Blog Entries on Religion in China
Visualizing the Complexity
An Infographic
"Like everything else about China, the landscape of religious life is quite complicated."
From Kuan Yin to Chairman Mao
A Book Review
A survey of more than 60 figures and creatures from Chinese mythical, historical, and religious sources.
Religion in China—By the Numbers
Some interesting statistics from the new government White Paper on religious belief and practice in China.
China’s Religious Revival
A genuine "must-read" for those seeking to understand the complexities of religious life in China today.
Christianity and China’s “Religious Ecology”
In China, the study of religion as an academic discipline has been gaining momentum in recent years. Centers and institutes for the study of religion have been established at numerous top-tier Chinese universities. As research on religion in China grows, indigenous theories regarding the role of religion in Chinese society and culture are also being constructed and debated. One theoretical framework of note is the “religious ecology” model.
Recent Articles on Islam in China
Last week Brent wrote about a Christian serving among China’s Muslims who joined in the Muslim celebration of Ramadan. Given the fact that we are now at the halfway point of the month of fasting, I thought it would be a good time to highlight some recent articles and resources about Islam in China.
China’s God-Shaped Vacuum
Our friends at The Gospel Coalition recently asked me to review Ian Johnson’s book The Souls of China: The Return of Religion after Mao. Last week, it was published under the title "China’s God-Shaped Vacuum."
The Souls of China: A Trailer
A sneak peek at longtime China journalist Ian Johnson soon-to-be-released new book The Souls of China: The Return of Religion after Mao. A must-read for those who want to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and religious life.
Daoism: Yesterday and Today
I once had a discussion with my Chinese professor about the influences of Confucianism and Daoism (Taoism) in the worldview of Chinese people. “You have to understand,” he told me, “that we are Confucian when things are going well, when we have position and authority, and when life is hard for us and we are ‘down and out,’ we are Daoists.”
Islam in China
A few years back I was talking with a Chinese scholar friend of mine about Islam in China. In what has to be one of the clearest examples of pragmatic religiosity I’ve encountered, he told me, “Islam has no future here because Han Chinese will never give up eating pork.”