Christianity, a new denomination in Laos with only a hundred and fifty thousand followers, is challenging traditional Buddhism with its more than three million adherents. This means that something unusual is happening in the religious space of the country.

Laos is a small country in Indochina. It covers an area of 237,000 square kilometers, with an estimated population of 6 million as of 2008. 200 thousand people approximately

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fifty nationalities. The largest of them is Lao (about 50% of the country's population). This is followed by a group of closely related ethnic groups: black, white and red Tai, Ly, Yang, Yuan, Sek, Phu-tai, etc., belonging, like Lao, to the same Thai language family (up to 15%). The remaining third of the population includes several dozen ethnic groups belonging to one of the three families: Mon-Khmer (23%), Hmong-myeon or Miao-yao (7%), and Sino-Tibetan (2.5%). Data on national composition are relevant here, because, as we will see below, they generally reflect the structure of the country's population by religion.

Laos is in principle a secular State, although this is not explicitly stated in any official document. According to the Lao Constitution, all religions and their institutions are equal before the law, and all citizens of the country have freedom of conscience and the right to "profess any religion or not to profess any" (Article 43). However, in practice, Buddhism and its institutions have priority and enjoy the patronage of the authorities. This situation is due to the country's history. Buddhism was declared the official religion of the Lao state in the middle of the 14th century and retained this status until 1975, being under the guardianship of all the ruling monarchs and authorities. Even the French colonial administration of Indochina at the beginning of the 19th century, wishing to create an image of the patroness of Laos and separate it from Thailand, undertook to revive its Buddhist institutions, which had fallen into disrepair after the defeat of the country by the Thais and its disintegration into several parts (for more details, see [Evans, 1998; Ivarsson, 2008]).

Buddhism is the religion of the main state - forming ethnic group-Lao. He played a crucial role in shaping the worldview, morals, ethics and culture of Laotians in general. It has become the most important factor in the country's integration and the main bond of its unity. Its presence is evident in all parts of the country, so in the everyday sense Laos is quite rightly considered a Buddhist country, and Buddhism is called its unofficial religion. After the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975, the new government did not fail to use the authority of Buddhism to establish a new social system. Within a short time after the establishment of the republic, the state authorities and the Buddhist Church established relations of mutual understanding and cooperation that suited both sides.

Currently, the composition of the Lao population by religious affiliation is as follows. According to the Religious Affairs Department of the National Construction Front of Laos, which represents the Government in relations with public organizations in the country, approximately 75% of the Lao population is Buddhist (Vannasopha, 2005, p. 50). It seems that this figure is too high. The data of another department of the same National Construction Front, the Department of Nationalities Affairs, seems to be more realistic. It follows from them that at present the overwhelming majority of ethnic Lao people, some closely related Tae-speaking peoples, as well as some small ethnic groups from the Mon-Khmer family are Buddhists - in total, a little more than half of the country's population, or about a little over three million people [TheEthnic Groups..., 2005].

Other ethnic groups living in Laos are animists, or adherents of the cult of various kinds of mythical creatures. For example, the majority of ethnic minorities of the Mon-Khmer and Sino-Tibetan families worship various nature spirits, while the Hmong (meo)worship various types of nature spirits. in the first place are the souls of the ancestors, and only then other spirits and elements.

Of course, as economic and cultural ties between regions and different ethnic groups are strengthened, communication, interpersonal contacts and interactive connections are strengthened, due to the demonstration effect of Buddhist rituals and customs, some minority ethnic groups are gradually mastering Buddhist culture. This primarily applies to Tae-speaking peoples, such as the Black Tai,

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phu thai, sek and others. The Department of Religious Affairs collectively called them "animists who share Buddhism", although, in fact, this is not entirely true. Sporadic participation in Buddhist ceremonies, attendance at Buddhist festivals, and the like is not yet evidence of belonging to the Buddhist faith.

In general, the issue of religious identification in Laos is quite complex. In Buddhism, there are no rituals, for example, such as Christian baptism or communion, after which a person can be considered a Buddhist. Among Lao men, a real Buddhist or, rather, a mature person (in Lao-khon suk) is considered a person who has been a monk for some time, and one who has not passed through monasticism is considered an immature person (khon deep). And for women, there is no such criterion. The nature of Lao Buddhism should also be taken into account. In contrast to canonical Buddhism, experts call it "popular" (populaire). Despite repeated orders from monarchs and church hierarchs to preserve the Buddhist faith in purity and eliminate paganism, both systems of ideas continued to co-exist and, in the course of constant interaction and mutual influence, turned into a complex system of worldview. On the one hand, some complex metaphysical concepts that are part of the Buddhist worldview system remained unclaimed, on the other hand, some customs from pagan practice were included in Buddhist rituals.

