Performing the Divine

Vietnam has experienced not only market reform and economic growth but also a related, symbiotic revival of popular religion which - once attacked as wasteful and superstitious - has again become a conspicuous feature of contemporary life. A blossoming of spirit mediumship has been part of this revi [...]
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Vietnam has experienced not only market reform and economic growth but also a related, symbiotic revival of popular religion which - once attacked as wasteful and superstitious - has again become a conspicuous feature of contemporary life. A blossoming of spirit mediumship has been part of this revival, not least that involving ritual possession by the deities of the Four Palace Pantheon, which this study brings to life with a deft handling of complex theory, historical research, ethnographic material and analysis. This is a sojourn into the world of mediumship in urban Vietnam - a world of colour, laughter, music and ritual dance - and also an insightful study of spirituality, performance, gender and heritage, highlighting the fluidity of ritual practice and contestations of ritual performance among practitioners.