religion; Introduction; 1. Gerardus van der Leeuw: The Dynamic of Relgions. Syncretism. Mission; 2. Hendrik M. Vroom: Syncretism and Dialogue: A Philosophical Analysis; 3. Roger Bastide: Problems of Religious Syncretism; Part IV: Religions in Contact: Power, Syncretism and Creolization; Introduction; 1. Andrew Apter: Herskovit's Heritage: Rethinking Syncretism in the African Diaspora; 2. Carlos Guillermo Wilson: The Caribbean: Marvelous Cradle-Hammock and Painful Cornucopia; 3. Gustavo Benavides: Syncretism and Legitimacy in Latin American Religion; 4. Andre Droogers: Syncretism, Power, Play; 5. Armin W. Geertz: Worlds in Collusion: On Social Strategies and Misrepresentations as Forces of Syncretism in Euro-American and Native American Affairs; Part V: Category Problems and Theoretical Suspense; Introduction; 1. Charles Stewart: Relocating Syncretism in Social Science Discourse; 2. Luther H. Martin: Syncretism, Historicism, and Cognition: A Response to Michael Pye; 3. Ulrich Berner: The Concept of 'Syncretism': An Instrument of Historical Insight/Discovery?; Part VI: Current Approaches to Syncretism in the Study of Religion; Introduction; 1. Timothy Light: Orthosyncretism: An Account of Melding in Religion; 2. Panayotis Pachis: Religious Tendencies in Greece at the Dawn of the 21st Century - An Approach to Contemporary Greek Reality; 3. Kirstine Munk: Medicine-men, Modernity and Magic: Syncretism as an Explanatory Category to Recent Religious Responses and Magical Practices among Urban Blacks in Contemporary South Africa; Part VII: Conclusion; Appendix: List of References to Further Reading on Syncretism