Even the concept of the purpose of life has changed. For example, instead of achieving nirvana (this is the lot of the chosen ones) - accumulation of merit for the sake of happy reincarnation at the end of the earthly path. In everyday practice, Buddhist norms coexist peacefully with pagan customs. In a Laotian home, especially in rural areas, it is not uncommon to see a miniature altar with a Buddha in one corner and a shelf with offerings to spirits in the other. Marcel Zago, a recognized expert on Lao Buddhism, generally speaks of "a harmonious symbiosis of Buddhism and Animism, which seems to exist in the Laotian religion" (Zago, 1972, p. 383). According to him, Buddhism and Animism are not opposed to each other and do not oppose, but are in complementary relations and are two components, or two subsystems, of a single Lao religion. In animism, they seek well-being and protection in life, while in Buddhism they seek moral guidance and an answer to the question of the path of salvation after the end of earthly life [Ibid., p. 380]. To this we can add: a Buddhist temple is a place where people go on holidays, and they communicate with spirits every day.

What I have said about the difficulty of distinguishing a Buddhist from a non-Buddhist does not mean that there is no such distinction at all. The blurring of the boundaries between Buddhism and Animism, or the symbiosis of these two beliefs, is mainly inherent in Lao proper and partially in other Tae-speaking ethnic groups, while most non-Thai nationalities (Mon-Khmer, Sino-Tibetans, Miao-Yao and others) remain true carriers of animistic ideas, worshippers of various spirits and a shower.

In theological terms, Lao Buddhism represents its branch, known as " hinayana "("small chariot") or Theravada. Its guardian and preacher is the sangha (Skt. "group", "collective"). In Laos, the sangha is 11.5 thousand monks (at the end of 2005). In reserve - 12.5 thousand. novices. They have almost 5 thousand temples at their disposal, most of which are currently inactive due to the lack of monks. The Church Institute of the Sangha is called the Organization of the Lao Buddhist Community.

In addition to Buddhism and animism, the traditional religions of Laos, Christianity and Bahai are also introduced to the country's religious space.

Christianity is represented by two trends: Roman Catholicism and Protestantism of various denominations. The total number of Christians is estimated at about 150 thousand people, including 45 thousand Catholics and 100 thousand Proto-Christians.-

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stations. But the reliability of these figures raises some doubts. Apparently, the number of adherents of Christianity, especially Protestants, should have grown significantly over the past 10 to 15 years, but for some reason the digital data has remained almost unchanged for a number of years. Apparently, for some hidden reasons, this suits both sides - both secular and ecclesiastical authorities. There are many different nationalities among the followers of Christianity, but most of them are still Mon-Khmer and Miao-yao, especially in rural areas.

The first Christian (Catholic) missionaries appeared in Indochina in the 15th century and first settled in the coastal areas of present-day Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam (for more information, see Berzin, 1966). The first European missionary to reach Laos was the Italian Jesuit Jean-Marie Leria. He stayed in Laos for almost 6 years, from 1642 to 1648. His mission was extremely unsuccessful. During all this time, he was never able to establish normal relations with the court or with the Buddhist hierarchs, and, most importantly, he was not able to establish a Catholic community. His mission in Laos ended in a fiasco - he was asked to leave the country. Published in Rome in 1663, the book Missions of the Society of Jesus to Japan and especially Tonkin, prepared by a colleague and friend of Leria's, J. F. Marini, contains a lengthy section (107 pages) containing essentially Leria's account of his stay in Laos. A year later, this section was published in Paris in the author's translation into French. Apparently, due to its greater availability, this particular variant is now commonly cited in academic papers. In his report, Leria is highly critical of Buddhism, monks and their flock. The report is full of invective against them. Buddhist treatises written by monks are called vicious, since they supposedly only cloud people's consciousness, and Buddhist monasteries appear to be a refuge for ignorant, lazy, obese monks who live at the expense of the people, etc., etc. [Marini, 1664]. Perhaps it was this disdain for Buddhism and its ministers that led to Marini's expulsion from Laos.

