Author : Thiện Đõ̂
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 0415307996
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (153 download)
Book Synopsis Vietnamese Supernaturalism by : Thiện Đõ̂
Download or read book Vietnamese Supernaturalism written by Thiện Đõ̂ and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Popular religion in southern Vietnam is so often regarded as an indefinable mix of many different beliefs, meanings and symbols with little pattern of explanation. In contrast, this book highlights that the beliefs of the Vietnamese can be catagorized into four distinct, yet overlapping, spheres and that the varying attitudes which exist towards the spirit world are a direct result of unique historical and environmental circumstances. Vietnamese Supernaturalismexamines a wide range of religious customs, from trancer possession practices to styles of self-cultivation, against several different backgrounds including, migration settlement and the effect of colonialism. Despite the ostensible differences within the practices of 'popular religion', Thien Do controversially demonstrates two consistent similarities: an abiding interest in the altered state of consciousness and the daily acts of survival employed in order to evade identity construction. By brining together oral histories, reports and fiction writing alongside more conventional documented sources, this book reveals an area of history which has been largely neglected. It will prove to be a valuable resource to students of Asian studies, anthropology and all of those with an interest in the history of Vietnam.