THE CONCEPT OF STATE-CONFESSIONAL RELATIONS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF VIETNAM AND RUSSIA

Abstract

The article provides an overview of the definition of relations between state and religion in Russia and Vietnam. The views of Russian and Vietnamese scholars have been analyzed, synthesized, and compared. The research results indicate that Russian and Vietnamese scholars have many similarities when defining the concept and choosing terms for this relationship, typically clarifying two components of the relationship – state and religion. At the same time, the definitions preferred by Russian and Vietnamese scholars to be used with the same purpose – to satisfy the requirement of respect for religious diversity in Russia and Vietnam. The term “state-confessional relations”, which is popular in Russia, needs to be used when studying the history of state and law in Vietnam because of its many advantages that the one in Vietnam today (the term “relations between the state and religious organizations”) has not yet possessed.