Blog Entries on Church and State
Is There Religious Freedom in China?
Is there religious freedom in China? The answer, of course, depends on the meaning of the term "religious freedom"
What Triggers Persecution of Christians in China?
According to China Aid Association's 2013 Persecution Report, a total of 7,424 Christians were persecuted in China last year. This is not an insignificant number; 7,424 believers facing persecution is 7,424 too many. However, it is worth looking at this number a bit closer in order to put it into perspective.
Religious Policy Development in the PRC since 1949–An Overview
In today's blog, Dr. Timothy Conkling discusses the influence of PRC religious policy on the church in China.
China does a lot of things.
It is common journalistic shorthand to attribute any policies, economic action, or military behavior that appears to emanate from Chinese officialdom to "China."
The 2013 Grinch Award (is for your educational benefit)
Just because a Chinese Christian is in trouble doesn't mean they're in trouble just because they're a Christian. Their Christianity may have something to do with it, or it may have almost nothing to do with. China being as it is, the "whys" are usually a little more complicated and a lot more pragmatic. This is not the Mao Era.
The Space between Policy, Practice, and Persecution
Mention the church in China and the conversation invariably turns toward China's religious policy, the underlying assumption being that the Chinese government is bent on suppressing Christianity. In the most recent issue of ChinaSource Quarterly we take a closer look at this question. As with most things in China, both the stated policy and the observable reality belie a complexity that makes it extremely difficult to generalize about the relationship between church and state in China.
House Church and TSPM: Surprising Admissions in China’s Official Press
A recent article appearing in Global Times, the English-language mouthpiece of the authoritative People's Daily, raises interesting questions about how China's leaders view the relationship between the official and unofficial church.
What Does the Chinese Constitution Say About Religion?
Misconceptions abound regarding what the Constitution of the People's Republic of China has to say about religion. The government trumpets the fact that the freedom of religious belief is enshrined in the Constitution. And we often hear about the constitution forbidding the teaching of religion to those under 18.
I thought it would be interesting to take a look at what the constitution has to say about religion and religious freedom.
Beyond “Two Camps”: The Complex Relationship between Official and Unregistered Church in China
Attempts by China watchers to unravel the complexity of China's Christian community often result in a bifurcated view depicting a pitched battle between the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the house church. Liberal theology, political control, and collusion in persecuting believers characterize the TSPM, while the "real Christians" are to be found only in the house church, a bastion of evangelical faith set amidst an atheistic state that is out to destroy it.
Is China Persecuting More Christians for their Faith?
According to the China Aid 13.8% more Christians in China were persecuted last year as compared with 2011, continuing a trend of increasing persecution that goes back to at least 2007.