The Exodus of the Grey and the Black: A Comparative Study of the Survival Strategies

• In Event: 50461 - Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Religious Organizations & Religion in Place

Abstract

Religious repression in China has intensified over the past decade, forcing many underground churches to seek alternative survival strategies. This study examines two Chinese house churches—one relocating to Indonesia and the other to the United States—to explore how faith-based communities respond to state suppression through migration. Using Triple Market Theory (Yang, 2006, 2011) and the Transnationalism Perspective (Levitt, 2001), this research addresses three core questions: (1) What motivated these churches to migrate? (2) How do they sustain their religious communities abroad? (3) To what extent do they maintain transnational ties with China? Through 60 in-depth interviews and church document analysis, findings reveal distinct adaptation strategies. The black-market church (Mayflower Church) prioritizes communal cohesion, avoiding engagement with both China and the destination country, whereas the grey-market church (Meicun Church) adopts a diffusion model, integrating locally while maintaining transnational religious ties. This study extends religious migration theory, demonstrating how faith-based communities navigate state control, transnationalism, and identity preservation under global political pressures.

Author

• Mingui Gao, Purdue University