<p>In this episode, we are joined by Aike Rots, Professor of Japan Studies at the University of Oslo. Aike shares some of his findings on religion, politics, and ecology in Vietnam, drawing on his research project <a href="https://www.whalesofpower.com">Whales of Power</a>. We explore how Vietnam's Communist government navigates religious plurality and how environmental changes influence local religious practices. To learn more about Aike's work, click the link to read his 2023 article "<a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/environmental-humanities/article/15/3/8/384013/When-Gods-Drown-in-PlasticVietnamese-Whale-Worship">When Gods Drown in Plastic</a>," co-authored with Nhung Lu Rots.</p> <p><a href="https://www.hf.uio.no/ikos/english/research/center/religion-politics/relpol-podcast/alternative-text-relpol/7_aike_rots_religion_ecology_politics_vietnam.html">Text alternative to the episode</a></p>