International Conference on religious Studies at Cheng Chi University Taiwan

On 11 December 2020, Sub-dignitary Nguyen Tuan Em, Congregation Chief and Ly Thi Thuy Trang, Secretary of the Taiwan Taipei-based Cao Dai Congregation, both participated in a Virtual International Conference called “New Religions in East Asia: Development and Internationalization” at the Invitation from the Graduate Institute for Religious Studies, Cheng Chi University, Taiwan.

The conference, conducted in Korean, Chinese and English, was jointly organized by the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, Chengchi University, Taiwan and the Institute for the Research of Daesoon Thought, Daejin University, South Korea.

Due to the pandemic Covid 19, the Conference, instead of a face-to-face one, was virtually conducted with images and presentations coming live between Chengchi University and Daejin University.

The Conference attracted several Professors, Researchers and Presenters from different Taiwanese universities and institutes such as Cheng Chi University, Juan Ze University, Zhen Li University and Tamkang University and from Korean Universities such as Daejin University, Kyung Hee and the Daesoon Academy of Sciences.

There was a total of 10 Speakers divided into four sections presenting about New Religions in East Asia, their doctrines, structures, development and other research directions in the future.

As regard to the Vietnamese Culture and Religious Belief, there were three presentations from:

1) Professor Chung, Yun-ying (鍾雲鶯) from the Yuan Ze University presented the topic “The Creation of scriptures and the Rise and Fall of Sects: Taking the Folk Religious Sects in Vietnam as Examples”, focusing on the diversity of folk religions in Vietnam and emphasizing the success of the religious movement Tu An Hieu Nghia and Caodaism for their great adaptability.

2)Dr. Nguyen Thi Ha An, a Vietnamese national from Chengchi University presented the topic “A Vietnamese View of Religion from the Caodaism”, concentrating on the history and doctrine of Caodaism propagating the “Universal Love and Justice” philosophy.

3)Sub-dignitary Nguyen Tuan Em from Tamkang University presented the topic “The Spreading of Caodaism to Taiwan: Man’s Will versus Divine Will” citing the Caodaism’s Divine Messages, Prophecies and Socio-cultural and historical facts to attribute the rapid development of Caodaism to human efforts but invisibly driven by the Divine Will.

The Conference was a great forum for several professors, researchers and those who are interested in religious studies from both Taiwan and South Korea to share their research results and experiences. Also, this conference was a good opportunity for the representatives of the Taiwan Taipei-based Cao Dai Congregation to talk about a Vietnamese home-grown religion fully named Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ which, after several ups and downs, has started to grow again and gradually developed in the Chinese community in Taiwan.

Reported by Taipei Cao Dai Congregation
Suorce: http://caodai.com.vn/en