

Ian Johnson, "The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao" (Pantheon, 2017)
Jul 26, 2025
Ian Johnson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, dives into the religious landscape of China post-Mao. He explores the impressive resurgence of faiths like Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity amidst a backdrop of political repression and materialism. Johnson discusses the challenges of religious authenticity and identity, highlighting the role of rituals in everyday life. Reflecting on the complexities of modern faith, he emphasizes how these spiritual practices shape social values and community identity in contemporary China.
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Religion Intertwined with Power
- Religion was integral to traditional Chinese society and governance, intertwined with politics and culture.
- Reformers attacked religion as part of dismantling the old imperial order during crises in the 19th century.
Religion Suppressed Under Mao
- The Communist regime tightly controlled religion, allowing just five recognized religions.
- Religion was nearly banned during the Cultural Revolution, closing all places of worship by 1976.
Global Secularization Trends
- Modern states worldwide have sometimes aggressively secularized religion to modernize and consolidate power.
- The belief that religion would fade with modernization was once common, including in China.