Vietnam - (Asia)
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Information about Vietnam

From 1528 to 1788 Vietnam was divided into two parts: the North was ruled by the Trinh and the South by the Nguyen. After a period of Chinese occupation in the North, the Nguyen dynasty ruled from 1802 to 1945. In 1867, however, French colonial rule began reducing the Nguyen emperors to vassals of France. In protest against the French, Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. It led to the first Indochina War, which ended in 1954 with the defeat and the withdrawal of the French and led to the division of the country into North and South. The North was ruled by Ho Chi Minh’s Vietminh, the South by the anti-Communist regime of Diem, who had the support of the USA. A national liberation front (Vietcong) sought the reunification of the country. The tensions resulting from the conflict led to the second Indochina War (1965-1973) between the Vietcong and the USA. It took a high toll of lives and ended with the withdrawal of the US troops. In 1975 the army of the North conquered Saigon, now Hô Chi Minh City, and in 1976 the country was unified under the Communist regime of the North.
Through the Chinese influence of the Han (2nd century B.C. to 2nd century A.D.)Confucianism was introduced as the state philosophy. Though traditional beliefs survived, it left deep marks on the culture of the country. From the first century A.D. Mahayana Buddhism was increasingly adopted by the people; its influence reached its height in the 10th century. Confucianism was restored in 1802 and remains a major cultural factor until today.
Christianity was brought into the country through the work of Franciscan missionaries from the Philippines in 1580, followed by Jesuits in 1680. Leading Jesuit missionaries advocated a policy of adaptation to traditional culture. Among them, Alexandre de Rhodes, with the help of Vietnamese catechists, conceived the present alphabet. Under French colonial rule, the church, despite severe persecutions, grew at a rate of 2% annually. Hardships continued in the period of the Communist regime. But the church continued to grow both in the North and especially in the South. Growth was mainly in rural areas. Before the fall of Saigon, there had been villages that were entirely RCath. The church remained largely traditionalist, relying on old manuals, and was hardly influenced by Vatican II. In 1975, ties with the Holy See were severed.
Although two Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) missionaries visited the North from China in 1895, it was not until 1911 that permission was granted by the French authorities to begin a mission in Da Nang. Success was almost immediate and included influential members of the community. In 1927 the CMA granted the church autonomy, and two years later governmental restrictions on the expansion of the church were withdrawn. Work among tribal peoples (especially the Raday and Koho) of the south-central highlands was initiated in 1934. Theological training has been provided by the Bible and Theological Institute in Nhatrang, which offered a degree program after 1969; Bible institutes have also been active at Dalat and Ban Me Thuot.

Churches

• Hoi Than Tin Lanh
  Evangelical Churches of Vietnam

• Institut théologique et biblique
  Institute of Bible and Theology