The syncretic religiosity of the Misharis of the Ulyanovsk region

Today historians are faced with the task of assessing the potential of Islam for intercultural dialogue. In the course of the twentieth century, the spiritual life of Mishar Muslims underwent global changes, both as a result of natural-historical processes associated with changes in ethno-confessional identity, and under the influence of ideological pressure, when all manifestations of religiosity were harshly suppressed. The study of the historical experience of inter-religious interaction is important for the study of the modern realities and factors determining the prospects of development of the spiritual culture of the Misharis of the Ulyanovsk region. Religious syncretism of the Misharis in this region has its own structure and consists of three elements: Islam, paganism and non-traditional beliefs. The greatest preservation in the pagan element is characteristic of shamanism, magic and animism. The evolution of religious syncretism among the Misharis occurred in three stages, which resulted in the formation of specific layers in their worldview. Syncretism of Islam and paganism - folk Islam - is the most widespread among Misharis. The book is intended for ethnologists, historians, sociologists and religious scholars.