Over the next two and a half centuries, papal missionaries made several attempts to enter Laos, but all of them ended in failure. In some cases it was impeded by the lack of roads, in others - by tropical diseases that overtook missionaries on a long and long journey. A favorable opportunity seemed to open up for missionaries after France colonized the eastern part of Indochina in the late 19th century. However, ironically, the French had, as already mentioned, to provide diplomatic support primarily to the Buddhist Sangha, and not to Catholic priests. Nevertheless, the missionaries managed to establish a number of Catholic communities in Laos and thus establish themselves in the country.

The highest increase in the activity of the Catholic Church in Laos occurred in the 1950s and 1960s, when the situation in the region somewhat normalized following the 1954 Geneva Agreements on Indochina. As a result, in the early 1970s, according to Zago, there were approximately 45,000 Catholics in Laos, mostly from minority ethnic groups, 110 priests, including 20 of Laotian nationality, approximately 200 nuns, and 4 bishops [Zago, 1973, p.23]. In the following years, these figures fluctuated in one direction or another, but the overall picture, we can say, remained the same. According to the Department of Religious Affairs, as of 2005, there were 4,1750 Catholics, 262 priests, 130 nuns and monks, 4 bishops, and 95 churches and houses of worship in Laos (Vannasopha, 2005, p.114). But the clergy of the Catholic Church in Laos call the figure 45 thousand. The differences in numbers are ultimately not so significant.

The other Christian church in Laos is Protestant. It is said that the first Protestant preachers appeared in Laos at the end of the XIX century, but then they did not leave any noticeable traces of themselves. They became very active after the independence of Laos in 1954. From the Protestant churches created at that time

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There are two remaining denominations in modern Laos: Lao Evangelical Church and Seventh-day Adventists. In the last 10 to 15 years, several hundred small Protestant congregations have been added to them, settling in different parts of the country, mainly in areas where minority ethnic groups live.

The largest and most influential of the Protestant congregations is undoubtedly the Lao Evangelical Church. It is a well-established organization with a clear structure and individual membership. It has branches in almost all provinces and has more than two hundred churches and chapels with more than 170 pastors. In the Department of Religious Affairs, the number of evangelical parishioners is estimated at more than 60 thousand, and according to the church leadership, there are more than 100 thousand of them. The dubious reliability of these data was mentioned above.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, founded in 1973, has fewer than a thousand members. Its canonical territory is limited to the capital Vientiane. As for the small Protestant congregations mentioned above, they will be discussed in detail below.

Finally, the Baha'i religious association-known in Laos as the Society for Justice - has fewer than 10,000 adherents, mostly among the urban population. Its activities are characterized by non-conflict, lack of public actions and clearly expressed political ambitions.

The Chinese, Vietnamese and Cham diasporas in Laos have their own temples and prayer houses for religious worship. Chinese and Vietnamese diasporas have existed in Laos for many years. The Cham diaspora is represented by a group of Chams numbering about a thousand people who fled Cambodia in 1970-1980. By ethnicity, they belong to the peoples of the Austro-Asian family and profess Islam.

The activities of religious organizations and associations in Laos are carried out on the basis of the Constitution of the Lao PDR of 1992 (Articles 9 and 43 mentioned above) and the Decree of the Prime Minister "On the Regulation and Provision of Religious Activities in the Lao PDR" of August 7, 2002. Control over the implementation of these legislative acts and the implementation of relations between the State and religious organizations are entrusted to the National Front construction projects. Prior to the publication of these documents, relations between the authorities and religious organizations were often complicated, with occasional misunderstandings and disagreements due to legal uncertainty. Now these relations have been introduced into the legal framework and are resolved on the basis of existing laws. The parties know their rights and obligations. All disputes that arise usually find a solution that satisfies the parties, or, in the worst case, end in modus vivendi.

Relations between religious organizations themselves are mostly official in nature. Sometimes there is cooperation, for example, on the basis of providing humanitarian assistance to areas affected by natural disasters. For the most part, religious associations carry out social programs on their own, independently.

But this does not mean that the religious field of Laos is peaceful and peaceful. The activities of Christian, primarily Protestant, organizations are very interesting. To understand their position, you need to know their history. They were created in royal Laos during the period of confrontation between the official government (the Vientiane government) and the Pathet Lao forces (as the left-wing coalition led by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party was called from 1950 to 1975) and treated the latter very negatively. After Pathet Lao came to power in 1975, both the Catholic and Protestant churches, for ideological reasons, remained, if not explicitly, in opposition to the new system. They were found under their shadow

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some former officials and military personnel who were unwilling or unable to leave the country have taken refuge. These circumstances determined the role and place of these churches in the social and political life of modern Laos. Perhaps the most moderate were Catholics. During an audience in the summer of 2007, Pope Benedict XVI reminded bishops working in Laos and Cambodia that "it is vital that Catholics constantly declare their identity, but at the same time respect the religious traditions and culture of these countries" [Asianews. 09.06.2007]. In general, the authorities and the officially registered Catholic, Evangelical and Adventist churches found solutions to the problems that arose, without bringing them to acute conflicts, or postponed them until better times.

