Religious Regulation and Churches’ Responses—A Case Study on the Anti-Demolition Actions of Christians in Wenzhou

This article focuses on the characteristics, causes, and patterns of the anti-demolition actions by churches in Wenzhou. Based on my six field studies from July 2014 to February 2016, I discovered that: (1) these actions are more explicit in Wenzhou churches due to their regional distinctiveness; (2) a wide range of differences can be observed among Wenzhou churches due to their doctrinal diversity; and (3) ‘poor pastors’ have taken the leadership roles in the anti-demolition activities instead of the ‘boss Christians’. Considering the ongoing tension in the Chinese religious environment between central government planning and free market operation, the author points out that the pastoral district system in Wenzhou plays a very important role in anti-demolition and offers the ‘cost–benefit’ exchange theory to explain the pattern of the anti-demolition activities by Wenzhou churches.