Measuring Religion in China
Western definitions of religion andmeasures of religious participation – such as attendance at congregationalworship services - fit the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Islam andJudaism, but are less suited to traditional beliefs and practices in East Asia.The
Pew Research Institute comments that only one in 10 Chinese adults formallyidentifies with a religion. Depending on the sourceused, estimates of the share of Chinese people who can be described asreligious in some way - because they identify with a religion, hold religiousbeliefs or engage in practices that have a spiritual or religious component –range from less than 10 percent to more than 50 percent. The challenges facingindependent researchers include not just the Chinese government’s tight controlof information and the Communist Party’s skepticism toward religion, but alsolinguistic and conceptual differences between religion in East Asia and otherregions.
https://www.pewresearch.org
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