Hmong Christianisation, the Will to Improve and the Question of Neoliberalism in Vietnam’s Highlands

Abstract This article focuses on the convergence of mass Christianisation and economic transformations among Hmong Vietnam’s northern highlands over past thirty years. A history impoverishment ethnic discrimination has led hundreds thousands to follow Christianity as a perceived alternative path progress instead state-led development agenda, despite sharing same ‘will improve’. By exploring local understandings about means well new religious teaching prosperity, entrepreneurialism calculativity in rapidly developing village, this paper queries ‘elective affinity’ between Christian movements neoliberalism posited by other scholars. The case study highlights awkward combination ‘cooperative competitiveness’ accompanying community-benefit tourism model. activity can both overlap sit at odds with government agendas market expansion, resulting complex subjectivities which cannot simply be reduced neoliberal logic.