Defending the faith – looking back, looking forward
Religious leaders are active in Vietnam. Which religion do you think this is referring to?
‘[Our faith] has a history of more than two thousand years in which we are very proud of the great contributions to the happiness of men and peace for the world.’ Last July, over 600 religious leaders, professors and devotees, including 160 from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA attended this symposium, the largest of its kind ever to take place in Vietnam. It focussed on the intersection of faith with global issues, nation-building, economy and politics, and the key role of spirituality for effective living.
During the three-day event, leading foreign and Vietnamese dignitaries and researchers presented 85 papers on topics that included:
- How their faith has influenced both the global and national heritage; building for the future based on this history and experience
- Faith as a stimulus for social development and service
- Future role and impact of faith in Vietnamese culture; potential challenges to its influence
- Mutual understanding and co-operation among different schools (denominations)
- Western psychology and logic vs spiritually-informed viewpoints of humanity
- Recruiting the next generation of religious leaders
- The impact of mass communication
- Expansion and development of fellowships in Europe
- How to build an education system that incorporates religious beliefs
- Globalisation: how faith can enhance Vietnamese integration into the global community.
Areas for future research were also identified, in particular, how faith can best satisfy the felt needs of people, within a context of ever-increasing exchange between world cultures.
‘Throughout Vietnam's long history, [our faith] has had its greatest opportunity in the contribution to the building, security, and the development of the nation… not only [as] a loyal and caring companion, but also a protector of the nation.’
Which faith? It is Buddhism, the largest of the Vietnam’s six officially recognised religions. The other five are Catholicism, Protestantism, Hoa Hao, Cao daism and Islam. According to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), the registered community of active Buddhists has increased 10-fold since 1981. There are now around 10 million active Buddhists and 14,500 places of worship across Vietnam.
Think and pray
- Reflect on the role of your faith in shaping the history and culture of your country. Is your faith encountering similar challenges and opportunities?
- Look through the list of topics discussed. Which are particularly strategic for Buddhists ‘evangelising’to other Vietnamese?
- The vast majority of Vietnamese are nominally Buddhist. Will Christian or Buddhist ‘evangelism’ be most appealing to them? What can tip the balance in favour of the gospel?
