2017/10/19 by Anh Q. Tran · 2 citations
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Vietnamese History and Culture Studies #Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis #Chinese history and philosophy #Christianity #Buddhism #Vietnamese #Religious studies #Faith #Religious pluralism #Pluralism (philosophy) #History of religions #History #Philosophy #Literature #Theology #Art #Epistemology #Linguistics
paper · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190677602.001.0001
openalex publication_date 2017/10/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Though a minority religion in Vietnam, Christianity has constituted a significant presence in the country since its arrival in the sixteenth century. This translation and analytical study of a 1752 document entitled <italic>Tam Giáo Chư Vọng</italic> [<italic>Errors of the Three Religions</italic>] adds to the knowledge of its early history within its cultural and religious contexts. This anonymous manuscript paints a rich picture of the three traditional Vietnamese religions (Tam Giáo), i.e., Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Aiming at the new converts, the writer describes the “errors” (Chư Vọng) of these traditional beliefs and religious practices and provides an apologetics for the Christian doctrines. Structured as a dialogue between a Christian priest and a Confucian scholar, the work explains and evaluates many religious customs and rituals of eighteenth-century Vietnam—many of which are still in practice today. In addition, it contains a trove of information on the challenges and struggles that Vietnamese Christian converts had to face in following the new faith. Beside its enormous historical value for studies on Vietnamese religions, language, and culture, this manuscript raises contemporary and highly complex issues concerning the encounter between Christianity and other religions, Christian missions, religious pluralism, interreligious dialogue, and the dialogue between Christianity and cultures.