Liminality as Resistance in the People’s Republic of China: Exploring Christianity, Confucianism and Buddhism

This chapter examines examples of liminality that characterizes various forms of religious life in the current People’s Republic of China. Liminality is broadly used as a paradigm between different poles: secular and sacred, legal and illegal, rural and urban, human and machine. The author argues that these types of liminality can be seen as religious resistance, suggesting that religious actors employ various aspects of in-betweenness to uphold and revive traditions and maintain religiosity in innovative and creative forms. In reality, this dynamic serves religious actors in resisting and overcoming the tremendous challenges they are confronted with, such as harsh regulations on religious freedoms. Presenting case studies from Christianity, Confucianism, and Buddhism, the chapter argues that the survival of religious spaces, practices, identities, and organizations is nurtured by liminality.