A Research Agenda on Religious Freedom in China

R eligious freedom in China, a subject that has appeared frequently in international news, governmental documents, and reports of nongovernmental organizations (NGO), has been understudied by academic scholars both inside and outside China. Inside China, and to some extent outside China as well, many scholars seem to be afraid that religious freedom is a politically oversensitive topic to the Chinese Communist authorities that is too risky to discuss in print. While scholars in China commonly fear for political censures and consequences for writing about religious affairs, scholars outside China are sometimes concerned about losing access to China if openly commenting on the impalpable situation of religious freedom. I believe that religious freedom in China can be a topic with good potential for fruitful studies if scholars are equipped with suitable theoretical and methodological tools. To move the field forward, some thought liberation is in order. First of all, to follow the principle of shi shi qiu shi 实事求是, to seek truth in facts, as promoted by Deng Xiaoping since the late 1970s as a new Chinese Communist policy principle, scholarly research ought to find facts and to develop theoretical explanations of the facts. Fact finding and explaining does not have to become “political” in the narrow sense of antagonism or holding an ideological position. Rather it would be political in the best and broadest sense of politics, which is of, relating to, or concerned with the public interest. Indeed, properly understood, the subject of religious freedom is unavoidable for conscientious citizens in the world today. Moreover, religious freedom is arguably the first freedom in a constitutional democracy, that is, it comes first before the other freedoms and may serve as the basis or wellspring for other freedoms (see, e.g. Balmer, Grogerg, and Mabry 2012). I have come to believe that until the Chinese elites gain a better understanding and appreciation of religious freedom, further democratization in China will be difficult, if possible at all. The deficiency of religious freedom undermines economic development and social order. On the other hand, if religious freedom advances before the other freedoms such as the press and organizing political parties, it may significantly contribute to a smoother, or less volatile, transition toward democracy.