Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.Bản địa hóa Đức Mẹ Maria tại Việt Nam.
Trang 1VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
TRAN VAN NHAN
LOCALIZATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN
VIETNAM
Major: Cultural Studies Major code: 9.22.90.40
SUMMARY OF THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION IN
CULTURE
Hanoi - 2022
Trang 2The dissertation was completed at the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Yen
Reviewer 1: Prof Dr Le Hong Ly
Reviewer 2: Assoc Prof Dr Do Quang Hung
Reviewer 3: Assoc Prof Dr Bui Quang Thanh
The dissertation will be defended at Graduate Academy Level Council
of dissertation assessment at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, 477 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi
Time: ………… date ……… month …… … year 2022
The dissertation may be found at:
- Vietnam National Library;
- Graduate Academy of Social Sciences Library
Trang 31 The necessity of the research topic
Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam in 1533, over the years, it has been immersed in Vietnamese culture and has constantly developed and become one of the major religions, and has influenced many aspects of society in Vietnam One of the outstanding ladies is the Virgin Mary who was introduced to Vietnam, immersed
in Vietnamese culture, and became a Vietnamese woman with many values and symbols of Vietnamese women The Virgin Mary is present in Vietnamese culture with many names, powers, many myths, and many different images that are close to traditional culture, local culture, and ethnic culture in Vietnam A somewhat passionate devotion that sometimes overwhelms the devotion to God of the followers to her, is an issue that needs to be examined to see the process of localizing an exogenous god introduced to Vietnam
Examining the localization of the Virgin Mary is to clarify the process of adoring the Virgin Mary, especially the manifestations of this localization in Vietnam Thenceforth, the study provides another perspective on the localization of a religious figure from a cultural perspective to affirm the strength of national culture and Catholicism’s contribution from a cultural perspective
From the analysis mentioned above, the author has chosen the topic
“Localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam” as his doctoral dissertation in cultural
studies
2 Research purpose and tasks
2.1 Research purpose
Through the phenomenon of localization of the Virgin Mary to discuss the process of localization of religion in Vietnam, specifically the localization of Catholicism in Vietnam
2.2 Research tasks
To achieve the above research purpose, the dissertation will focus on the following research tasks:
- Reviewing the literature on the introduction of the Virgin Mary into Vietnam
- Reviewing the literature on localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam
- Exploring the manifestations of the localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam through names, symbols, shrines, powers, and rites and rituals
- Analyzing factors affecting the localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam
- Discussing the localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam
3
Trang 43 Research subject and scope
* Research subject
The localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam is a major issue The study just examines the localization of the image of Mary in the Vietnamese Catholic community This is stemming from the following reasons:
First, religion and belief in general and Catholicism in particular, are inherently
highly symbolic, reflected inliterature, music art, painting, sculpture, and architecture Examining the image of Mary is to see the feelings and beliefs of Vietnamese believers to the Virgin Mary Thereby, it shows the proactive integration
of the Mary image into Vietnamese culture
Second, the Virgin Mary is the spiritual symbol of Vietnamese believers,
examining this issue to provide an aspect of the psychology of religion, namely Vietnamese Catholicism through admiration somewhat overzealousness of Vietnamese believers to the Virgin Mary
* Research scope
- Regarding time: the dissertation reviews secondary documents, retrospective documents, and field documents collected in specific areas
- Fieldwork was conducted from June 2017 to January 2021
* Research sites
The study has selected 5 main research sites in 3 regions of the North, the Central and the South including Quy Chính Catholic Church in Nghe An, Vỉ Nhuế Catholic Church in Nam Dinh, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), and La Vang Church in Quang Tri province
4 Methodology and research methods
To fulfill the research purpose and tasks, the dissertation approaches specialized folklore research methods and interdisciplinary methods in social science research Specifically, the study uses the method of interdisciplinary in Ethnology, Sociology, Folklore, and Religion
