Exploring the Intersection of Chinese Religion, Politics and Democracy: Peng Yin’s Research on For the Life of the World Podcast

Peng Yin, Assistant Professor of Ethics at Yale University, recently discussed his current project on the For the Life of the World podcast. During the conversation, he explored various aspects of Chinese religion and politics, including the religious influences on Chinese political thought, the theological implications of new Cold War discourse, and the decline of Euro-American democracy.

Yin’s research project focuses on tracing the history of religious sovereignty in China from early Confucian and Legalist writings to Daoist and Buddhist interactions with imperial power. He also examines Christianity’s role in founding China’s first republic and its impact on Chinese Communism. Moreover, he explores contemporary political implications of Chinese Christianity through a book titled “The Question of Political Legitimacy in Chinese Political Theology.” This first part will be published this summer in a volume edited by Kwok Pui Lan titled Transpacific Political Theology: Perspectives and Methods.

Listeners can gain more insights into Peng Yin’s work by tuning into the podcast produced by Yale Center for Faith and Culture.