Baorong Duoyuan: A Proposed Foundation for Religious Freedom in a Postcommunist, Democratic China

Abstract

Abstract
The 2016 Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) confirms an increasingly alarming surge in the ongoing, systematic, and egregious abuses of religious freedom (RF) of Chinese citizens by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I foresee that under a constitutional framework, a post-Communist, democratized China will embrace cultural, economic, social, and confessional pluralism to help ensure the impartial and equal protection of all citizens’ religious freedom. A useful pattern for that new national pluralism is found and reflected within the existing minority of Chinese citizens who follow the Judeo-Christian faith and worldview. After analyzing different political philosophies, using religious education (RE) to illustrate the degree of religious freedom in different countries, my study demonstrates that neither political liberalism nor traditional nonprincipled pluralism will adequately protect religious freedom for all. Baorong Duoyuan literally inclusive pluralism, a contextualized model of principled pluralism, complements the Judeo-Christian faith as well as non-Judeo-Christian faiths, and even nonprofessions of religion. As such, this theory proposes that the State functions as a religiously impartial institution. In my study, I conduct library-based theoretical/philosophical/theological work to ultimately propose that Baorong Duoyuan offers an untainted model to nurture and maintain religious freedom in a postcommunist China. When appropriately applied to China’s practices, this biblically supported, theologically warranted theory of principled pluralism helps to promote, nurture, implement, and maintain religious freedom for all citizens of China. To protect religious freedom for all, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, my proposed Baorong Duoyuan model offers the most reasonable, consistent, and coherent option to achieve and to maintain such religious freedom and pluralism.