The Party and the People by Bruce Dickson

Author:Bruce Dickson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2021-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

The Evolution of the Party’s Policy toward Religion

As the CCP launched its economic reforms, the opportunity to practice religion increased because the political environment itself became more open. When the CCP grew concerned over potential threats to its hold on power, it narrowed the space for religion. However, local practice often deviated from central policy, as will be explained below.

The PRC constitution adopted in 1982 states that “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief” (Article 36). But that article went on to reveal the limits of religious freedom in China: “No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the State.” This established the constraints in which religion operates in China.

Also, in 1982, the CCP announced a new policy toward religion, spelled out in what became known as Document 19. This new policy acknowledged that even though the CCP remained committed to atheism and its basic task was still to build a modern socialist country, it would provide more space for religious belief and practices. At the same time, the coexistence of religion with the CCP was predicated on the principle of “love country, love religion” (with religion notably in second place). All religions should be self-managing but also comply with the CCP: “All patriotic religious organizations should accept the leadership of the party and government.”19

The CCP’s policy toward religion evolved in later years, and not always in a consistent fashion.20 In the early 1990s, after the 1989 demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and elsewhere around China, and after Catholic and Protestant churches contributed to the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the CCP grew more concerned about the security implications of religious groups. But in 1993, then‒general secretary Jiang Zemin asserted that religion was compatible with socialism. However, the next year the CCP issued a new set of restrictions on the religious activities of foreigners and the registration of religious venues, reflecting its intent to continue its somewhat contradictory policy of both encouraging and controlling religion.

During the years when Hu Jintao was general secretary (2002–12), the CCP tried to institutionalize religious policy and practice. The “Regulations on Religious Affairs” released in 2005 state that religious activities could occur only at fixed places of worship, implicitly targeting the growing number of unregistered house churches.21 They granted religious communities increasing autonomy and authority over the management of their internal affairs, as part of a broader systemic effort of the Chinese government to redefine state-society relations.22 They also hinted at the possibility that unregistered house churches could officially register without joining the official Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). However, local officials did not implement the regulations this way. When Beijing’s Shouwang church sought to register without joining the TSPM in 2006, its application was rejected.23 The ultimate goal of the new regulations was to standardize religious policy, not to allow religious freedom.

The CCP took a somewhat softer approach toward religion in “Decisions on Major Issues of Building a Socialist Harmonious Society,” issued in 2006.

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