Burnett explores the influences of Buddhism, Confucianism, and the Jesuits; he looks at the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Manchus; he assesses the motivations behind Mao, Deng Xaio-Ping, and the current communist and commercial regime. Why is an atheistic leadership seeing a widespread religious revival of several faiths? What is the future of religion in China? A wide-ranging introduction to the ideas, beliefs, and conflicting visions that have shaped modern China.