Hòa Hảo Buddhism (Vietnam)
Vietnamese Buddhist new religion founded by Huỳnh Phú Sổ (1939) emphasising lay practice, simplicity, and millenarian elements. Severely persecuted by Vietnamese state and historical political conflicts.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — Vietnamese Buddhist new religion; mainstream-low CLCI.
Profile facts
In context
Hòa Hảo Buddhism emerged in 1939 Vietnam under Huỳnh Phú Sổ (the 'Mad Monk') as a reformist lay-Buddhist movement emphasising simplicity over institutional Buddhism. Sổ disappeared in 1947, presumed killed by the Viet Minh. The movement was historically a political-religious force in southern Vietnam. Day-to-day religious life is light; political and social tensions with the Vietnamese state continue.
Key control doctrines
- Huỳnh Phú Sổ's simplified lay Buddhism
- Millenarian / messianic expectations
Legal cases & controversies
- Vietnamese state suppression / restriction of Hòa Hảo organisations
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 1939Huỳnh Phú Sổ founds the movement
- 1947Sổ disappears
- 1975Vietnamese state takeover of religious institutions
Sources
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.