Cao Dai

Caodaism, or the “third great way of salvation,” is an indigenous religion of Vietnam that reflects a singular sociocultural and historical environment—Cochin China of the 1920s and the French colonial presence. Inspired by Chinese spirit mediumship and divination and also by Western spiritualism and Theosophy, a group of Vietnamese civil servants entered into communication with local, Chinese, and European spirits. The first oracles quickly constituted a canon, rituals, and a strong hierarchy inspired by Catholicism, from which Caodaism intended to differentiate itself, becoming its main competitor on Vietnamese soil.

Theologically, the “Master [residing in] the high tower” (thay Cao Dai)—an avatar of the Chinese Jade Emperor—augured a renovation of Buddhism and, more broadly, a codified unification of the Sino-Vietnamese Three Teachings (Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism). Moreover, this global pantheon incorporates Jesus and spiritualist figures (e.g., Victor Hugo and Joan of Arc), who are absorbed into the Sino-Vietnamese syncretistic system.

The oracles, greatly imbued with Vietnamese patriotism and seeking the independence of this religion, which claims to be “national,” were soon cutting a wide swath through the peasant population and the networks of business people and landowners. The number of followers exceeded 500,000 beginning in the 1930s and has continued to grow despite the heavy crackdown on Caodaists during the Catholic regime of Ngo Dinh Diem.

Engaged in the country's decolonization, the Cao Dai and communist movements enjoyed a competitive relationship from the 1930s onward. After 1975 and the country's independence, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam sought to reconcile its ideology with a more market-based economy and a certain social and religious peace. There was a gradual shift from the initial violent totalitarian repression toward a consensual management of its relations with the Caodaists, transforming the “Holy See” of Tay Ninh into a tourist site and, for example, granting Caodaism “religion” status in 1995 in exchange for transparency in all its religious propaganda activities.

The community today (between 1 and 4 million followers) is constituted of a network of holy sees, propaganda publications, and meditation centers formed during the 20th century in accordance with the political or theological rivalries, which play different roles at the regional, national, and transnational levels (the politically engaged international branch of Tay Ninh; the local, meditative branch of Chieu Minh, etc.).

Finally, 15,000–30,000 Caodaists live outside Vietnam, mainly in the United States and Australia, as a result of the dramatic exodus of the boat people. They perform a revitalizing role in Caodaism by dynamizing Caodaist relationships around the world, as can be seen, for example, from the multifarious international networking activities of the Cao Dai Overseas Missionary (scouting, editing, websites, sponsoring of pilgrimages).