Mutual Accommodation in the Church-State Relationship in China?
A Case Study of the Sanjiang Church Demolition in Zhejiang
中國政教關係中的“相互適應”問題：以溫州三江教堂拆毀事件為例
The campaign of church demolitions and cross removals in Zhejiang from 2013 to 2016 has revealed some uneasiness in the religion-state relationship in China. The party-state has had a policy of “mutual accommodation” since the 1990s, and the official churches are good examples of such accommodation. But the demolition of Sanjiang Church shows the limits of the policy. In this case study, we argue that mutual accommodation between the two sides is still possible but constrained by two factors: the broad political and policy structure, and the individuals involved in the interaction between church and state. This case study helps to shed some light on an issue that has a far-reaching effect on sociopolitical change in China.
發生在浙江的教堂和十字架拆除運動（2013–2016）是中國政教衝突的一個標誌性事件。早在1990年代，政府就提出了所謂“相適應”的宗教政策，官方認可的教會成為“相適應”的樣板。但三江教堂的拆毀體現了該政策的局限性。本研究認為“相互適應”還是有可能實現，但是它會受到政治環境和政策結構，以及在政教互動中涉事個體兩類因素的制約。本研究希望能夠幫助理解政教“相互適應”這一對中國社會政治變化可能產生深刻影響的問題。
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Mutual Accommodation in the Church-State Relationship in China?
A Case Study of the Sanjiang Church Demolition in Zhejiang
中國政教關係中的“相互適應”問題：以溫州三江教堂拆毀事件為例
The campaign of church demolitions and cross removals in Zhejiang from 2013 to 2016 has revealed some uneasiness in the religion-state relationship in China. The party-state has had a policy of “mutual accommodation” since the 1990s, and the official churches are good examples of such accommodation. But the demolition of Sanjiang Church shows the limits of the policy. In this case study, we argue that mutual accommodation between the two sides is still possible but constrained by two factors: the broad political and policy structure, and the individuals involved in the interaction between church and state. This case study helps to shed some light on an issue that has a far-reaching effect on sociopolitical change in China.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 581 | 49 | 7 |
| Full Text Views | 226 | 12 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 95 | 17 | 1 |