Interaction Patterns of Buddhist Elites in Contemporary China (1978-2028): Exploring the Dynamics of Institutionalization Processes, Social Networks, and Conceptual Histories

• Applicant: Dr. Carsten Krause
• Subject Area: Asian Studies
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 548644864

This project will unite scholars from France and Germany, leveraging their extensive international networks to facilitate a systematic exploration of Buddhist institutionalization processes, social networks, and conceptual issues in contemporary China. Spanning a historical development horizon of fifty years, it captures the evolution of Buddhism in the People’s Republic of China since the conclusion of the tumultuous Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and the relaxation of religious policy in 1978. The research will concentrate on monastic elites, specifically leaders of Buddhist Associations, key monasteries, and Buddhist academies. This emphasis is rooted in the understanding that their life histories, social involvements, and discursive outputs collectively reflect the structural factors and agencies shaping the religious landscape in contemporary China. A starting point for this project is the creation of an unprecedented collection of data on these Buddhist elites, compiling publicly available information on their personal religious trajectory, institutional affiliations, social interactions, and publications. This entails a systematic review of statistical data and thorough fieldwork for data collection. Building on this foundation and employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, this project will firstly examine the roles fulfilled by male and female Buddhist elites across multiple generations in shaping contemporary Chinese Buddhism. The aim is to comprehend their links to the underlying institutionalization processes in Post-Mao China. Secondly, it will analyze how these elites establish various types of social networks within and beyond the institutional framework, mapping channels of resource flows and identifying key nodes at both central and local levels. Lastly, it will investigate how these elites express themselves in public discourse to articulate and legitimize their privileged positions, emphasizing the impact of socio-political contexts on conceptual histories. The in-depth analysis of these three dimensions seeks to identify patterns of their interaction and clarify how Buddhist elites position themselves within the People’s Republic of China.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Partner Organisation: Agence Nationale de la Recherche / The French National Research Agency
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Zhe Ji