Impacts of Vietnamese Culture on Building of A Catholic Church Permeated with National Identity

Tóm tắt

Catholicism is one of the largest religions in the world, but the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam is not as long as other religions. It has experienced ups and downs during the periods of its introduction, dissemination and proliferation due to various factors, including differences with the local culture. Over time, however, the impacts of Vietnamese culture and the inventiveness of the Vietnamese people brought Catholicism closer to local people and it became imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity. Various characteristics of the Catholic Church in Vietnam with respect to language, music, painting, architecture, arts, literature, liturgies and rituals contain features of Vietnamese cultural identity such as the patriotic tradition, openness and social cohesion of the agricultural community. On the other hand, the Catholic Church has also contributed to the enrichment of Vietnamese culture for the people.