Religion and Social Trust in China: An Analysis Based on the Belief in Deities

Research on the impact of religion on social trust in China has presented conflicting conclusions. Proponents of the enhancement theory posit that religious belief increases social trust, but advocates of the inhibition theory contest this view. Such discrepancies might be due to varying research samples and the limitations of surveys that rely on religious affiliations, which inadequately represent the diffused nature of Chinese religiosity. Given the prominence of diffused religious practices in China, measurement based on deities rather than affiliations can address issues such as omitted or misclassified religious groups, thereby offering a more accurate reflection of China's religious landscape. In light of this, this study employs deity-based religious belief data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS 2018) to analyze the relationship between religious beliefs and social trust among Chinese believers. The results show that religious beliefs have a complex influence on social trust. Specifically, religious individuals tended to distrust general social groups more than their non-religious counterparts, although no significant effect was found for particularized trust. Interestingly, different types of deity beliefs impacted social trust in varied ways. For example, belief in ancestors was associated with greater trust in general social groups, family members, and acquaintances, but not in strangers. Furthermore, greater belief diversity significantly lowered trust in general groups and acquaintances, while substantially increasing trust in strangers, with no significant effect on family members. These findings may enrich the ongoing debate and carry certain policy implications.