Generalized trust among Christians in urban China: Analysis based on propensity score matching

Abstract

Drawing on a recently collected nationwide survey in mainland China, this article examines the average level of generalized trust among urban Protestants. This is the first rigorous quantitative study addressing the relationship between religion and trust in the context of mainland Chinese society. Through propensity score matching, this study also demonstrates how to deal with potential selection bias, a long-time overlooked issue in the sociology of religion. The findings in this article reveal that both male and female urban Protestants, compared with non-Protestants, show a significantly lower level of generalized trust in an average person. A similar pattern was not detected in Buddhists. Finally, urban Protestants in contemporary China on average exhibit a higher level of trust in religious adherents and religious organizations. Taken together, this study provides a preliminary portrait of urban Protestants in terms of their attitudes towards the trustworthiness of generalized others, religious followers, and religious organizations.