Reflections on the Modernity of Chinese Christianity in the Context of Post-Secularization

Abstract

According to classical secularization theory, the development of Christianity (particularly Protestantism) in Chinese society has not undergone strict secularization, and any such instances have been ephemeral rather than sustained phenomena. Paradoxically, within the pluralistic sociocultural context of post-secularization, Protestant Christianity has manifested a distinctive modernity in China—one that actively reconfigures the conceptual boundaries of post-secular modernity through localized contextualization. The modernity emerging from religion-society interactions must be grounded in empirical social realities, while simultaneously acting as a catalyst for both religious transformation and theoretical evolution within secularization discourse. Through an empirical case study methodology, this investigation examines post-secular faith practices of Christianity in contemporary China, seeking to elucidate distinct manifestations of faith modernity shaped by specific sociostructural conditions.