Conrad Hackett Aug 30, 2023

NEW REPORT: Measuring Religion in China

Many Chinese adults practice religion or hold religious beliefs, but only 1 in 10 formally identify with a religion.

https://pewresearch.org/religion/2023/08/30/measuring-religion-in-china/ 🧵

Measuring Religion in China

Only one-in-ten Chinese adults formally identify with a religion, but surveys indicate that religion plays a much bigger role in China when the definition is widened to include questions on spirituality, customs and traditional beliefs.

Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project
Show threadSpace HoboAug 30, 2023
@conradhackett This is a pretty common attitude in East Asia. The idea is that religion is a casual practice unless you're a monk and dedicate your life to it. The notion of a strict religious identity adhered to by everyday people is a pretty Western thing.
Show threadSpace Hobo
@conradhackett Japanese people will, as an example, respond to personal crises by donating to Shinto shrines, making offerings at Buddhist temples, lighting candles at Christian churches, etc. Few think of these religions as places where the laity needs to express loyalty or devotion, but rather as public services to help the material world petition and commune with the worlds beyond.
Aug 30, 2023 at 2:16pmWeb