Symposium on the Marxist View of Religion (2011) Held in Beijing

From July 2 to 3, 2011, the “Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China — Symposium on the Marxist View of Religion (2011),” jointly organized by the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Religious Research Center of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, was grandly convened in Beijing.

2011年7月2日至3日，由中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所和国家宗教事务局宗教研究中心联合举办的“庆祝中国共产党建党90周年———马克思主义宗教观学术研讨会(2011)”在京隆重召开。

Participants included Zhuo Xinping, Director of the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Zhang Xinying, Director of the Network Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and former Deputy Director of the Institute of World Religions; Jin Ze, Researcher and Deputy Director of the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Ma Lihuai, Deputy Director of the Second Bureau of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the CPC; He Zan, cadre of the Second Bureau of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the CPC; Xu Liwei, cadre of the Second Bureau of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the CPC; Chen Hongxing, Director of the General Office of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; Ren Jichun, Deputy Director of the General Office of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; Danba, Director of the Department of Political and Legal Affairs of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; Liu Jinguang, Deputy Director of the Department of Political and Legal Affairs of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; Guo Chengzhen, Director of the Third Department of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; Lü Jinguang, Director of the Fourth Department of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; Huang Zhihui, Director of the Office of the Party Committee of the State Administration for Religious Affairs; and others.

中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所卓新平所长，中国社会科学院网络中心主任、世界宗教研究所原副所长张新鹰，中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所研究员、副所长金泽，中央统战部二局马利怀副局长，中央统战部二局干部贺赞，中央统战部二局干部徐利卫，国家宗教事务局办公室主任陈红星，国家宗教事务局办公室副主任任继春，国家宗教事务局政法司司长旦巴，国家宗教事务局政法司副司长刘金光，国家宗教事务局三司司长郭承真，国家宗教事务局四司司长吕晋光，国家宗教事务局机关党委办公室主任黄志辉等参加。

In 2010, in order to respond to and implement the call of the Party Central Committee to make the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences a “strong bastion of Marxism” and to effectively implement the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project, the Institute of World Religions formally established the Research Office on the Marxist View of Religion, and took this opportunity to organize and convene a large-scale “Symposium on the Marxist View of Religion.”

2010年，为了响应和落实党中央关于把中国社会科学院办成“马克思主义坚强阵地”的号召，有效实施马克思主义理论研究和建设工程，世界宗教研究所正式成立了马克思主义宗教观研究室，并以此为契机组织召开了颇具规模的“马克思主义宗教观研讨会”。

The 2011 “Symposium on the Marxist View of Religion” was held again on the happy occasion of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The symposium held that the 90-year history of the CPC is a history of adhering to the combination of the universal truths of Marxism with China’s concrete reality, continuously achieving great victories in revolution, construction, and reform, and a process of continuously advancing the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context. On the front of religious work, our Party has adhered to combining the basic principles of the Marxist view of religion with China’s religious reality, blazed a successful path for correctly understanding and handling religious issues, and created a historical picture of the adaptation of the Marxist view of religion to the Chinese context. The symposium insisted on emphasizing Marxism as the core ideology to guide religious research and promote the development of contemporary Chinese religious studies. At the same time, the participants also saw the new changes since the implementation of reform and opening up in China, emphasized further emancipating the mind, updating concepts, seeking truth from facts, and advancing with the times, and strived to promote and advance the scientific development of the Marxist view of religion in China. The participating experts, scholars, and officials spoke freely and expressed their views directly, including speeches such as Professor Chen Rongfu’s “The Status of *Capital* in the History of the Development of the Marxist View of Religion,” Professor Li Shen’s “My View on the Marxist View of Religion,” Associate Researcher Huang Kui’s “A Political Economy Perspective on the Marxist View of Religion,” Professor Gong Xuezeng’s “From ‘Actively Guiding Adaptation’ to ‘Promoting Harmony in Religious Relations’ — New Achievements in the Adaptation of the Marxist View of Religion to the Chinese Context,” Ren Jie’s “The Theory of the Five Characteristics of Religion: A Landmark Achievement in the Adaptation of the Marxist View of Religion to the Chinese Context,” Jia Runguo’s “The History, Achievements, and Experience of the Adaptation of the Marxist View of Religion to the Chinese Context,” Min Xianliang’s “The Party’s Religious Policy during the New Democratic Revolution and Its Great Significance,” Liu Yongsi’s “Viewing the Development of the Marxist View of Religion in China from the Evolution of China’s Daoist Policy,” Mao Sheng’s “An Important Document Promoting the Adaptation of the Marxist View of Religion to the Chinese Context — Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Issuance of Document No. 6 of the CPC Central Committee in 1991,” Xi Wuyi’s “The Contemporary Value of Lenin’s Scientific Atheism Thought Based on Original Texts,” He Husheng’s “The Theory and Experience of the Chinese Party and Government in Resisting Religious Infiltration in the New Era,” Zhang Xuesong’s “An Exploration of the Process of Change in Marx’s Early View of Religion,” He Zeyin’s “The View of Religion in the ‘Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction’ and Its Applicability,” Shen Guiping’s “How to Evaluate the Social Role of Religion in Contemporary China,” Yu Dan’s “The Contest between Science and Religion: The Transformation of Belief in Contemporary China,” Lei Chunfang’s “The Premise and Foundation of Religious Harmony under Socialist Conditions in China,” Li Jiansheng’s “A Preliminary Exploration of the Theoretical Construction of the Marxist View of Religion in Religious Work in Xinjiang,” Liu Yue’s “The Religious Policy of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party,” Li Kaixuan’s “A Glimpse of the Italian Communist Party’s Religious Policy from Berlinguer’s ‘Historic Compromise’,” and Zeng Chuanhui’s “A Brief Discussion on United Front Work among the Upper Strata of Tibet in the 1950s.” Here we can only select a few representative examples to present to our readers.

