Dao Cao Dai: A Socio-historical Analysis of a Syncretic Vietnamese Religion and Its Relationship to Other Religions

Abstract

In this dissertation Cao Dai religion is presented as one of the best examples of the outcome of Western and Asian acculturation occurred in the South of Vietnam down through the centuries. Thus, the current research makes it plain that Caodaism to a certain extent tends to be viewed as an outstanding example of a harmonious synthesis of both cultural as well as religious blends in the history of world religions. First to be considered is the fact that this research focuses Vietnamese socio-historical context with a view to gaining more comprehensive understanding of its significant role the way it played in the process of fostering the emergence of Caodaism in the South of Vietnam beginning in the early 20th century. At this point, this research work tends to explore Vietnamese social milieu in order to identify diverse deeply embedded cultural roots that actually served as a strong base for syncretic origin of Caodaism. As scholars view, with very few exceptions, the Vietnamese have a long established unique tradition of religious tolerance and thereby the religious amalgam is found to be very common among them. This century old tradition of religious tolerance and harmony in fact helped Vietnam to be a meeting place of religions and cultures. Therefore, more than a thousand-year old process of absorbing foreign elements and thereby its social integration has created a profound sense of Vietnamese identity. We have thus far discussed and evaluated about how Cao Dai religion emerged and it continued assimilating all borrowed elements into its own in the matrix of such a distinct Vietnamese socio-historical identity. At the same time, a further attempt is made to consider how the Cao Dai followers have kept undergoing a complex and syncretic religious life; and why the adherents never bother whether their religion is in greater peril of syncretism. In analyzing some reasons for this, present thesis explores the situations of continuous contact of Cao Dai religion with previously established traditions in Vietnam and addresses the approach how Caodaism blends and systematically internalizes borrowed elements in association with the elements of Western and other Eastern thoughts for its subsequent development. Consequently, Caodaism appears to be a new panorama and finds expression in a distinctive social system. This is, in a broad sense of the phenomenon, the unique syncretistic approach of the religion which has very smoothly incorporated, amalgamated and even adopted diverse elements locally in a sort of holistic mode. The study claims that these hybrid characteristics of the religion allow Caodaists to overcome a sense of cultural inferiority by establishing cultural equality with the West and the East. However, as the Western and Eastern traditions had been dominant streams to Caodaism, it was natural to have their impact upon the new religion. Thus, the present research also deals with a good effort in exploring philosophical understanding of Caodaism, its faiths and morals in order to assess Caodaism’s relation with the religions of Semitic and Indian origins. The conclusion drawn in relation to the study presented in this dissertation is that it may be pointed out that the central theme of Cao Dai syncretism is actually the way in which Caodaism approaches all borrowed elements from a refreshed and new viewpoint. Therefore, we can deduce from established arguments that the themes dealt with in the syncretic doctrine of Caodaism are the new versions of the themes of the older ones which have been transparently assimilated into Caodaism. It is to this comprehensive understanding that researcher hopes to contribute.