PDF
ZENODO
Published
2026-03-25
Section
Articles
How to Cite
How to Cite
ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY FOUND IN MUSLIM TRADITIONS ON THE EXAMPLE OF CENTRAL ASIA
Jurayev Sanjar
Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Termez University of Economics and Service
Karimov Akbar
Department of Social Sciences, Termez University of Economics and Service, Termez, Uzbekistan
Xushboqov Shohruh
Student, Faculty of Medicine, Termez University of Economics and Service shohruhbekxushboqov0@gmail.com
Keywords: syncretism, Central Asian Islam, Christianity, folk religiosity, shrine visitation, forty-day ceremony, sacred spring, religious traditions, Nestorianism, religious anthropology.
Abstract
Purpose: To identify syncretic elements derived from Christian influence in Central Asian Muslim traditions and to analyze their manifestations in contemporary religious practice. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted between 2021 and 2023 in five regions of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, with the participation of 166 respondents; in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and analysis of historical documents were employed. Results: 71.7% of respondents reported regularly or occasionally engaging in at least one syncretic practice. Shrine visitation (68.7%), forty-day ceremonies (84.3%), and recourse to sacred springs (52.4%) were identified as the most widespread elements. Conclusion: Syncretic elements assimilated from Christian, Zoroastrian, and Buddhist traditions have historically been integrated into Central Asian Muslim religious practice and remain actively present today, reflecting the complex, multi-layered nature of religious identity.
References
1. DeWeese D. Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde: Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition. University Park: Penn State Univ Press; 1994.
2. Privratsky B.G. Muslim Turkistan: Kazak Religion and Collective Memory. Richmond: Curzon Press; 2001.
3. Bartold V.V. Sochineniya. Tom VI: Raboty po istorii islama i arabskogo khalifata. Moskva: Nauka; 1966.
4. Baldauf I. Schriftreform und Schriftwechsel bei den muslimischen Russland- und Sowjettürken. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; 1993.
5. Geertz C. Islam Observed: Religious Development in Morocco and Indonesia. New Haven: Yale University Press; 1968.
6. Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology. 2006;3(2):77–101.
7. Foltz R. Religions of the Silk Road: Premodern Patterns of Globalization. 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan; 2010.
8. Hunter E. The Church of the East in Central Asia. Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. 1996;78(3):129–142.
9. Adeeb K. Islam After Communism: Religion and Politics in Central Asia. Berkeley: Univ of California Press; 2007.
10. Rasanayagam J. Islam in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan: The Morality of Experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2011.
11. Pétric B.M. Pouvoir, don et réseaux en Ouzbékistan post-soviétique. Paris: PUF; 2002.
12. Muminov A. Transformation of Religious Education in Central Asia. Comparative Islamic Studies. 2007;3(2):211–234.