The most difficult subjects in the religious field were the few Protestant congregations mentioned at the beginning of the article. They are considered to belong to such Protestant sects as Methodists, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, Latter-day Witnesses, Mennonites, Mormons, etc. In Laos, the population calls them phuak pha yesu, i.e. Jesuits. In the following sections, they will be referred to as neo-Protestant congregations or sects to distinguish them from the previously established Protestant churches - Evangelical and Seventh-day Adventists.

The first groups of neo-Protestant preachers appeared in Laos in the 1950s. But their massive influx began in the second half of the 1980s after the Lao leadership proclaimed the "open door" policy and, in particular, after the adoption of the constitution, which declared freedom of conscience. Officially, they represented, as they are called in the US State Department's reports on the observance of religious freedoms in the world, "non-governmental organizations with religious affiliations" (nongovernment organizations with religious affiliations), whose head offices are mostly located in the United States. Representatives of these organizations usually came to Laos under the pretext of providing humanitarian assistance: to dig an irrigation canal, lay a water supply system, teach them how to plant new crops, etc. But in parallel with the humanitarian mission, they, contrary to Lao laws, were engaged in preaching and creating religious communities.

Neoprotestants were mostly active in remote areas of the country, populated mainly by minority ethnic groups adhering to pagan beliefs. This selectivity is not accidental. First, these ethnic minorities are more inclined to convert to the Christian faith, to evangelization, than Buddhists. The Jesuit Le Riat also complained about the difficulty of proselytizing among Lao Buddhists. This was repeatedly noted by other missionaries who worked in Buddhist countries. I myself heard about this from French and American missionaries during my stay in Laos back in the 1960s. They said they preferred to work among pagan minorities. Ethnic Lao who practice Buddhism, according to them, are difficult to convince and also very unreliable. The day after communion, they can go back to the Buddhist temple. Another reason why Protestant missionaries have targeted ethnic minorities is probably because they, as Aborigines, have historically harbored a certain dislike for the central government or have an inferiority complex, and therefore are more likely to cooperate.

The main task of the missionaries was to train personnel from among the local residents. The fact is that under Laotian law, only Lao citizens are allowed to spread the faith, although, as the US State Department report admits, "some permanent foreigners living in the country, associated with private businesses or non-governmental organizations, are still quietly engaged in religious activities" [Report, 2007...]. missionaries ' jobs

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do not disdain any means. They use gifts, cash handouts, promises, persuasions, or, conversely, scare you with hell for disobedience. The reward for turning a Laotian into a Protestant proselyte and engaging him in active activities was sometimes$ 50, which is a very decent amount in conditions of poverty. After the departure of the missionary, the religious community remains under the care of the corresponding "humanitarian" organization, receives directives and material assistance from it until it can switch to self-sufficiency. By 2008, the number of such communities in Laos had reached 400. They form a network, not yet dense, covering the entire territory of the country from north to south. By the way, neo-protestant organizations of this kind are active in many countries, for example, in neighboring Laos Cambodia and Vietnam and in the former Soviet Central Asian republics far from it.

After the formation of the Lao PDR, the activities of Christian organizations, primarily neo-Protestant, acquired a pronounced political connotation. Under the guise of fulfilling God's covenants, the idea of civil disobedience was instilled in the congregations. These preachers are popularly known as the "four no's": listen to no one but your Lord; associate with no one but your Lord; follow no one but your Lord; participate in nothing without the command of your Lord (in the person of the head of the community). In practice, these "commandments" can mean, for example: refuse to serve in the army, refuse to participate in public works, refuse to participate in any social activities, refuse to participate in any meetings and other events, if this is not authorized by the head of the community.

