ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the formidable religious transformations—a veritable religious boom—that have accompanied China’s turn to market economics and explosive growth. This boom has not occurred for the most part within the five recognised and institutionalised religions. In fact, official state policies towards religion have not really changed since the death of Mao. Instead, the boom comes from outside the state-sponsored and state-controlled category of religion. This chapter examines these transformations and links them to the economic, social, and cultural changes that occurred in the post-Mao “Reform Era”. Special attention is paid to defining how neoliberalism and consumerism apply to China, and how profoundly expressive individualism has penetrated Chinese society. This chapter surveys the intensive reconstruction of temples, most of them independent of the Three Teaching, and the revival of temple activities, temple fairs, and practices of popular religion. Special attention is given to the qigong fever and the rise of New Age-like spiritualities in rapid-growing metropolises like Shenzhen. This chapter shows how the religious boom has been filed under “culture” rather than religion and facilitated in order to fuel economic development and attract foreign investments.
