The question of Chinese religion: designations from within and without

Abstract

Although most people in China do not identify with a religion, a majority nevertheless observe ritual practices such as sweeping the graves of deceased ancestors and burning joss paper for them. They may concurrently visit Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian temples, as well as patronize local-level deities. Scholars have long debated how to characterize this category of ritual practice, often referred to as "Chinese folk religion" or "Chinese popular religion." Scholarly discussions on Chinese religion closely follow discourses on the meanings and definitions of religion, spirituality, ritual, and related concepts. This paper provides an overview of some of the older ethnological discussions, as well as a discussion of the ways that the current Chinese state's demarcation of acceptable religious expression complicates the question.