5 New contributions of the dissertation
5.1 Scientifically
- The dissertation provides a reliable document on the manifestation of the localization of the Virgin Mary in some specific areas in Vietnam Thenceforth, the study enriches and diversifies the phenomenon of localization of the Mary image in Vietnam
- By examining the localization of the virgin Mary, the dissertation provides a
4
Trang 5theoretical basis for researching the integration of Catholicism in general and the Virgin Mary in particular in Vietnamese traditional culture
5.2 Practically
- The study identifies localization trends and manifestations of localization, as well as the impact of endogenous and exogenous factors in the life of Catholics in Vietnam
- The dissertation will be the necessary reference for cultural managers, policy-makers who can propose recommendations and solutions in managing religious activities in Vietnam, especially Catholicism
6 Structure of the dissertation
Besides the introduction and conclusion, references and appendix, the dissertation includes 4 chapters
Chapter 1 LITERATURE REVIEW, THEORETICAL BASIS, AND RESEARCH SITES 1.1 Literature review
1.1.1 Research works on localization of religions in Vietnam
- Localization of Buddhism
- Localization of Taoism
- Localization of Confucianism
These religions were introduced into Vietnam, have a great influence on Vietnamese culture, and are the research subject of many works with scientific and practical value
1.1.2 Research works on localization of Catholicism
Research works on localization of religions in Vietnam show the influence of Vietnamese traditional culture and the strength of national traditional culture to force exogenous religions including Catholicism must adapt to survive and develop while introducing and integrating into Vietnam
1.1.3 Research works on the Virgin Mary and localization of the Virgin Mary
- Research works on the Virgin Mary from a theological perspective
- Documents on the Virgin Mary’s epiphany in the World
- Documents on the Virgin Mary's integration into Vietnam
1.1.4 Comments
Religion is a big topic that many researchers are interested in There are many books and documents on religions and most of them are evangelical and spreading
5
Trang 6doctrines Currently, the literature on the Virgin Mary from a cultural perspective is still small compared to the research potential of this large and unique subject
1.2 The theoretical basis
1.2.1 Some basic concepts
- The concept of cultural exchange and acculturation
Cultural exchange and acculturation are a concept introduced into the United States by the Anglo-Saxon school in the late 19th century to indicate the contact, change, or transformation of certain types of cultures of both such cultures
By using the theory of cultural exchange and acculturation in examining the localization of the Virgin Mary, we can avoid an isolated view or in a static state to put the research object into a dynamic state, and in the multi-dimensional relationship between the worship of our Lady and Vietnamese folk beliefs, between the traditional culture of the Eastern and the Western civilization The application of such research theory will discover the accretive values, interaction dimensions, and actual problems in worshiping the Virgin Mary in the cultural life of Vietnamese people
Discussing the absorption of culture in Vietnam, the book titled “The basis of Vietnamese culture” (Tran Quoc Vuong ed.) mentioned cultural exchange and
acculturation as follows: “Cultural exchange and acculturation are accepting foreign culture of the native nation This process always requires each ethnic group to handle well the dialectical relationship between endogenous factors and exogenous factors These two factors are always transforming each other and are difficult to separate from one cultural entity The result of the interaction between these two factors takes place in two states: one is that the exogenous factor dominates and cancels the endogenous factor, the other is the mutual resonance, the exogenous factor has gradually become endogenous factors or blurring the identity of exogenous factors In this book, the author argues that the absorption of exogenous factors is shown in two forms: voluntary and forced absorption
- The concept of localization of the Virgin Mary “Localization of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam” means the
people have proactively received our Lady from Catholicism, an exogenous religion introduced into Vietnam, from an image that is somewhat strange to traditional Vietnamese culture The Virgin Mary has become a mother with all characteristics
of a traditional Vietnamese mother but our Lady was still worshipped by Catholic beliefs of Vietnamese believers.
