Chil people embracing Protestantism: The impact of the political context in the Central Highlands from the early 20th century to the present

Abstract

Protestantism is a religion that emerged and developed later than Buddhism, Catholicism and Islam. It was introduced to Vietnam in the early twentieth century after the arrival of these 3 religions. Previous studies examining the process of evangelization and the growth of Protestant followers often cited several reasons for people embracing Protestantism. These reasons include: 1) State leaders seeking to leverage Protestant missionaries for national development, 2) Individuals desiring a modern and inclusive religious belief system, 3) The impact of transnational ethnic relations, offering opportunities for Protestantism to expand, and 4) Economic disadvantaged individuals turning to Protestantism for assistance. Utilizing direct field data collected by in-depth interviews and participant observation in the community from April 2019 to April 2020 and in June 2022, the research aimed to explore the conversion of the Chil people to Protestantism; Specifically, the conversion from the traditional religion (polytheism) to Protestantism is a process taking place during the time, when this ethnic community has had the opportunity to interact with society outside of their traditional bon (from the early 20th century to the present), especially during the time they were forced to live in strategic hamlets built by the government of the Republic of Vietnam. Diverged from previous findings, the study showed that the primary factor motivating the Chil community to embrace Protestantism was the influence of the political context in the Central Highlands. This context was one of the important factors influencing the Chil people's conversion to Protestantism, and as a result, nearly 100% of the Chil people have now adopted Protestantism, making it the predominant religion in their community.