ABSTRACT
Few religions remain absolutely constant through time. Splits occur within individual religions, often promoted by differences of interpretation or practice which reform movements seek to restore to original forms. Good examples include the split in Christianity brought by the Reformation (Chapter 4, pp. 11117), the split of Islam into Shiite and Sunni branches (Chapter 4, pp. 109-11), and the split of the Amish from the Mennonites (Chapter 4, pp. 123-7). Even where religions are not torn apart by schism, beliefs and practices can change through time particularly when a religion is planted in a new area. Cultural assimilation can include the absorption of indigenous beliefs and practices into the newly arrived (usually universalist) religion, which can thus evolve regional variants reflecting their unique cultural settings. The Black Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in North America (Chapter 4, pp. 117-18), for example, retains vestiges of its African genesis and its black slave heritage, although it still has great appeal in contemporary black American society.
