Hoskins - The Vietnamese Faith (Thur)

[Anonymous]

Hoskins exploration of the "syncretism" of the cao dai religion is fascinating and really speaks to the the Vietnamese emphasis on pragmatism. One sits quietly in the face of the validity of all perspectives, understanding that knowledge itself is a construct and that so-called truth is infinitely more subtle. Yet faced with the reality of every day disjointed experiences, forces the practitioner to come up with practical rituals and symbols to address the psychological dilemmas that comes with modern existence. I would use this piece to inform my lesson planning around the rich symbolisms and themes found in eastern religions and traditions of a literary unit.

[Anonymous]

The Bible clearly states in Exodus 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." The perversion of all the different ideologies isn't new, but so many different allowances of beliefs rolled into one is definitely a unique organized religion. I think this could be a great lesson in the upper grades on a study of a variety of religions that the Cai dai embraces. Students could compare and contrast two the three of the religions that Cai dai embraces and do a presentation on their findings.

[Anonymous]

Great lessons for High School as an example of the creation of a modern religion and its spreading from Vietnam to others areas. Students would be able to research and present on the nationalistic tendencies of the religion during the french colonial period coupled with influences from Masonic, Catholic, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions. The use of hybrid and new symbols and rituals could also be of interest. This is an interesting modern often overlooked example of how religions are created morphed and can travel globally.

[Anonymous]

I thought it was interesting that in Caodai, the LGBTQ community seems to be more accepted than in some of the other cultures/religions that are practiced in the U.S. In Caodai, a man can have female spirits inside him and a woman can be a vessel for a male spirit. It’s a much more nuanced way to think about gender/sexuality, especially since there’s so much homophobia in the U.S.
Parts of the elaborate rituals are reminiscent of Chinese culture, such as the dragon being present during ceremonies. It would make sense why anyone who is not familiar with Vietnamese culture might confuse the Caodai religion with Buddhism and label it as such.

Also, I see a parallel between how in both Vietnam and China, there have been times were religion was considered a waste of time by the government. Instead, the governments in both countries wanted to emphasize building the nation. Nonetheless, I do appreciate how Caodai has survived and continues to be practiced in both Vietnam and the U.S. despite this history.

[Anonymous]

I find this to be an interesting fusion of the west and the east religions in Vietnam. In many ways, I find this to be a religion of convenience rather than a pure religion based on a certain ideological belief. It is like saying we are not sure who to worship, so let's just include everyone. But then on the other hand, one may see it as a religion of tolerance in which all are welcome and that there are many paths to the ultimate truth.
What I find the most intriguing is the order in which the Gods/Goddess are arranged. I am curious to know as to how each figure comes to be placed in the position in which it is currently resides and whether there is any significance in such position.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure how I would use this in the classroom. Maybe comparing and contrasting different religions. Showing the similarities and differences of Asia religions.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this presentation this was the first time I have ever even heard of this religion. Since I do not really understand it that well I don’t think that I would ever teach it in my classroom but it was interesting to see the videos. I might however, use the videos shown in class and the article provided as a resource to show diversity in religions in Asia. I like reading “What Are Vietnam’s Indigenous Religions”, helped me understand the religion better.

Profile of the Vietnamese spirt: http://dornsife.usc.edu/transnational-religion/spirit-profiles/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://dornsife.usc.edu/transnational-religion/spirit-profiles/

Relationship of Syncretism vs. Diaspora: http://dornsife.usc.edu/transnational-religion

Mother Goddess Religion: http://dornsife.usc.edu/transnational-religion/mother-goddess-religion/

Military Hero: http://dornsife.usc.edu/transnational-religion/tran-hung-dao/. Helps women with fertility. Heals reproductive organs.

[cgao]

Please download and read the attached documents.

[Anonymous]

@Cindy

I think sometimes our cultures are so blended in our own heads that we confuse what we see! My parents are from two very different regions in Mexico, and I know this has happened to me a few times. One thing I would like to do in my classroom is studying how people pay homage to their ancestors that have passed. I hope I can include Caodai in my classroom.

[Author]

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