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Opium of the People? : Religious Politics in the Xi Jinping Era

Lavička, Martin LU orcid (2024) In Studies in Critical Social Sciences 282. p.325-342
Abstract
This chapter discusses how the official religious policies stipulated in the so-called Document 19 issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1982 have transformed into the current religious laws and policies under Xi Jinping. Therefore, it analyses the most recent amendment (2017) of the Religious Affairs Regulations (RAR), Administrative Measures for Religious Groups (2020), Administrative Measures for Religious Clergy (2021), and the State Council Information Office (SCIO) whitepaper (2018) addressing religious affairs in China. The post-Mao period saw an increased liberalisation and decriminalisation of spiritual practices across China. Simultaneously, it was accompanied by substantial growth in the number of... (More)
This chapter discusses how the official religious policies stipulated in the so-called Document 19 issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1982 have transformed into the current religious laws and policies under Xi Jinping. Therefore, it analyses the most recent amendment (2017) of the Religious Affairs Regulations (RAR), Administrative Measures for Religious Groups (2020), Administrative Measures for Religious Clergy (2021), and the State Council Information Office (SCIO) whitepaper (2018) addressing religious affairs in China. The post-Mao period saw an increased liberalisation and decriminalisation of spiritual practices across China. Simultaneously, it was accompanied by substantial growth in the number of believers, newly built religious sites and printed religious books. Yet the official stance was that religion should be eradicated but not with a single blow, which would do more harm than good. Therefore, this chapter elaborates on the argument that the current hard-line religious policies under Xi Jinping do not deviate from the long-term Party objectives set in the 1980s. However, it suggests that China speeds up the Sinicisation of religions and their integration into centralised state structures. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
China under Xi Jinping : An Interdisciplinary Assessment - An Interdisciplinary Assessment
series title
Studies in Critical Social Sciences
editor
Kupś, Hanna ; Szatkowski, Maciej and Dahl, Michał
volume
282
pages
18 pages
publisher
Brill
external identifiers
  • scopus:85210934691
ISBN
978-90-04-69108-7
978-90-04-69084-4
DOI
10.1163/9789004691087_015
project
Chinese Conceptualisation of the Rule of Law: Challenges for the International Legal Order
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e2262455-5c73-4d56-8f81-0d93824aded0
date added to LUP
2024-12-03 07:41:08
date last changed
2025-05-13 12:57:21
@inbook{e2262455-5c73-4d56-8f81-0d93824aded0,
  abstract     = {{This chapter discusses how the official religious policies stipulated in the so-called Document 19 issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1982 have transformed into the current religious laws and policies under Xi Jinping. Therefore, it analyses the most recent amendment (2017) of the Religious Affairs Regulations (RAR), Administrative Measures for Religious Groups (2020), Administrative Measures for Religious Clergy (2021), and the State Council Information Office (SCIO) whitepaper (2018) addressing religious affairs in China. The post-Mao period saw an increased liberalisation and decriminalisation of spiritual practices across China. Simultaneously, it was accompanied by substantial growth in the number of believers, newly built religious sites and printed religious books. Yet the official stance was that religion should be eradicated but not with a single blow, which would do more harm than good. Therefore, this chapter elaborates on the argument that the current hard-line religious policies under Xi Jinping do not deviate from the long-term Party objectives set in the 1980s. However, it suggests that China speeds up the Sinicisation of religions and their integration into centralised state structures.}},
  author       = {{Lavička, Martin}},
  booktitle    = {{China under Xi Jinping : An Interdisciplinary Assessment}},
  editor       = {{Kupś, Hanna and Szatkowski, Maciej and Dahl, Michał}},
  isbn         = {{978-90-04-69108-7}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{325--342}},
  publisher    = {{Brill}},
  series       = {{Studies in Critical Social Sciences}},
  title        = {{Opium of the People? : Religious Politics in the Xi Jinping Era}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004691087_015}},
  doi          = {{10.1163/9789004691087_015}},
  volume       = {{282}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}