Religious Change in Post-Mao China
This book is a revelation to those who think religions were not allowed by Mao.
Mao in the 1950s actually recognised 5 official religions. They are Protestantism, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and Daoism. (p. 39).
Mao banned ancestor worship and lineage organizations because they were superstitions. (p. 36)
This would have serious consequences for the resurgence of popular religions, as Deng post-Mao allowed all forms of religion to be practiced, including popular religions, which include ancestor worship and territorial cults. (pp. 41 and 84).
The CCP in 1982 issued a circular that explicitly said that using force to wipe out religion entirely from society was ‘completely wrong and extremely harmful’ (p. 41).
This is an excellent book. The author has done solid fieldwork. She has a good command of the sources. The footnotes are impressive. The writing is clear. Readers will be surprised that Protestantism is the fastest-growing religion in China post-Mao.
The 5 main religions are allowed to practice as long as they are registered officially. It’s a pity Daoism is not covered as a separate chapter. The author has not explained why.