本文探討了過去一個世紀以來，中國大陸偶像崇拜的演變歷程。筆者首先提出，偶像崇拜在神靈性-世俗性、精英性—草根性、禁欲性—享樂性三個維度上存在着內在的對立關係，並以此將偶像崇拜分為神靈性偶像崇拜、民俗性偶像崇拜、聖賢性偶像崇拜、娛樂性偶像崇拜和草根性偶像崇拜五種類型。筆者還提出，大陸的偶像崇拜經歷了幼稚多元化階段、相對單一化階段、絕對單一化階段、探索多元化階段和成熟多元化五個階段。其結果，大陸的偶像崇拜逐漸由單一多元化走向成熟多元化，由激進走向理性，由迷戀西方價值觀走向確立獨立的價值觀。這一切都印證了大陸民主演變的三大趨勢：螺旋式的多元化發展，民主意識的理性化進步以及民主價值觀的本土化與自主化。

This article explores the relationship between the transformation of idolatry and the democratization of China in the past 100 years. It first proposes to examine idolatry in term of three sets of dichotomous concepts, mysticism versus mundanism, elitism versus commonerism, and asceticism versus hedonism. It then classifies idolatry into five different types: religious idolatry, ethnic idolatry, sage/luminary idolatry, recreational idolatry, and grass-roots idolatry. It also classifies the transformation of idolatry into five distinctive periods: immature diversification period, relative unification period, absolute unification period, exploratory diversification period, and mature diversification period. In the conclusion, the authors summarise the transformation of idolatry in China in term of three democratic trends: moving from immature diversification to mature diversification, moving from irrationality to rationality, and moving from blind identification with Western values to formation of independent judgments.