1.2.2 Theoretical basis of Catholic integration policy and researchers’
6
Trang 7perspectives on Catholic integration into Vietnam
Catholicism was introduced to different cultures, with antagonism at the beginning, even in some places it was very difficult to integrate because of the difference between Catholic tenets and the indigenous traditional culture As a result, some clergymen have chosen to adapt and integrate Catholicism into the local culture
In Vietnam, therefore, in addition to the local integration from missionaries and church, the authors Nguyen Hong Duong and Tran Ngoc Them have emphasized non-local integration from a cultural perspective This means the people’s proactive absorption and integration of Catholicism into the local culture
By applying the above authors’ opinion on Catholic integration from the non-local perspective, the dissertation examines the manifestation of the non-localization of the Virgin Mary in the Vietnamese Catholic community in Vietnam through aspects such as names, images in literature and art, temple architecture, epiphanies and beliefs about the power and worship of the people
1.3 Overview of research sites
The study has selected 5 main research sites in 3 regions of the North, the Central and the South including Quy Chính Catholic Church (Van Dien commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province); Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (ward 9, district 3, HCMC; Vỉ Nhuế Catholic Church (Nap hamlet, Yen Dong commune, Y Yen district, Nam Dinh province; La Vang Church (Co Vuu village, Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province); Trung Binh-Khmer Church (Ap cho, Trung Binh commune, Long Phu district, Soc Trang province) In addition, we have also conducted fieldwork and surveys in many other locations in Vietnam These places are located in special cultural areas that are representative of regional culture Sub-summary of chapter 1
Over the centuries, Vietnam has contacted and exchanged with the Western, besides Catholicism, the influence of Western culture has profoundly affected many fields of Vietnamese material and spiritual culture Regardless of the point of view, the localization of the Virgin Mary is a unique cultural phenomenon that many researchers are interested in studying From a figure somewhat unfamiliar with Vietnamese traditional culture, the Virgin Mary has strongly integrated into the life
of Vietnamese believers By conducting fieldwork in 5 places, the study has clarified the manifestation of the localization of the Virgin Mary in representative sites in Vietnam
Chapter 2
7
Trang 8CATHOLICISM, THE VIRGIN MARY AND THE PROCESS OF
INTRODUCTION INTO VIETNAM 2.1 Overview of Catholicism and its introduction into Vietnam
2.1.1 Overview of Catholicism
* The Birth and Legend of Jesus
Catholicism was started in the 1st century AD in the East of the ancient Roman Empire By the 4th century (AD 313) Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan and declared Catholicism as religious toleration in the Roman Empire, Jesus was considered the founder of Catholicism
* Basic content of Catholic catechism, rules, rituals, and organizations
- The Bible: The basics of Christianity's doctrines, laws, rituals, and organizations were mentioned in the Bible
- Catechism: It shows the following basic points: Absolute belief in God; Man has two parts including body and soul
- Rules: The Christian Church has quite complicated rules, but they have generally focused on ten commandments of God and 6 commandments of the Catholic Church
2.1.2 The process of introducing Catholicism to Vietnam
Based on Nguyen Hong Duong’s point of view, the process of introducing Catholicism to Vietnam is divided into the following 4 stages:
- Catholicism in the period from 1533 to 1884
- Catholicism in the period from 1884 to 1954
- Catholicism in the period from 1954 to 1975
- Catholicism in the period from 1975 to present
2.1.3 Advantages and disadvantages of integrating Catholicism into Vietnam
There are several advantages of Catholic integration into Vietnam such as geographical location, cultural traditions of respect for women, Vietnamese people’s tolerance, and flexibility, this creates favorable conditions for exogenous religions to introduce to Vietnam In addition, Catholicism also faced difficulties from the feudal government, the strictness of rules compared to the national traditional culture
2.2 The Virgin Mary in Catholicism and the introduction and worship of Mary in the Vietnamese Church
