Legal Status of Vietnamese Protestant Churches: The Pros and Cons
To operate legally, religious groups must be legally recognized in Vietnam. However, as of 2023, only twelve Protestant groups had been officially recognized, and a few more religious leaders had registered their organizations for legal recognition. Our research data indicate that a significant numb...
| Authors: | ; |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
2024
|
| In: |
The review of faith & international affairs
Year: 2024, Volume: 22, Issue: 3, Pages: 55–66 |
| Further subjects: | B
Vietnam
B Surveillance B freedom of religion or belief B religious registration B Evangelical B Religious Freedom B Protestant |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | To operate legally, religious groups must be legally recognized in Vietnam. However, as of 2023, only twelve Protestant groups had been officially recognized, and a few more religious leaders had registered their organizations for legal recognition. Our research data indicate that a significant number of Protestant groups operate without legal recognition, and this article analyzes the reasons for this situation. Based on 49 interviews, the authors argue that legal recognition is particularly important for large Protestant churches, which require legal status to obtain certain administrative powers and to become eligible for material support from the state. However, the administrative process for legal recognition is very complicated. Furthermore, obtaining legal status often implies increased surveillance of religious activities by local administrators, which may inhibit their evangelistic activities. Consequently, many representatives of Protestant religious groups have decided to operate without legal status, even at the risk of legal sanctions. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1931-7743 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The review of faith & international affairs
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2024.2375868 |