Dyadic Nexus Fighting Two‐Front Battles: A Study of the Microlevel Process of the Official‐Religion‐State Relationship in China

Abstract

This article provides a microlevel perspective of the interacting dynamics between religion and the

Old Pastor and Local Bureaucrats: Recasting Church-State Relations in Contemporary China

“…I used my legal positions to get relevant documentation for these classes.” Even though this individual, in his fifties, does not have the historical experiences of persecution during the Maoist era or rebuilding the church in the early years of reform like Pastor Wen, this pastor, like many church leaders in other regions, does bring his own negotiating capital to interactions with local officials. Many churches have leaders similar to Old Pastor who are adept at managing church-state interaction in ways beneficial to the church (Huang, 2014; McLeister, 2012, 2013; Vala, 2018). Not all areas of China would exhibit such close connections between the church and local state and, as we have seen in our description of Pastor Wen, not all interactions are positive, even when personal connections may be strong.…”

“…This is often accomplished through the superficial adoption of state concerns. For example, a major concern that local officials have with church activities is safety, specifically preventing fires or other potential disasters (Huang, 2014). Such a calamity would not only be detrimental to residents and the city in general, it could also spell the end of officials' careers.…”

“…Recently, a growing number of scholars have realized that such an approach fails to capture the social complexity of the religious dynamics in the country and that it oversimplifies the complicated interactions between multiple actors, especially at the local levels. There is a growing consensus that religion in reform-era China cannot be properly understood unless the dichotomous approach is buttressed with greater local-level analysis and an acknowledgment that dominance and resistance are not the only actions in church-state relations (Ashiwa and Wank, 2009; Cao, 2010; Huang, 2014; Koesel, 2014; Liu, 2017; McLeister, 2012; Palmer, 2009; Vala, 2018; Ying, 2003).…”

Sect‐to‐Church Movement in Globalization: Transforming Pentecostalism and Coastal Intermediaries in Contemporary China

“…With the shifting environments, there have emerged the newly religious, who are distinct from their previous generation. Unlike the old guard, who are little‐educated peasants legitimized by their Pentecostal charisma, young generations are better educated professionals (including lower‐rank bureaucrats, dentists, and school teachers) who integrate themselves much better into social fabric; they see more value in reading and thinking about the Bible than seeking divine inspirations and commands from the charismatic; and they are so pragmatic and skillful in facing the state that they desire more religious freedom from officials instead of staying apolitical or anti‐political (Huang :712–14). In a word, they want to change the church.…”

“…The success benefits largely from the fact that Christianity has been better accepted by Chinese as native rather than foreign, since it has been much more indigenized in a state‐regulated environment, isolated from foreign influence (Bays ; Hunter and Chan ). Taking up eye‐catching Pentecostal practices of curing illness, exorcism, prophesizing with apocalyptic messages, and spiritual possession, the deeply localized faith has been readily approached by Chinese fellows who seek God to solve their mundane problems in everyday life (Hunter and Chan ; Oblau ); close‐knit faith gatherings are formed within segregated, impoverished lands, holding to sectarian beliefs and strict regulations (Bays :190–97; Lian ); these Pentecostals are apolitical if not antipolitical while refusing to join a government‐sanctioned organization (Huang ; Lian ). However, new conditions are confronting these locals: today's China has been seriously devoted to deeper integration into the world and embracing globalization during the decades of reform and opening up (Yan ).…”