Before making projections about the future of religion and secularity in China, we should first take a step back and…
Opiate of the masses with Chinese characteristics
The state of religion in China
The relationship between the state and religion in China has long been a complicated one. More recently, the twin forces of globalization and modernization have reshaped both the practice and understanding of religion in China. Meanwhile, religion poses a number of problems for the atheist Chinese Communist Party as it attempts to manage a diffused, non-exclusive, and pluralistic religiosity among the populace.
We have invited scholars to discuss these and related issues, and to offer readers their visions of the state of religion in China, past, present, and future.
In conjunction with this discussion, we have also published a companion piece: “What is religion in China? A brief history”.
zzThe Communist Party and the future of religion in China
This short essay sketches out the different views that may be identified within the Chinese Communist Party as we look…
Secular belief, religious belonging
A recent Gallup poll found that almost half of China’s people (47 percent) say that they are “convinced atheists”—the highest…
Governing religion with one eye closed
Everyone in China knows that official religious policy has only a nominal relationship to religious practice. The complaint comes from…
Doing “Religion Work” in China?
When one thinks of politics and religion in China, one often imagines the state as an omnipotent power, invincible and…
Stand still and watch
How will the relationship between the state and religion in China evolve in the next decade, presumably under the leadership…
Gazing into the future
The efflorescence of religious life in China over the past thirty-some years has been truly amazing. In the rural areas…
Chinese religions in comparative historical perspective
This short essay draws up the principal ideas from a book chapter concerning the historical field of Chinese religions in…
Revisited: The “good” and the “bad” Muslims of China
The slim crescent that rose above the skyline on July 9th signifies the beginning of this year’s holy month of…