2011年度再度召开“马克思主义宗教观研讨会”则欣逢中国共产党建党90周年，会议认为，中国共产党90年的历史，是一部坚持把马克思主义的普遍真理同中国实际相结合，不断取得革命、建设、改革伟大胜利的历史，是一个不断推进马克思主义中国化的过程。在宗教工作战线，我们党坚持把马克思主义宗教观的基本原理同中国宗教的实际相结合，走出了一条正确认识和处理宗教问题的成功道路，创造了一幅马克思主义宗教观中国化的历史画卷。会议坚持强调以马克思主义为核心思想来引导宗教研究，推动当代中国宗教学的发展。与此同时，与会代表也看到在中国实行改革开放以来的新变化，强调进一步解放思想，更新观念，实事求是，与时俱进，努力促进和推动马克思主义宗教观在中国的科学发展，与会专家、学者、官员畅所欲言，直抒胸臆，包括陈荣富教授发表的《<资本论>在马克思主义宗教观发展史上的地位》、李申教授的《马克思主义宗教观之我见》、黄奎副研究员的《马克思主义宗教观的政治经济学视角》、龚学增教授的《从“积极引导适应”到“促进宗教关系和谐”——马克思主义宗教观中国化的新成果》、任杰的《宗教五性论:马克思主义宗教观中国化的一个标志性成果》、加润国的《马克思主义宗教观中国化的历史、成就和经验》、敏贤良发表《党在新民主主义革命时期宗教政策及重大意义》、刘泳斯的《从我国道教政策的演进看马克思主义宗教观在中国的发展》、毛胜的《推进马克思主义宗教观中国化的重要文献——纪念中共中央1991年6号文件发表20周年》、习五一从原典出发的《列宁科学无神论思想的当代价值》、何虎生的《新时期中国党和政府关于抵御宗教渗透的理论和经验》、张雪松的《马克思早年宗教观变迁历程探析》、何则阴的《〈黑格尔法哲学批判导言〉之宗教观及其适用性探讨》、沈桂萍的《怎样评价宗教在当代中国的社会作用》、郁丹的《科学与宗教的角逐:当代中国信仰转型》、雷春芳的《我国社会主义条件下宗教和谐的前提和基础》、李建生的《马克思主义宗教观在新疆宗教工作中的理论建构初探》、刘玥的《老挝共产党的宗教政策》、李凯旋的《从贝林格的“历史性妥协”中管窥意共的宗教政策》以及曾传辉的《简论20世纪5O年代对西藏上层的统战工作》等演讲。这里我们只能挂一漏万，择要摘之，以飨读者。

The participants believed that, based on history and reality, they deeply appreciated the importance of studying the Marxist view of religion with a scientific attitude and method, and understood the unique significance of the “adaptation to the Chinese context” and “advancing with the times” of the Marxist view of religion. Especially in the global atmosphere of “globalization,” in the era of China moving towards the world and actively promoting its harmonious development, the study of the Marxist view of religion is also facing a new situation and encountering many new problems.

与会人士认为，基于历史和现实，深深体会到以科学态度及方法来研究马克思主义宗教观的重要性，领悟到马克思主义宗教观“中国化”和“与时俱进”的独特意义。特别是在“全球化”的世界氛围中，在中国走向世界、积极促进其和谐发展的时代大潮中，马克思主义宗教观的研究也正面临着新形势，遇到了不少新问题。

