China is also often considered a home to humanism and secularism, with these ideologies beginning to take hold in the area in the time of Confucius.īecause many Han Chinese do not consider their spiritual beliefs and practices to be a "religion" and do not feel that they must practice any one of them exclusively, it is difficult to gather clear and reliable statistics. Though Hui Muslims are the most numerous group, the greatest concentration of Muslims is in Xinjiang, with a significant Uyghur population. Currently, Muslims are a minority group in China, representing between 0.45% to 1.8% of the total population according to the latest estimates. : 508, 532 Islam has been practiced in Chinese society for 1,400 years. After the late 1970s, religious freedoms for Christians improved and new Chinese groups emerged. However, after 1949, foreign missionaries were expelled, and churches brought under government-controlled institutions. In the early 20th century, Christian communities grew. Christianity did not take root until it was reintroduced in the 16th century by Jesuit missionaries. Confucian philosophy and religious practice began their long evolution during the later Zhou Taoist institutionalized religions developed by the Han dynasty Chinese Buddhism became widely popular by the Tang dynasty, and in response Confucian thinkers developed neo-Confucian philosophies and popular movements of salvation and local cults thrived.Ĭhristianity and Islam arrived in China in the 7th century. These may be deities of the natural environment or ancestral principles of human groups, concepts of civility, culture heroes, many of whom feature in Chinese mythology and history. Basically, Chinese religion involves allegiance to the shen, often translated as "spirits", defining a variety of gods and immortals. Fundamental elements of a theology and spiritual explanation for the nature of the universe hark back to this period and were further elaborated in the Axial Age. : 138 Under subsequent leaders, religious organisations have been given more autonomy.įolk or popular religion, the most widespread system of beliefs and practices, has evolved and adapted since at least the Shang and Zhou dynasties in the second millennium BCE. In the culmination of a series of atheistic and anti-religious campaigns already underway since the late 19th century, the Cultural Revolution against old habits, ideas, customs, and culture, lasting from 1966 to 1976, destroyed or forced them underground. In the early 20th century, reform-minded officials and intellectuals attacked all religions as superstitious since 1949, China has been governed by the CCP, an officially atheist party that prohibits party members from practicing religion while in office. The emperors of China claimed the Mandate of Heaven and participated in Chinese religious practices. There are no clear boundaries between these intertwined religious systems, which do not claim to be exclusive, and elements of each enrich popular or folk religion. Confucianism and Taoism (Daoism), later joined by Buddhism, constitute the " three teachings" that have shaped Chinese culture. In the early 21st century, there has been increasing official recognition of Confucianism and Chinese folk religion as part of China's cultural heritage.Ĭhinese civilization has historically long been a cradle and host to a variety of the most enduring religio- philosophical traditions of the world. The People's Republic of China is officially an atheist state, but the government formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity ( Catholicism and Protestantism are recognized separately), and Islam.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |