International Conference “Religion and Ethics in Modern Society”

This conference brought together hundreds of Vietnamese scholars, politicians, and religious leaders, along with scholars from prestigious universities in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, and Taiwan. This academic event aimed to promote research and training in Religious Studies within the university, and also provided an opportunity for domestic and international scholars, as well as scholars and religious leaders, to exchange ideas and enhance mutual understanding.

Professor Nguyen Van Kim – Vice Rector of the University – delivered the opening remarks at the conference, addressing the relationship between religion and ethics as two of the oldest categories appearing in human life. The relationship between them is also extremely complex. There may be secular, non-religious ethics, but no religion is without its own ethical standards. Although religions generally guide people towards lofty humanistic values, teaching followers to do good and avoid evil, human history has also witnessed numerous religious conflicts and wars due to differences in their conceptions of cultural values ​​and ethical standards.

The speech also addressed the multi-religious nature of Vietnamese social life. Historically, Vietnam has successively experienced periods where Buddhism was the state religion during the Ly and Tran dynasties, then that role shifted to Confucianism during the Le and Nguyen dynasties. From modern times to the present day, with the introduction of Catholicism, followed by Protestant denominations, bringing to the Vietnamese people cultural values ​​and Christian moral standards, the religious and ethical landscape in Vietnam has become even more diverse.

One of the most prominent features of religious life in Vietnam is the integration of the three religions (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) as the foundation of Vietnamese traditional spirituality and values. One reason for this integration is that these religions are not too different from each other; on the contrary, they share many similarities in their conceptions of rituals, cultural values, and moral standards.

So, what is Vietnamese ethics, and how does the relationship between religious and secular ethics in Vietnam differ from that in other countries? These are the questions posed to the scientists at this conference.

With over 80 reports and presentations, the conference content was divided into four sessions: 1/ Religion and Ethics: General Theoretical Issues; 2/ Religion and Ethics: Case Studies of Specific Religions; 3/ Religion and Ethics in Society: Comparative Studies; and 4/ Policy Issues and the Development of Religious Resources.

Following this conference, the University signed a cooperation agreement with Chang Yung University (Taiwan) in the fields of Religious Studies, Philosophy, and other social sciences. For many years, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has collaborated with several research institutes in the field of religion, including Missionswissenschaftliches Institut e. V Missio of Germany, the Institute of Global Engagement (IGE) of the United States, and many other international organizations.