market economy and religious revival
This chapter describes the economic and religious changes in China in the last few decades and analyzes the interactions between religion and economy. The transition toward a market economy has generated greater spiritual needs and desires among individuals. The globalizing market has created greater social space for religious practices, and religious organizations and individuals have creatively provided religious services in spite of various constraints. The final part of this chapter, through a discussion of the Weberian theme of religious ethics and the spirit of capitalism, considers the debates on the degree to which China’s Confucian heritage or religious culture positively or negatively affects the development of capitalism in Chinese societies.
article presented
the undergound churches in china
In his article, Fenggang Yang has depicted one of the usual scenes in the McDonald's in China, where Christian believers hold Bible study sessions in groups. But the China government does not permit these religious activities, whose participants have been proclaiming their Christian identity, but do not join the officially recognized Protestant denominations, under the authority of the Three Self-Patriotic Movement (三自教會). But no matter how hard the cadres try in suppressing the McDonald's Bible groups, the activities of these loosely organized groups remain vibrant. Indeed, studying the Book in the Western fast food shops is just one of the innovative practices of how believers adapt to the regulations of the state, providing that their faiths do not conform to the state-sanctioned institutional forms of the five, namely Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Islamism.
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One of the founding members of TSPM:
Bishop Ting Kuang-husn. |
CBN-Underground Chinese Church Goes Public-Dec 2010
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Some of the Christian groups, since the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), have been holding secret meetings in private homes or community halls, and have soon evolved into dominant congregations that pack in thousands of members in their places in the weekly services. These groups have rented offices or shops, mostly in urban districts, as their halls for gatherings. Despite having conspicuous presence in various cities, they are mostly not acknowledged by the government; however, these leaders of these churches (see an example in the YouTube clip) are conducting secret negotiations with the officials, so as to attain a subtle form of permission from the state.
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Market economy ushers in freedom
In 1978, influenced by Deng Xiaoping's strong will of pushing forward economic reform, China started its first step towards market economy, moving away from the status quo of the centrally planned system. The direction led by Deng seemed to contradict with the Marxist ideology, but the leader clarified his pragmatic intention by saying, "No matter white or black cat, the one that catches mice well is the good cat", which has been interpreted as an urge of putting aside arguments of ideologies, while focusing on practical development instead.
In the past few decades, Chinese people no longer leniently rely on the rations organized by the state, and are exposed to uncertainties in the market. Suffice it to say, people have more freedom in choosing what they do and how they live. And likely, market economy ushers in a certain degree of freedom of religion in the post-Mao era. |
One famous quote of Deng Xiaoping goes,
"No matter white cat or black cat, the one that catches mice well is the good cat." |
House churches gaining popularity
France 24 - Religion in China, a Freedom with Limits: Official and Unofficial Christian Churches - November 2011
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Religions revive recently. In 1982, the state announced its policy of respecting freedom of religion. With less restrictions and more free spaces during the reform era, various kinds of religious groups emerged. House churches are gaining popularity among believers residing in communities nearby. Many of them are not under the rule of the aforementioned TSPM, but the cadres have turned a blind eye to the phenomenon, subtly tolerating the thriving presence of these unregistered groups. Some of the members condemn the clergies of the state-sponsored denominations, believing that most of the pastors of the TSPM are corrupted with official sponsorship. More intriguingly, they think that those churches registered with the state are not sacred enough as they are polluted by the evil deeds of corruption (see the YouTube clip).
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the recent state-church clash
But the relationship between the state and the churches is not all the way steady. Recently in July 2014, some of the local officials in Zhejiang province toppled crosses of the formidable churches (see the YouTube clips); and until now, the government has yet to clarify any reason of doing so, and according to some of the current critique, such act may represent the return of the atheistic view held by communists in the old days.
ntdv.com: China Forbidden News - The Demolition of Crosses Continues - July 2014
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Retrieved from YouTube - Chinese Government Removing Cross From Church - June 2014
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