The Cultural Revolution and the Emergence of Pentecostal-style Protestantism in China

Abstract

This article seeks to locate the manifested Pentecostal characteristics of Chinese Protestantism in the context of an individualistic and feminised religious arena during China's Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). Life-story interview data collected in south-eastern China reveal that the unavailability of religious authorities during the Cultural Revolution brought about a decentralised and experiential Protestant religious form, demonstrating a cultural pattern similar to that of Pentecostalism. This religious form was particularly successful in attracting women and communicating across cultural frontiers, thus contributing to Protestant breakthroughs in rural areas. Nevertheless, without institutionalising a Pentecostal doctrine and practice, this Pentecostal-like religiosity would be subject to further change with the return of religious authorities after the 1980s. I propose an analytical tool that I call ‘practice-led Pentecostalism’ for grasping this fluid religious dynamic.

*This article was the winning entry for the Taylor & Francis Sociology of Religion Post-Graduate Essay Competition in 2008.

Acknowledgement

This article won the 2008 Taylor & Francis Sociology of Religion Post-graduate Essay Competition. The competition is organised annually by the BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group and financially supported by Taylor & Francis.

Notes

*This article was the winning entry for the Taylor & Francis Sociology of Religion Post-Graduate Essay Competition in 2008.

NOTE

1. In 1949, Protestants numbered 0.7–1 million (Whyte; F. Yang, “Lost”). Today, estimates of the Protestant population vary between 20 and 100 million (Bay; Hunter and Chan; Kindopp). The considerable variation is due to the difficulty of estimating the number of Protestants attending unregistered house churches. Despite this difficulty, many scholars accept that an estimate of 50 million Protestants seems credible (Bays; Kindopp; Lambert, Christian Millions; F. Yang, “Red”).