China’s Religious Crisis and the Battle for Moral Domination

China’s policies toward religion have changed radically during the Xi era. The state has sought to Sinicize religious practices and bring them under tighter bureaucratic control, while stricter regulations have curtailed public discussion of faith and spirituality on the Internet and social media. Nonetheless, more Chinese than ever are turning to spiritual pursuits in search of comfort and relief from the stress and unpredictability of life in China at a time of economic uncertainty, social disruption, and eroding trust in the Party-state and its secular materialist ideology.

Internal migration and rapid urbanization have weakened community life and family ties, creating a sense of social isolation. A highly competitive education system, bleak employment prospects, and the pressures of the 9-9-6 work culture leave young people feeling hopeless. Some have begun to question the scramble for status and material wealth encouraged by the single-minded pursuit of economic growth. A widespread yearning for meaning and serenity has renewed interest in world religions as well as traditional folk beliefs, leading to the proliferation of local religious associations, house churches, and online Bible study groups.

This crisis of faith — and the spiritual resurgence accompanying it — has raised alarms in Beijing. China’s leaders remain determined to crack down on unsanctioned religious expression and enforce ideological conformity, and they have stepped up efforts to shape people’s beliefs along the lines of their own civic morality. But for millions of Chinese, the quest for spiritual fulfillment is deeply personal. Join the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis (CCA) for a virtual discussion on the battle for the hearts and minds of China’s faithful featuring Pulitzer Prize–winning author Ian Johnson, Duke Divinity School Professor Xi Lian, and Whitman College Assistant Professor Yuan Xiaobo. The discussion will be moderated by CCA Fellow G.A. Donovan.

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