The Politics of Protestant Churches and the Party-State in China

"The Chinese government's destruction of churches and repression of its burgeoning Christian population has become a regular headline in the global press. The reality is more complex, Carsten Vala reveals, involving both repression as well as complex patterns of negotiation, even with illegal churches. Vala's study of Protestants in China offers a sophisticated theory of authoritarian rule, empirical drama, and astonishing new information on religion in China -- a research feat in itself. The upshot is a new standard of excellence in the literature on religion and politics." Professor Daniel Philpott, University of Notre Dame "The Politics of Protestant Churches and the Party-State provides new insight into official and unregistered churches in China, the porous and competitive boundaries between them, and their patterns of negotiation with the Party-state. It is an important addition to debates on religion and the state in China." Professor Karrie J. Koesel, University of Notre Dame "Based on years of original field research, Carsten Valas exciting new book challenges conventional depictions of the relationship between Chinas Communist Party-state and religious organizations. The proposed "domination-negotiation" framework provides nuanced insight into the paradoxical co-existence of repression and unexpected space for religious practice under authoritarianism." Professor Kellee S. Tsai, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology "This is a very carefully researched book with nuanced theoretical arguments. Carsten Vala constructs a domination-negotiation model to describe and explain the dynamics of church-state interactions in China today, which accounts well for the emergence and growth of large "house-church" congregations in major cities in the 21st century." Professor Fenggang Yang, Purdue University "Valas work is a must read for any scholar or policy analyst with an interest in the politics of religion in China." Professor Marie-Eve Reny, Review of Religion and Chinese Society

Carsten T. Vala is Associate Professor and Chairman in the Department of Political Science at Loyola University Maryland, USA.

1. Introduction 2. From Domination to Negotiation from 1949 to Today: Declining State Capacity, Rising Protestant Numbers 3. The Role of Official Associations: Projecting A Faade of Domination in the Public Transcript 4. Resisting the Official Agenda, Sharing Grassroots Values: The Spread of Protestant Groups 5. Cultivating Social Capital as a Resource for Protestant Resistance 6. Enlarging the Bounds of the Public Transcript: Founding Large, Public Urban Churches 7. Repression of an Urban Church Shanghais Wanbang Church 8. Challenging the Bounds of the Public Transcript - Beijing Shouwang Church 9. Conclusion