CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION DURING RELIGIOUS CONVERSION IN THE KHMER COMMUNITY IN SOUTHWEST, VIETNAM

Religious conversion is a fairly common phenomenon and has been going on for a long time in world religious life. In Southwest, Vietnam, as early as the twentieth century, there was a religious conversion from Khmer Theravada to Protestantism. The consequences of this transformation will lead to profound changes in Khmer cultural identity. In this study, the author will clarify the concept of religious conversion, the role of Theravada Buddhism in Khmer cultural identity, the process of religious conversion in the Khmer community in the Southwest, and cultural transformation in the religious transformation in the Khmer community.