CURA Colloquium "Chinese Religion and the Cultural Revolution"

"Historically speaking, various religious and philosophical traditions have shaped China and its people. These include Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, etc. These traditional beliefs characterized Chinese values and cultural practices from the earliest times. However, during the past several decades, religions in China survived the most radical suppression in human history—a total ban on any religion during and after the Cultural Revolution (Yang 2012). This article is interested in understanding contemporary Chinese people’s spiritual landscape under communism. Firstly, it considers the several traditions and their religious-philosophical significance to Chinese history and society. These will include Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Then, it reviews how religions in China have continuously suffered from the Cultural Revolution, which was initiated by Mao Zedong in the 1960s. Additionally, by looking into how religions adopted, transformed, and survived the suppressive rules, this article explores ways in which religions have served as a tool to resist authoritarian regimes. Considering the reality that many who grow up in China today are stripped of access to organized religious practices, in the last section, the article seeks to identify other forms of resources manifested by the Chinese people to fulfill their spiritual, existential, religious, and theological quests." *Reading the paper in advance is required for attendance. Email arleneb@bu.edu for your copy.