Introduction

The introduction argues that interactions between China’s Protestant churches and the Communist Party-state not only exhibit domination but also negotiation. It asks: What role do official churches play in the authoritarian regime? How have so many large, illegal Protestant groups grown in the face of authoritarian power? Under what conditions do authoritarian regimes repress illegal religious groups in society? It suggests that paying attention to the public transcript, a façade of domination, returns insights into the complex behavior of political authorities, official churches, and grassroots Protestants.