2.2.1 The Virgin Mary in Catholicism
2.2.2.1 The Virgin Mary in the Bible
8
Trang 9In the Bible, the image of Mary is mentioned as a special woman chosen by God
to give birth to Jesus but she was not a virgin permanently, she was also an exemplary wife and mother, and was considered the mother of the Catholic church
2.2.2.2 Catholic beliefs on Mary
Catholic beliefs on Mary with the following 4 points: Mother of God; Virgin Mother; her assumption into heaven in body and soul after death; Immaculate Mother The Virgin Mary has a very important role in Catholicism because she was
the one who gave birth to Jesus, one of the most important factors for the formation and development of Catholicism
2.2.2 The introduction and worship of Mary in the Vietnamese Church
2.2.2.1 The introduction of Mary into Vietnam
The introduction of Mary into Vietnam through manifestations of the introduction associated with the missionary process, and the appearance of churches bearing the title of Our Lady, and especially the appearance of Mary associations in Vietnam
2.2.2.2 Veneration of Mary in the Vietnamese Church
According to Catholic tradition, the worship of Mary in the Vietnamese Church includes the venerate days of Mary that are recorded in the Catholic Code These days take place every year In addition to maintaining the obligatory rules, Vietnamese Catholics have been flexible in their rituals and veneration of Mary
Sub-summary of chapter 2
Catholicism was introduced into Vietnam in 1553, over the years, it has experienced many difficulties and challenges from the early days to the present Vietnamese Catholicism has developed and become a major religion Along with the introduction of Catholicism into Vietnam, the Virgin Mary - an important figure of Catholicism, has also been deeply integrated into Vietnamese culture
Chapter 3 MANIFESTATIONS OF LOCALIZATION OF THE
VIRGIN MARY IN THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY IN VIETNAM 3.1 Localization of the Virgin Mary through the name
When entering Vietnam, in addition to the general name in the world, the Virgin Mary was also honored by names similar to the people who honor God in Vietnamese folklore
3.2 Localization of the Virgin Mary’s image in Vietnamese Catholic literature
9
Trang 10In Vietnam, in addition to the Bible and books on canonical rules, Vietnamese believers join the flow of Vietnamese literature, especially, Vietnamese folklore has created and expressed the Mary image through types of literary with Vietnamese cultural characteristics
3.3 Localization of the Virgin Mary image in the visual arts
Believers have Vietnameseized the image of Mary in their way, turning a Western exogenous figure into a Vietnamese woman who is both close and powerful but also very simple and familiar to their cultural life
3.4 Localization of the Virgin Mary’s power
3.4.1 Localization of the Virgin Mary through epiphany transmission
Vietnamese believers believe in the epiphany of the Lady, the epiphany often takes place with the general motif of somewhat mystical stories about the Lady through the manifestations of supernatural elements The Virgin Mary appeared in the difficult circumstances of believers to save from misfortune and danger or treating diseases for believers
3.4.2 Localization of the Virgin Mary through her power
In Vietnam, Mary’s power is shown by protecting peace, saving from misfortune and danger, treating diseases, and giving birth
3.5 Localization of the ritual of worshiping the Virgin Mary
3.5.1 Localization of the ritual of offering flowers and burning incense
European and American believers do not burn incense and do not worship like Vietnamese believers, they often put their hands together to pray or bow down their heads once In Vietnam, most of the establishments worshiping Our Lady have incense bowls, incense burners, candles In addition, they have merit boxes, when coming to Mary’s worships, Vietnamese believers often bring offerings This does not exist in Europe
3.5.2 Localization of performance art in the ritual of worshiping the Virgin Mary
The procession and offering flower to Our Lady in the month is an outstanding cultural feature of Vietnamese believers, demonstrating many traditional cultural values of Vietnamese people through these ritual practices
3.5.3 Localization of some rituals inside and outside the church
At many churches today, after Mass, parishioners often sing a song about Our Lady before leaving
In Quy Chinh, parishioners often gather at the foot of the statue of Our Lady to
10