ABSTRACT
Before discussing the political role of religion in China, it is necessary to dene the religious character of Chinese society.2 It has been pointed out that “as much as 80 percent of China’s population may be termed ‘religious’ if customary beliefs and practices in the countryside are included.”3 In my view, China is a religious country essentially by virtue of its rich and widespread traditions of religious practice (when and where allowed), beliefs, and religious life, especially in rural areas and among ethnic minorities throughout the country.4 These religious beliefs and practices play an active role in Chinese society, even though the current state is secular due to the dominant atheistic political ideology. I agree with C.K. Yang’s
are expected not to challenge communist ideology in contemporary China: “Theistic beliefs remain a strong inuence among the people in spite of persistent interference and systematic control from the new faith. The current picture is one of both a new nontheistic faith and the old theistic traditions.”5
