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The article explores how state authority influences the revival of religious practices among the Raglai people in Vietnam.

March 7, 2026Open Access

Appropriating State Techniques for Effective Rituals: Funerals of the Raglai in Contemporary Vietnam

Key Points

The article explores how state authority influences the revival of religious practices among the Raglai people in Vietnam.
Analyzing the historical context of religious regulations in Vietnam since the 1990s
Examining the interplay between state authority and local religious practices
Interpreting qualitative data on cultural traditions and rituals
Demonstrates that local communities appropriate state knowledge to enhance their funeral traditions
Indicates a shift in understanding legitimacy from state order to local cultural values
Highlights the role of economic development in revitalizing traditional practices

Abstract

Since the relaxation of religious regulations in Vietnam in the 1990s, an increasing number of studies have examined the resurgence of religious practices with the revival of traditions and economic development. Some studies have shown that people accept the authority of the state in the religious realm, suggesting that such acceptance is intended to restore people’s religious legitimacy. However, they tend to limit their understanding of legitimacy to the context of the state order. In contrast, this article demonstrates how the state serves as a source of knowledge to be appropriated in reforming religious practices that reflect and reconstruct local values.

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