TTLV: The phenomenon of worshipping Ho Chi Minh: The formation process, characteristics of worship, and religious nature.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name:Nguyen Ngoc Phuong                

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: August 19, 1987

4. Place of birth: Ung Hoa, Hanoi

5. Decision on student admission No. 1883/2010/QD-XHNV-SDH, dated October 21, 2010, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process: None

7. Thesis title:The phenomenon of worshipping Ho Chi Minh: its formation process, characteristics of worship, and religious nature.

8. Major: Ethnology Code: 60 22 70

9. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van ChinhDepartment of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of the thesis results:

Existing sources indicate that the new religious movement began to flourish in Vietnam, particularly in the Northern Delta region, from around the late 1980s onwards, when the country began its economic reforms and international integration. Currently, there are approximately 80 new religious phenomena existing under various names, including 8 religions imported from abroad. The emergence of new religious movements in Vietnam has attracted not only religious administrators but also social researchers. Several initial studies on this phenomenon have been published (Central Committee for Mass Mobilization 2007; Government Religious Affairs Committee 2008; Do Quang Hung 2001 & 2011; Hoang Van Chung 2014).

Studies have initially compiled a list of several "new religious" groups, explaining the causes of the phenomenon and proposing practical solutions. However, fundamentally, most studies conducted by state agencies do not aim to analyze new religious phenomena as a "religious belief," but rather tend to equate these phenomena with superstitious practices and propose administrative measures to suppress them. Besides general studies, there are not many studies that delve deeper into the history of formation, characteristics of worship, and religious nature of specific new religious phenomena. This thesis is the first to describe the worship of Ho Chi Minh as a new religious belief and analyze its characteristics and religious nature. Based on ethnographic field research methods, we have conducted in-depth studies of three cases of Ho Chi Minh worship in Hai Duong, Hai Phong, and Ha Tay (formerly). In addition, we also conducted a broader survey of the phenomenon of worshipping Ho Chi Minh, including the provinces of Quang Ninh and Hoa Binh.

Our research shows that although the aforementioned religious groups all take Ho Chi Minh as their supreme saint, their worship practices, organizational methods, and religious beliefs are not the same. Even the names of the groups worshipping Ho Chi Minh are inconsistent. While proponents of Ho Chi Minh worship tend to explain their religious practices as an attempt to develop a new religious worldview, examining the doctrines and ideological content of these "founders" reveals that their religious views originate from three main sources: 1) Ancestor worship; 2) Buddhism; and 3) Mother Goddess worship. From analyzing the "scriptures" and practices of Ho Chi Minh worship, we believe that the essence of the phenomenon of Ho Chi Minh worship is merely the recreation of new religious ideas and practices based on existing spiritual foundations, but in a very rudimentary and contradictory form of borrowing and adaptation. The groups that worship Ho Chi Minh have not yet created a common ideological and organizational consistency to form a new, systematic religious belief.

11. Practical applications:

11.1. Based on a cultural anthropological approach to religion using ethnographic fieldwork to explore the characteristics and religious nature of the phenomenon of worshipping Ho Chi Minh, this thesis has provided an additional approach that can be applied not only to the phenomenon of worshipping Ho Chi Minh but also to the study of other similar new religious phenomena.

11.2. The research findings of this thesis contribute to providing a scientific basis for religious managers and practitioners in identifying, responding to, and managing new religious phenomena in Vietnam.

12. Future research directions:

- The phenomenon of worshipping Ho Chi Minh is still spreading and needs to be studied on a broader scale;

- Further research is needed to explain the causes and emergence of new religious phenomena in Vietnam since the Doi Moi (Renovation) period.

13. Published works related to the thesis:

Mai Thuy Anh, Nguyen Ngoc Phuong (2013), Some noteworthy new religious phenomena in the Central Highlands in recent years, In: Proceedings of the Scientific ConferenceReligious changes in the Central Highlands: current situation, policies, and solutions.Dak Lak, pp. 1-20.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Nguyen Ngoc Phuong 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: August 19, 1987; 4. Place of birth: Ung Hoa district, Ha Noi city.

5. Admission decision number: 1883/QD – XHNV – SDH of the Headmaster of USSH – NU. Dated: October 21, 2010

6. Changes in academic process: No.

7. Official thesis title: HONOURING HO CHI MINH: THE EMERGENCE, CHARACTERISTICS AND NATURE OF DEIFICATION

8. Major: Ethnology 9. Code: 60 22 70

10. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Department of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

The scholarship literature tends to indicate that the new religious movement has emerged and spread very quickly in Vietnam, particularly in the Northern Delta, from the 1980s onward, when the economic reform and international integration were introduced into the country. There exist about 50 new religious beliefs under various names, in which eight were imported from foreign countries. This new religious beliefs have indeed attracted interests not only from social researchers but also policy makers. Some initial studies on this phenomenon have been conducted and published (Central Committee for Mass Mobilization 2007; Government Committee for Religious Affairs 2008; Do Quang Hung 2001 &2011; Hoang Van Chung 2014).

Available studies have established a list of “new religions”, searching for causes of phenomenon and suggesting the solutions for practical activities. These publications were, however, conducted by the Government bodies which see the new religious practices as superstitious activities rather than looking at them as a religious phenomenon, and therefore, the prohibition is often suggested to deal with them. Apart from the very general studies on the new religious phenomenon, there have not yet been intensive researches dealing with the emerging, worshiping practices, and religious nature of these religious beliefs. This thesis for the first times describes the phenomenon of worshiping Ho Chi Minh as a new religious practice and analyzes its characteristics and nature, which is based on the ethnological fieldwork among three specific cases in Hai Duong, Hai Phong and (former) Ha Tay with reference to other cases on a wider area of ​​Hoa Binh and Quang Ninh Provinces.

Our studies show that the honoring Ho Chi Minh was found in various places by different groups where he was worshiped as a super deity but the ways of veneration, worshiping practices, organization are not similar. The names of groups are also different. Although the founders of this religious practice attempted to explain that they aim at “a new vision of religion” but by carefully examining their religious philosophy, we find that the beliefs are mainly borrowed from three following sources: 1) Ancestor worshiping; 2) Buddhism; and 3) Mother Goddess worshiping. Based on analyzes of the documents circulated by these religious practices, we suggest that the nature of Ho Chi Minh deification is in fact a form of recreation of new religious thoughts and practices on the basis of the old ones. This is just a form of borrowing and putting together parts of the old belief foundations with a lot of conflicts in it. The groups of honoring Ho Chi Minh have not yet created scientifically a unity of religious thoughts and organization.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

12.1. The thesis provides an alternative explanation of Ho Chi Minh's deification in Vietnam and in the same time, it suggests a new approach for analysis not only for Ho Chi Minh deification but also new religious beliefs alike.

12.2. From the policy-oriented point of view, this study makes its contribution to the practical implications and resolutions for new religious beliefs in Vietnam.

13. Further research directions, if any:

- Ho Chi Minh's deification tends to develop fast and it needs further studies on a broader scope;

- More intensive studies on the causes and development of the phenomenon of new religious practices and Ho Chi Minh deification should be promoted for practical activities.

14. Thesis-related publications:

Mai Thuy Anh, Nguyen Ngoc Phuong (2013), “Some observations on the new religious movements in the Central Highlands in recent years”. In: Conference ProceedingsRelgious transformation in Central Highlands: Reality,systems and Solution”, Dac Lac Province, pp. 1-20.