Everyday Forms of Containment

This chapter empirically accounts for how house church leaders have complied with explicitly and implicitly transmitted rules set by local authorities containing them. They have kept a low profile by avoiding criticizing the government during sermons, refrained from attracting public attention to their activities, and in some cases, limited the size of their congregations. House church leaders have also opened up to local authorities and shared information about their activities when needed. Beyond such compliance, the authorities have sustained containment by sending house church leaders warnings when they anticipate they might be crossing red lines. Yet religious leaders have themselves accumulated information about local public security bureaus, which has facilitated the pursuit of their interests.