In 2005, in a village in Savannaket province, farmers complained to me that members of their religious sect, the Independent Noble Truth (Phaya tham ekkhalaat), refused to participate in the repair of the road and water supply system running through the village, under the pretext that it was forbidden by their Lord. At the same time, members of the sect also boast about mobile phones, radios, and other equipment supposedly given to them by their Lord, while hinting that their Lord is more merciful than Buddha. Naturally, such actions lead to division and tension in society, and in some cases they are accompanied by all sorts of unpleasant incidents. For example, the following: the villagers destroyed the prayer house of sectarians, arguing that evil spirits allegedly settled in it; the village headman, under some pretext, forbade the sectarians from performing their cult; the population of the parish demanded that the sectarians abandon the diabolical faith or get out, etc. The US State Department's reports on ensuring freedom of conscience in Laos, statements by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations cite cases of this kind and others as examples of human rights violations. At the same time, the fault is always laid on the Lao authorities for not ensuring freedom of religion and worship. Although the real culprits of such phenomena are those who send their emissaries to Laos with the task, violating Lao laws, to involve the local population in Protestant communities, knowing in advance that this will lead to confusion of minds and discord in society.

Until recently, pagan gods and spirits of minority ethnic groups and the Lao got along peacefully with each other, and the Buddha was not a hindrance to them, and as soon as the Protestant Pha yesu appeared, so discord began. Facts such as these give grounds to assert that it is precisely the creation of a split in Lao society that is the true purpose of the activities of these "non-governmental organizations with a religious orientation". In general, the Christian (Protestant) Church in Laos has established itself as a conflict denomination. In all ethnoreligious incidents in Laos (reported by the world media), one of the conflicting parties is usually adherents of Christianity, mainly Protestants. This does not mean that they are also the guilty party in all cases - they can be

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both local authorities and others, but they are always involved in the incident. This fact in itself is significant.

Usually, these neo-Protestant congregations act on the edge of what is allowed, or even beyond it, provoking conflicts and challenging the authorities. Conflict situations can occur one after another. The authorities do not have time to settle the conflict in one place, as it breaks out in another. In this situation, the authorities were forced to take some measures to regulate the activities of newly established Protestant communities. They were asked to come under the jurisdiction of the Lao Evangelical Church. According to the plan of the authorities, this could make it easier for them to control the activities of communities scattered throughout the country and shift some of the responsibility for it to the Evangelical Church as the largest and oldest. However, many of the communities have not yet fulfilled this requirement under various pretexts and actually operate illegally, since they do not have registration. When the authorities try to ban the activities of such a sect, the world media immediately raises a universal noise about the violation of religious freedoms in Laos.

So, at present, two main subjects are active in the religious field of Laos: Buddhism and Christianity, primarily its Protestant direction. The odds in this confrontation seem clearly unequal. On the one hand, a well-established organization with several million followers, and on the other - a conglomerate of different denominations, only 150 thousand adherents. But in reality, the situation is not as simple as it may seem. Neo-Protestant preachers represent a new wave. They are well trained, possess modern technologies for working with the masses, have, judging by their costs, significant material and financial resources, and, finally, have solid political and informational support from outside. The US State Department, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations are closely monitoring the situation, and we can say that the next day they will learn about every religious freedom incident that occurred in a remote Lao village. Neo-Protestant sects act boldly, aggressively, without any remorse. They are keeping pace with the globalization that resonates with the post-revolutionary generation of Laotians. Religion, which came from the West, is associated with Western civilization and progress in some parts of Lao society. In short, the Christian neo-Protestant churches in Laos have reason to expect some success.

In my opinion, we should distinguish between political and ideological aspects in this confrontation. In political terms, the Christian Church in Laos, or more precisely, the forces behind it, can already speak of certain achievements. They managed to involve a certain number of people, mainly from national minorities, in their activities, thereby widening the gap separating people of one confessional group from another, and therefore, if only slightly, shake the unity of the already rather loose, poorly structured Lao society.

It should be remembered that differences in faith in Laos are largely correlated with ethnic and social differences. Therefore, the significance of the religious issue here is much greater than in many other countries. As I can imagine, it was precisely in connection with the unfavorable trends caused by the destructive actions of certain religious organizations that a special plenum of the Central Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church on the ethno-religious issue was held in October 2007. Judging by the responses in the Lao press, it was not about purely confessional or ethnic issues, but primarily about solving socio-economic problems in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, regardless of their religion. This confirms the unity of all three aspects of Lao society: religious, ethical and social. At the same time, it seems to me that the convening of a special plenum is indirect

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This is evidence that the alleged sectarian conflicts have spread beyond individual villages and taken on a broader scale. Apparently, we are talking about a threat to national unity. Further developments in this area depend on the skill and effectiveness of the Laotian authorities, as well as many other factors that are beyond the scope of this paper.

