The Impact of Religious Values on Chinese Social Life - A research project of the Academy of Finland

  • Ruokanen, Miikka (Project manager)
  • Zhuo, Xinping (Participant)
  • Zheng, Xiaoyun (Participant)
  • Tang, Wenming (Participant)
  • Huilin, Yang (Participant)
  • Wang, Yujie (Participant)
  • Wei, Shan (Participant)
  • You, Bin (Participant)
  • Zhang, Zigang (Participant)
  • Yang, Xusheng (Participant)
  • Ford, David (Participant)
  • Ochs, Peter (Participant)
  • Bevans, Steve B. (Participant)
  • Dehn, Ulrich (Participant)
  • Sakaranaho, Tuula (Participant)
  • Hämeen-Anttila, Jaakko (Participant)
  • Moyaert, Marianne (Participant)
  • Vähäkangas, Mika (Participant)
  • Fällman, Fredrik (Participant)
  • Illman, Ruth (Participant)
  • Huang, Paulos (Participant)
  • Päivänsalo, Ville (Participant)
  • Komulainen, Jyri (Participant)
  • He, Guanghu (Participant)
  • Yongtao, Chen (Participant)
  • Hirvonen, Heidi (Participant)
  • Jiang, Miao (Participant)
  • Gao (高), Yuan (源) (Participant)
  • Li, Lin (Participant)
  • Yin, Zhihua (Participant)
  • Kuokkanen, Aleksi (Participant)
  • Gao, Shining (Participant)
  • Zhu, Xiaohong (Participant)

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description (abstract)

The global economic, political, and cultural influence of China is on the rise, but the values of this biggest nation of the world are in the state of flux. Materialism and atheism do not suffice as a basis for individual and social values. In increasing numbers the Chinese are looking for spiritual and religious values; religions are attracting new followers and their impact on social life is growing.

The research project analyzes the individual and social core values of the five faith traditions of China, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, and Islam, as interpreted by leading contemporary religious intellectuals. Using philosophical analysis, we find out how they in their publications make the faith-based values relevant to the modern Chinese by applying them to the changing conditions of China. We ask why and how these values make an impact on the nation.

The project draws a map of the ideological changes which are shaping the future of China. The results will deepen the understanding of China among Finnish people. Our Sino-Finnish team will be the first to conduct comprehensive research on the changing faith-based values of China.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date01/09/201831/08/2023