ABSTRACT
The rise of large, unregistered Protestant congregations in cities across China sparks questions about Chinese Communist Party-state domination. I explain the role of official churches, the spread and survival of illegal religious groups, and the selective state repression by synthesizing the domination-resistance and institutional literatures. The key is the public transcript, the visible behavior and discourse of Protestants and authorities. The gap between the official agenda of domination and the reality of public behavior shows that the authoritarian regime is flexible. Combining informal monitoring of illegal groups with power to impose control, the CCP displays authoritarian resilience.