As for the ideological or ideological side, in my opinion, Christianity in Laos has no prospects for any major success. Buddhism has existed in Laos for 650 years, it has become the spiritual foundation of Lao society, an integral part of the Lao way of life, and the common heritage of all the inhabitants of the country. Buddhist - in Laos, this is something more than a follower of the Buddhist doctrine, it is a person with a special worldview. A Laotian can be an atheist, but still be a Buddhist, a person of Buddhist culture. Just like in Russia: a person can be an atheist, but remain Orthodox in essence, a person of Orthodox culture. The historical significance of Buddhism in Laos is obvious. Christianity, which came to Laos more than 100 years ago, did not bring any new progressive ideas, new approaches, or new values to the local population. To the traditional Buddha was added the Christian Jesus Christ. Another faith has appeared on the religious field. But diversity is good when it does not interfere with the preservation of unity, unity in diversity, and does not lead to division and conflicts, which were mentioned above.

The Buddhist Church of Laos opposes the artificial restructuring of the centuries-old religious space. It does not engage in any missionary work or proselytism itself, and calls on all other churches to abandon such activities and devote their strength and energy to providing humanitarian assistance to people regardless of their religious affiliation. Speaking to me a few years ago, the head of the Lao Sangha, Patriarch Maha Vitiit Singhalat, said that the Lao Sangha is not afraid of competition from other faiths, that Buddhism is not afraid of any religious doctrines. We stand, he said, for the coexistence and even competition of different faiths, provided they are open. Each faith should attract followers by demonstrating its advantages over others, not by giving money, gifts, or lying about other faiths. It is important that the existence of different beliefs does not serve as a source of strife between people, but rather unites them. But so far, I will add on my own behalf, calls to abandon proselytism do not find a response from the hierarchs of Christian churches. They insist on the right to spread their faith and are engaged in active preaching activities, as noted above, primarily among the pagan part of the population in order to attract them to their bosom and use them at the right time for political purposes.

The current situation in the religious space of Laos shows that Buddhism no longer has an absolute monopoly in the spiritual life of Lao society. Other faiths also claim their place in it. In recent years, thanks to the efforts of Christian institutions, the number of their followers has increased, and a certain part of the population has been evangelized. But this still does not give grounds to expect any serious change in the balance of forces in the religious field in the foreseeable future. The experience of past years, especially of French missionaries who have worked in Laos for many years, shows that the conversion of Buddhists and local pagans to the Christian faith is a long and uneven process. In its course, there is a close interweaving of beliefs, the formation of mixed religions, and in some cases even a dual faith is formed. At the same time, when predicting the development of the religious situation in Laos, it is also necessary to take into account the current secularization of society in the country.

Reflecting on the future of Buddhism in Laos, Zago wrote: "Buddhism is undergoing some changes in its external manifestations, but on the whole, the Buddha, his example, his teaching-

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Its core values don't seem to be in question, but they do seem to be solid. Secularism and desacralization may influence the line of Buddhism, but it is impossible to foresee how strong this influence may be. It is obvious that in Laos, not only society is changing noticeably, but also religion, and thus a new balance and harmony is emerging between society and religion, between earthly life and salvation, between the mundane and the transcendent, in order to respond to the needs and problems of the person of today and, of course, tomorrow's society " [Zago, 1972, p. 389].

list of literature

Berzin E. O. The Catholic Church in Southeast Asia, Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1966.

Asianews. 09.06.2007.

Evans G. The Politics of Ritual and Remembrance: Laos since 1975. Chiangmai: Silkworm, 1998.

Ivarsson S. Creating Laos. The Making of a Lao Space between Indochina and Siam, 1860 - 1945. Copenhagen: NIAS press, 2008.

Marini G.F. Dell Missioni de Padri della Compagnia di Gesu nella Provincia Giappone e particolarmente di quella del Tumquino. Libri cinque. Roma, 1663.

Marini G.F. Relation nouvelle et curieuse des Royaumes de Tumquino et de Lao. P., 1664.

Report 2007: US Department of State. Laos. International Religious Freedom Report 2007. Released on September 14, 2007.

Stuart-Fox M. Buddhist Kingdom, Marxist State: the making of modern Laos. Bangkok: White Lotus, 1996.

The Ethnic groups in Lao PDR. Vientiane: Department of ethnic groups, LNFC, 2005.

Vannasopha, maha Khampeuy. Religious Affairs in Lao PDR. Vientiane: Department of Religious Affairs, LNFC: 2005.

Zago M. Rites et Ceremonies en Milieu Buddhiste Lao. Roma, 1972.

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