Fluidity of Faith: Predictors of Religion in a Longitudinal Sample of Chinese Adults

Abstract

Religiosity appears to be rising in China. However, this trend hides the extent of fluidity in religious beliefs and behaviors. Within-person changes in religiosity across time are not random but patterned in systematic ways. In this article, we examine the predictors of religiosity in a longitudinal sample of Chinese adults from 2012 to 2016. Religious outcomes are correlated with sociodemographic, political, and health variables. Notably, all religious outcomes are positively associated with household income and also with the unfair treatment index, a measure of negative personal experiences with the government. Measures of health problems are positively associated with religious importance, though not with religious identification or behavior.