Inculturation of Catholic Virtue Ethics through Vietnamese Women's Reclaimed Confucian Virtues

Abstract

Vietnamese women have historically been obligated to practice four womanly virtues because of the influence of Confucian values. Confucian concepts and practices correlate to Christian virtue ethics by stressing the practice of good acts and the avoidance of evil through the practice of special virtues that are strictly observed and reflected in a moral life, leading to the perfection of oneself. There is a connection between the Catholic virtues of justice, charity, solidarity, and wisdom and the four Vietnamese womanly virtues because modern Vietnamese women are expected to utilize these virtues to promote the common good in society and the family. Despite the negative influence of Confucian values that results in the societal oppression of women, both the practice of virtue ethics and Vietnamese womanly virtues allows one to become a more perfect person. The Virgin Mary is considered a virtuous and perfect woman because she lived and practiced the virtues in her life. This article considers how Vietnamese womanly virtues are linked with Marian virtues through the context of virtue ethics to illustrate a linkage between Confucian and Catholic virtues. This can help enhance the relevance of Catholic teaching in the Vietnamese church.