Protestant conversion and social conflict: The case of the Hmong in contemporary Vietnam

Abstract

This article analyses the social implications of the recent mass conversions to Protestantism by one-third of the one million Hmong in Vietnam. The conversions have been condemned by the Vietnamese state, while being understood by international human rights activists as acts of conscience on the part of the Hmong converts. This article focuses on the internal debate and divisions surrounding conversion among the Hmong themselves. The converts believe that Protestantism is the only way to alter the ethnic group's marginal status in Vietnam while the unconverted Hmong see conversion as a betrayal of Hmong ethnicity. Such conflicting views have been causing deep fractures in Hmong society.

Upland pioneers: an introduction

“…Not surprisingly, three of the contributions to this special issue are located in Christian contexts. The appeal of Christianity, and Protestantism in particular, among uplanders is connected to its distance from the religion of the majority population, its potential for 'redrawing ethnic boundaries' (Ngo 2015), and its transnational and modern character (see, e.g., Salemink 2015;Scheer 2017).…”

Protestantism among the Hmong People in the Mountainous Region of Contemporary Northern Vietnam

“…An existing body of literature focuses on Protestantism among the Hmong in the mountainous provinces of northern Vietnam (Lewis 2006(Lewis , 2019Lữ 1999;Moua 1995;Quang 2005;Tâm 2010Tâm , 2015Tapp 2005;Vạn 2000). These works primarily analyze the introduction and growth of Protestantism among the Hmong from 1987 to 2004.…”