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Founding Figure(s)- The founder of Cao Dai is Ngo Van Chieu.

Important Events- Cao Dai was founded in 1926 by Ngo Van Chieu. However, while Cao Dai emphasizes that it became a new religion in 1926, its roots and origins go back hundreds of years deep into Sino-Vietnamese tradition.

One important event in these roots was in the eighteenth century, Confucian scholar Ngo Thi Si established The Altar of Three Religions where Confucius, Buddha, and Lao Tzu, the leaders of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism respectively, could all be worshipped under one roof. This was a keystone of the concept of syncretism, which had been recognized in Vietnam even before Cao Dai originated, as many Vietnamese citizens had at least some belief in all three of these religions.

Cao Dai had a major socio-political presence in Vietnam during times of war, such as the French-Colonial war and the war against America.

In 1950, in the height of its power, Cao Dai's powerful military controlled over half of the rural population in southern Vietnam.

Pope Pham Cong Tac was forced into exile in 1956 by Vietnamese Premier Ngo Din Diem. This was part of a larger persecution of Cao Dai by not only Ngo Din Diem, but French Colonials and the eventual communist government of Vietnam.

Key Leaders- The Giáo Tông (Pope of Cao Dai); The first Giáo Tông was Le Van Trung who was believed to be chosen by God. Cao Dai borrows the hierarchy from Roman Catholicism and has important figures such as popes, cardinals and bishops.

Three minor saints of Cao Dai are Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Trang Trinh, a primitive Vietnamese poet, and Victor Hugo. Portraits of these three figures are hung in their main cathedral in Tay Ninh, the Cao Dai capitol.
In the same cathedral, the three major saints, Jesus, Buddha, and Confucius, are all depicted in large effigies.

Relationship with Other Religions- Cao Dai is a syncretic religion that takes aspects from a large group of other religions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, Zoroastrianism, Islam and Hinduism. Saints are also taken from many of these religions such as Jesus, Buddha, and Confucius.

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Pope; Cao Dai borrows the hierarchy from Roman Catholicism and has a pope of their own

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Pham Cong Tac: First pope of Cao Dai

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Ngo Van Chieu: Founder of Cao Dai

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Worship- There are two forms of practice for Caodaists: Esoterism and exoterism. "Esoterism focuses on meditation, with the goal to progressively eradicate the inferior self and develop the divine element within the self, reaching toward oneness with the Supreme Being." This form of worship is performed by priests or other members with roles in the church. Unlike many other religions, Cao Dai priests can be men or women. Cao Dai emphasizes equality between men and women. However, a women cannot have the highest role because the Supreme Being is a man and therefore a man has to lead Cao Dai.

Exoterism is the form available to normal followers. They are expected to: Abide by the Confucian relationships and virtues, practice good and avoid evil, observe five Precepts: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not get drunk, do not sin by words, practice vegetarianism at least ten days per month, to purify one's body and spirit and to avoiding killing living beings, participate in worship to the Supreme Being through four daily ceremonies, at 6:00 a.m., noon, 6:00 p.m., and midnight, with at least one ceremony per day at home.
These practices are drawn from Theravada Buddhism.

Rituals- Cao Dai worship involves group prayer in the temple and elaborate rituals and festivals.

Also, in Cao Dai, they abide by the five precepts: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not get drunk, and do not sin by word. These precepts are very similar to the ten commandments of Judaism and Christianity, given to their followers by Moses; one of the many patron saints of Cao Dai.

One ritual they practice is the practice of vegetarianism. At least ten days per month, they abstain from meat to purify one's body and spirit and to avoiding killing living beings.

Cao Dai draws practices from Taoism and used to include communication with the dead in séances. This practice was banned in Vietnam, but Cao Dai leaders say this practice is no longer needed anyway, as they have direct communication with the Supreme Being

Cao Dai takes the three key relationships (king and subject, father and child, and husband and wife) and the five virtues (humanity, obligation, civility, knowledge, and reliability) from Confucianism.

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Séance: Caodaists used to perform séances to talk to the dead before they were banned by the Vietnamese government

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Vegetarianism: Caodaists practice vegetarianism

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Meditation: The main focus of the worship practice esoterism

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Cross: The symbol of Christianity; one of the many religions that influences Cao Dai

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Buddha- The symbol of Buddhism: one of the many religions that influences Cao Dai

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Confucianism; one of the many religions that influences Cao Dai

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Location- Vietnam

Number of Adherents-

"In recent Estimates the number of Cao Đài adherents in Vietnam vary, but most sources indicate that the numbers are around two to three million, but other sources annouce that the estimates are as high as eight million adherents."

