This thesis explores religious freedom in contemporary China through historical, philosophical and juridical perspectives. The historical analysis covers the period from the fall of the Qing dynasty (1911) to present-day China and focuses on important events such as the Maoist period, the new open policies established by Deng Xiaoping, and the religious revival started in the 1980s. A discussion of philosophy is essential in order to understand the relationship between Chinese Communist Party and religion, especially the government's view on religion and how it has changed over the years. Laws and policies can help understand the problems that religions face today and the kind of freedoms they enjoy. With regard to religion, collaboration between state and society is essential to guarantee peace, freedom and order in the PRC. The purpose of my thesis is to demonstrate that freedom of religious belief has improved since the 1980s and, today, the PRC benefits from partial religious freedom. However, China still needs to do a lot to ensure full religious freedom. Policies must be updated in order to meet people's needs and be suitable to social and religious changes. Yet religious freedom in China cannot be compared to the Western model because of the different historical, political and cultural circumstances within China. China has its own model of religious freedom that must be improved and updated. The government should grant more religious freedom and loosen or change their strict and outdated regulations to build a peaceful and secure future. My thesis is based on texts and essays of both Western and Chinese scholars, as well as newspaper articles and field research I conducted in China between 2010 and 2013.

"This Research Handbook collects, for the first time in English, laws, regulations and major policy pronouncements about religion in China."--Foreword.