Overview of Religion in Vietnam

Author: Joseph Nguyễn
Grades: 6-8

Suggested Amount of Time: 50-80 Minutes
Area of Study: Framing the Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum

Compelling Question

• Why is it important to learn about Vietnam, Vietnamese refugees, and Vietnamese American experiences?

Lesson Questions

• How do we think about diverse definitions of culture, identity, community, history, geography, and ethnicity and how do they contribute to the framing of Vietnamese America?
• What are the main organized religions in Vietnam, and what specific cultural practices do they entail?
• What makes something Vietnamese? Are all religions in Vietnam authentically Vietnamese?

Lesson Objective

Students will be able to analyze differences between the major religions in Vietnam, including Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Caodaism, Hòa Hảo Buddhism, and Chăm Islam, by conducting research and creating a poster.

Lesson Background

Vietnam is a melting pot of religious influences, each adapted and transformed over centuries to fit into the nation's unique cultural fabric. The first major religion to discuss is Buddhism, which arrived in the second century through trade routes with China and India. It is one of the oldest and most deeply embedded religions in Vietnam, incorporating elements of native belief systems and Confucian ethics. Catholicism, another significant religion, was introduced much earlier than the period of French colonization, specifically in the fifteenth century by Portuguese and French missionaries. It has grown over six centuries to become distinctly Vietnamese, challenging the notion that it is merely a byproduct of French colonialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The twentieth century brought new religious movements to Vietnam, including Protestantism, introduced during the French colonial period and further expanded through American influence during the Vietnam War. Indigenous religious movements also emerged, such as Caodaism and Hòa Hảo Buddhism. Caodaism sought to create a unified religious philosophy incorporating elements from various world religions, while Hòa Hảo Buddhism originated in the Mekong Delta and emphasizes community service and good works. Another long-standing religious presence is that of Islam, particularly among the Cham peoples of Central Vietnam. Islam was introduced to the Champa Empire in the twelfth century and has blended with indigenous Cham beliefs.

Different narratives about history, about Vietnam, and about Vietnamese Americans have often used religion as a basis for an individual's or a nation's Vietnameseness, often synonymous with one's legitimacy and belonging. The religious demographics in Vietnam and in the Vietnamese American community are extremely different, due in part to refugees fleeing religious persecution from Vietnam. Mainstream narratives used by both the US. and Vietnam have purported believers of religions like Buddhism to be pure Vietnamese and representative of the nation, while believers of other religions such as Catholicism or Chăm Islam are viewed as products of foreign influence. A look into the history and practices of religions in Vietnam helps us understand that each religion is authentically Vietnamese, shaped uniquely by both non-Vietnamese and Vietnamese influences that have created unique practices, customs, and identities that only exist in Vietnam and become essential identity markers for many Vietnamese Americans today.

Image Citation: Buddhist temple. (n.d.). Calisphere. https://calisphere.org/item/88d7d630017cf14e7db882b312ef2a37/