Final answer:
Voodoo and Santeria are syncretic religions that combine African traditional beliefs with Christianity. They are products of acculturation and adapt traditional African practices. African influence on these faiths is significant, especially in regions like the Caribbean.
Step-by-step explanation:
Voodoo and Santeria are examples of syncretic religions, which blend beliefs and practices from various religious traditions and are a result of acculturation. These religions have emerged from the process of blending African traditional religions with Christianity, as seen with Santeria, which overlays African-based spirits onto Catholic saints. In Africa, this merging of faiths was often circumstantial, with adaptation occurring to fit traditional practices and rituals of African peoples. Likewise, Vodun, found among the Fon and Ewe of Benin and southwestern Nigeria, combines elements of traditional African belief systems with influences from Christianity. These syncretic religions often contain elements of animism, ancestor worship, and the belief in supernatural powers. The development of such hybrid religions can also be observed in the African influence on religious practices in regions like the Caribbean. In the study of supernatural beliefs, it is crucial for anthropologists to adopt a culturally relativistic perspective to understand these beliefs from an insider's perspective, as the imposition of external definitions can lead to misunderstandings.