Understanding Contemporary Religious Pluralism in China

The religious landscape in China has unique features that are poorly understood outside the country. While Buddhism, Christianity, and other "World Relgions" are present in the country, China is also home to a rich array of traditional religious practices. Contemporary social forms of Chinese religions fall into four basic types, each with complex historical roots: Confucclesia (the Confucian Assemby), Forest (a space for certain Buddhist and Daoist practices), Jianghu (the "gray" public sphere, marked by fluid religious activities), and Sect (newly established religious groups). In this talk, Georgetown's Liyong Dai examined the characteristics of each type of religious activity, their interconnectedness in today's China, and the relevance of the typology for understanding religion in other modern, pluralist societies.