Religious Tolerance and Cultural Integration with Vietnamese Culture: The Case of Alexandre de Rhodes (1591 – 1660) And Léopold Michel Cadière (1869 – 1955)

Abstract

Throughout history, tolerance has always been a requirement for human ethics, but it is not always easy to implement when people live together and become integrated with one another. In the process of East-West cultural integration, with its potential for conflict between civilizations, the need for tolerance in coexistence and integration is especially important. This article studies the religious tolerance and cultural integration of Christians in Vietnamese culture through the cases of two Western missionaries, who are also two famous scholars, during two different periods in Vietnamese history: Alexandre de Rhodes (1591-1660) and Léopold Michel Cadière (1869-1955). The scholarly contributions of these two figures are well-researched and acknowledged in Vietnam, but from the perspective of religious tolerance and cultural integration, their missions in Vietnam have not received much attention. This article aims to contribute to the study of Christian evangelization in Vietnamese history and draw some lessons about religious tolerance and cultural integration in the context of current globalization.

Keywords: Missionary, Alexandre de Rhodes, Léopold Michel Cadière, Vietnamese culture, tolerance, integration, inculturation, acculturation.