In fact, the Caodaist religion has made it's way to various countries involving the United States, Australia, and different countries in Europe.

Notable Current Leaders- in 1926 Caodaist was founded by Ngô Văn Chiêu (1878-1932) (also sometimes called “Ngo Minh Chieu”) a Vietnamese official in the French colonial civil service.

"Mr. Chiêu was born in 1878 in the town of Cholon in South Vietnam, Chieu was the son of a rice-mill worker, and At the age of seven Chieu's parents moved to Hanoi the capital of vietnam to look for employment. When they left for employment Chieu was left behind to live with his aunt whom he had stayed with for the rest of his childhood. Also, with the help of family friends Chiêu was able to attend a French school. Which eventually made it available for him to qualify for the French civil service."

In today's world there isn't a specific leader. But they still follow the Same beliefs, and practices.

Controversies-

- In September of 1940, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Indochina.However, rather than influencing a nationalist government which was assumed by many in the independence movement, the Japanese instead negotiationed with the Vichy French regime. The next year.

- In May of 1941, Japanese forces moved into Indochina, yet this did not deter the French from attempting to suppress nationalist and religious organizations. In the process to suppress nationalist and religious organizations several  Cao Dai temples were ravaged. Later that same year.

-"In July 1941, the Holy See was occupied by French troops, and Caodaists were given 24 hours to leave Tay Ninh." After being exiled the Caodaist began negotiations with the Japanese. Which gained them arming and training of a defensive army, which is known as the Caodai Military Forces.

-  This negotiation with the Japanese angered Viet Minh ( which was a national independence alliance). In response to this in 1945, they attacked various Caodaist communities killing 2,900 people including women and children.

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Vietnam: The birthplace of Cao Dai

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Indochina- The region invaded by the Japanese army

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Key Ideas and Philosophies-  In Cao Dai, followers draw upon the same moral rules from Confucianism to regulate behavior and thoughts. Also, they take the concept of karma and rebirth from Buddhism, with some influence from Catholicism, such as Jesus being one of their saints and the hierarchy system.

Worldview- The principle of Cao Dai is that religions are not different and if we take enough time to study deeply in each religion, you'll see that they have the same principals.

View of the Divine- In Cao Dai, god is represented as the Divine Eye, an eye in a triangle, which appears on the faces of building, temples and in followers' homes. The divine eye in Cao Dai is a left eye, because God is Yang, and Yang is the left side.

Important Texts and Scriptures- throughout the Cao Dai religion "The Tây Ninh Holy See has been the main source for orthodox Cao Dai scriptures since the establishment of the Cao Dai religion in 1926."

"Most official religious documents were delivered to the leaders of Cao Dai through séances between 1925 and 1929."

Other Cao Dai groups have moved away from the Tây Ninh Holy See and developed their own scriptures. This is a rare occurrence but when this happens it's mostly  in opposition to orthodox works.

Key Symbols/ Key figures- In Cao Dai the key figures are various deities, and prophets from different religions which include the Buddha from Buddhism, Confucius from Confucianism, Jesus Christ from Christianity, and Muhammad from Islam. Also, in Cao Dai they praise poets, famous kings, and Saints such as Pericles, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, and Sun Yat-sen. These key figures of the Cao Dai religion are honored at temples. Also, another key symbol was Ying and the Yang.

Similarities to Other Religions-  In Cao Dai there view on karma is the exact same has the Buddhists view. Which is, Those who have gathered too much bad karma during their lifetime will be reincarnated in negative circumstances, "which may include rebirth on a darker, colder planet than this one." Good karma leads to rebirth to a better life on earth.

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USA: one of the many Western countries that Cao Dai has been spread to in the last century

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http://www.religionfacts.com/cao-dai: - "Cao Dai." Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service, 2005). - Cao Dai.

Adherents.com. - "Cao Dai." PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Feature, July 4, 2003. The quote is from Dr. Hum Bui, a California doctor and co-author of Cao Dai: Faith of Unity. - Home page, caodai.org. - "How does one practice Cao Dai." caodai.org. - Ibid.

"Cao Dai." New World Encyclopedia, . 9 Jan 2017, 16:38 UTC. 26 May 2017, 12:44 <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Cao_Dai&oldid=1002578>.

Ellwood, Robert S. "Cao Dai," in The Encyclopedia of Religion, pg. 72, edited by Mircea Eliade. MacMillan, 1987. ISBN 0028971353
Oxtoby, Willard G., ed. World Religions: Eastern Traditions. Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0195407504

Ford, Lyall Lee. "Rice Paddy to Wheatfield: Caodaism in America's Heartland." Thesis. University of Kansas, 2011. Print.