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Paper short abstract

This study argues that early 20th-century Caodaism as a form of "institutional agency" and as a religion "The Third Era of Redemption" challenged French colonial hegemony through epistemic resistance by upholding indigenous elements and syncretic framework.

Paper long abstract

This paper examines the rise of Caodaism in early 20th-century Vietnam as a sophisticated manifestation of "institutional agency" that challenged the colonial monopoly on both political and spiritual futures. Rather than viewing Caodaism merely as a religious synthesis, this study argues that its syncretic framework served as a deliberate tool of epistemic resistance. By integrating Eastern philosophies with Western spiritualism, Caodaism dismantled the Eurocentric hierarchy of knowledge that underpinned the French civilizing mission.

The movement’s rapid institutionalization characterized by its own administrative hierarchy, social welfare systems, and territorial autonomy in Tây Ninh; represented a radical reclamation of subaltern agency. This paper analyzes how the Caodaist "Holy See" functioned as a counterinstitution that bypassed colonial structures to provide a distinct vision of a decolonized future. Through a critical lens of development studies and colonial history, the research demonstrates how Caodaism contested the colonial present by constructing a "Third Era of Redemption" that prioritized local sovereignty and spiritual pluralism. Ultimately, this case study offers a provocative critique of the "epistemic limitations" within traditional development narratives, highlighting how indigenous-led spiritual movements can provide robust blueprints for post-colonial governance and identity.