Abstract
This study examines church-state relations in Mindong diocese, Fujian province, from the perspective of state-society relations. The article seeks to identify the salient patterns of church-state relations in Mindong diocese, and the social factors that contribute to the formation of such patterns. I elaborate on the essential characteristics of the Mindong model in the paper. I argue that the three key factors affecting church-state relations in Mindong diocese are the competition between the open and underground churches, the mediating role of the Vatican, and the pragmatism of local government officials. I describe the Mindong model as a negotiated resistance, meaning that the underground church resists the control of the government and seeks organizational autonomy through continued negotiation with officials of the government. In conclusion, I discuss the implications of this church-state model in advancing religious freedom in Chinese society.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 982-999 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | China Quarterly |
Volume | 212 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2012 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Development
- Political Science and International Relations
User-Defined Keywords
- Catholic church
- church–state relations
- Mindong
- negotiated resistance
- religious freedom
- China