Religious Change in Post-Mao China: Toward a New Sociology of Religion

A sweeping examination of how the religious landscape has changed in post-Mao China.

In Religious Change in Post-Mao China, sociologist Yanfei Sun examines the transformation of major religions and the broader religious ecology in China in the wake of the death of Mao Zedong. Drawing on two decades of research that integrates ethnographic, historical, and comparative methods, this book explores the remarkable rise of Protestantism, the challenges faced by Catholicism, the revival of Chinese popular religion, the complex dynamics of Chinese Buddhism, and the unrealized potential of new religious movements. Why do some religions thrive and others struggle in post-Mao China? Sun describes both the internal institutional factors that allow some religions to flourish and the wider sociopolitical context that supports or discourages religious expansion. She thereby introduces an ambitious theoretical framework--one whose applicability extends beyond China, offering a template for analyzing religious dynamics in other parts of the world.

A must-read for scholars of religious studies, sociology, and China studies, Religious Change in Post-Mao China not only provides critical insights into China’s evolving religious landscape but also offers a powerful lens for examining the forces behind religious change, both past and present.

Yanfei Sun is associate professor of sociology at Zhejiang University.