Vietnamese Party-State and Religious Pluralism since 1986: Building the Fatherland?

While religion continues to be kept under close scrutiny by the Vietnamese state, an undeniably positive state discourse on religious practices has emerged since the 1990s. The current state approach towards religious practices and ceremonies has transformed religion from a strictly private affair to a matter of public interest, with political leaders participating in religious festivals on behalf of the state, and religious institutions being recognized as a lasting contribution towards "building the fatherland". This essay looks at the Vietnamese state's management of religious activities and explores the extent to which religious attitudes and practices are co-opted for nation-building and state-affirming purposes. It concludes with a discussion on the relations between the religious and the political sphere in doi moi Vietnam.