Technological advancement has afforded new possibilities for religious practices in the urban Chinese digital landscape. The shift from traditional evangelical media (e.g. hardcover Bibles, broadcasting and DVDs) to social media platforms (e.g. Bible study apps, Zoom and WeChat) challenges the way in which religion has been conventionally theorised as a collective practice. Under this rapid digital transformation, how do we understand the dynamic relationship between faith and digitally mediated religious practices?
In this thesis, I examine the lived experience of urban Chinese Protestants through 14 months of ethnographic research conducted both remotely and in Beijing during and after the COVID pandemic (2022-2024). Beyond the familiar focus on religion in China as framed by church-state tensions or cultural exchange, I focus on how my interlocutors navigate the material, social and spatial boundaries that emerge across local and transnational urban landscapes. I find their daily practices act as a way of dealing with multiple uncertainties, developing a personal sense of security.
Through my analysis, I develop the concept of ping’an (lit. peace and safety), drawing from my informants’ words, to understand the ways a secure sense of self can be cultivated through objects and digital platforms. I argue that ping’an is recognised as a cosmic and social ideal in the practices of urban Chinese Protestantism. Each chapter shows how ping’an is embodied through various objects and dimensions, including day-to-day practices, Bible study groups, media platforms, and different churches. The thesis helps us understand how faith is materially practised and experienced in a rapidly changing world and investigates how digital technologies have affected the dynamics of Christian practices and communication in urban China.
