Informal Protestantism in China and Local Government Toleration

Protestantism is the fastest-growing religion in China. This chapter accounts for why Chinese society has become more religious in the reform period and, most importantly, for the emergence of a large number of informal Protestant churches that challenge the central government’s policy on religious co-optation. It elaborates on some of the central government’s key regulations on religious affairs and the way they have constrained religious practice in state-sanctioned churches. Those pertain to the registration of religious sites, proselytization and religious education, the diffusion of religious materials, and religious leaders’ interactions with international actors. It sheds light on how unregistered Protestant churches have bypassed those regulations, and how local governments have turned a blind eye on their activities.