ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a study of the process of culture change, especially in the context of outside influence resulting from economic, political, and social exploitation. Religious institutions provide mechanisms for dealing with inevitable stresses that are part of living. In general, religious practices tend to be very conservative. This conservatism is derived from their sacred nature and the fact that a society's belief system is usually considered to be ancient. The subordinate culture experiences change as traits are accepted, often at a rate that is too rapid to properly integrate the traits into culture. This process is referred to as acculturation. Syncretism is a fusing of traits from two cultures to form something new and yet permit the retention of the old by subsuming the old into a new form. Religions exist to answer questions, to show us a culturally defined correct path, to make us feel safe and secure in the world we live in.