Jia Runguo, deputy director of the Religious Research Center of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, analyzed from a historical perspective that after the smashing of the Jiang Qing反革命集团 [5]5 The Jiang Qing反革命集团 (Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique), also known as the Gang of Four, was a radical faction led by Mao Zedong’s wife Jiang Qing that held significant power during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). It was purged in October 1976, shortly after Mao’s death., the Party’s correct policies on religious issues were gradually restored. In February 1978, Hua Guofeng, Chairman of the Central Committee of the CPC, proposed in the *Report on the Work of the Government*: continue to implement the policy of freedom of religious belief. In July, the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee held a symposium with responsible persons from the united front work departments of some provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, analyzing the damage done to religious work by the “Cultural Revolution” and studying the urgent problems that needed to be resolved in religious work. In December of the same year, the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee held a symposium on religious work with responsible persons from the Party committees’ united front work departments of 28 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government and responsible persons from relevant central state organs, studying and deploying religious work. After the meeting, this meeting was designated as the Eighth National Conference on Religious Work, following the Seventh National Conference on Religious Work in 1962. Through these two meetings, the Party’s religious work and its policies were gradually restored. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee [6]6 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, held in December 1978, marked the beginning of the reform and opening-up era and the shift away from Maoist class struggle as the central task., on the basis of bringing order out of chaos, our Party adhered to integrating the basic principles of the Marxist view of religion with the practice of reform and opening up and the characteristics of the times, opening up a new realm in the Sinicization of the Marxist view of religion. The contributions of the Party’s second generation of central collective leadership. After reform and opening up, the Party Central Committee with Deng Xiaoping at its core made the scientific judgment that our country is still in the primary stage of socialism, established the basic line of taking economic construction as the center, upholding the Four Cardinal Principles [7]7 The Four Cardinal Principles (四项基本原则) are four political principles upheld by the CPC: the socialist path, the people’s democratic dictatorship, the leadership of the CPC, and Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. They were articulated by Deng Xiaoping in 1979., and upholding reform and opening up, and sounded the clarion call of the times for building socialism with Chinese characteristics. In terms of religious work, the Central Committee of the CPC issued the *Basic Views and Basic Policies on the Religious Question during the Socialist Period in Our Country* (Document No. 19 of 1982), which systematically summarized the Party’s positive and negative historical experience on the religious question since the founding of the country, comprehensively and centrally expounded the Party’s basic views and basic policies on the religious question for the first time in the Party’s history, achieved the task of bringing order out of chaos in the guiding ideology of religious work, enriched and developed the scientific theory of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought on the religious question, formed the religious view of Deng Xiaoping Theory, and laid the foundation for the theory of religion under socialism with Chinese characteristics. The contributions of the Party’s third generation of central collective leadership. After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee [8]8 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee of the CPC, held in June 1989, confirmed Jiang Zemin as the new General Secretary of the CPC following the Tian, the Party Central Committee with Jiang Zemin at its core held high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, upheld reform and opening up and kept pace with the times, and successfully carried forward the great cause of reform and opening up into the 21st century. In terms of religious work, the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council successively issued several important documents, and Comrade Jiang Zemin also published important speeches such as *We Must Do a Good Job of Religious Work* and *On the Religious Question*, clearly putting forward the requirement to uphold and develop the Marxist view of religion, and comprehensively expounding the basic view that the existence of religion has a long-term nature, religious issues have a mass nature and special complexity, and the basic policy of fully implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society, forming the religious view of the important thought of the “Three Represents” [9]9 The “five major relationships” refer to the relationships among political parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad, as articulated by the CPC in the context of the united front., upholding and developing the religious view of Deng Xiaoping Theory, and forming the basic framework of the theory of religion under socialism with Chinese characteristics. The latest achievements in the Sinicization of the Marxist view of religion. Since the 16th National Congress of the CPC [10]10 “Spiritual pollution” (精神污染) was a term used in the early 1980s to criticize the spread of Western bourgeois ideas and decadent cultural influences in China., the Party Central Committee with Hu Jintao as General Secretary has adhered to the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the “Three Represents,” focused on promoting scientific development and promoting social harmony, and continued to advance the great cause of reform and opening up in the practice of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In terms of religious work, the Party Central Committee with Hu Jintao as General Secretary further clarified the Party’s basic theory and basic policy on religious work, especially emphasizing the need to adhere to using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to understand religious issues, correctly handle religious relations in socialist society, maintain and promote the harmony of religious relations, give play to the positive role of religion in promoting social harmony, and give play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development, and other new viewpoints and new requirements, forming the religious view of the Scientific Outlook on Development [11]11 The “three magic weapons” (三大法宝) of the Chinese revolution, as formulated by Mao Zedong, are the united front, armed struggle, and Party building. with promoting the harmony of religious relations as its guiding principle, enriching the theory of religion under socialism with Chinese characteristics, and making it the latest achievement in the Sinicization and adaptation of the Marxist view of religion to the times.

国家宗教事务局宗教研究中心副主任加润国从历史的角度分析指出，粉碎江青反革命集团以后，党对宗教问题的正确方针和政策逐步恢复。1978年2月，中共中央主席华国锋在《政府工作报告》中提出:继续贯彻执行宗教信仰自由政策。7月，中央统战部召开了部分省、自治区、直辖市统战部负责人座谈会，分析了“文化大革命”对宗教工作造成的破坏，研究了宗教工作急需解决的问题。同年12月，中央统战部召开了有28个省、自治区、直辖市党委统战部负责人和有关中央国家机关负责人参加的宗教工作座谈会，对宗教工作进行了研究部署。会后，这次会议被定为自1962年第七次全国宗教工作会议之后的第八次全国宗教工作会议。通过这两次会议，党的宗教工作和方针政策逐步得到恢复。十一届三中全会以后，我们党在拨乱反正的基础上，坚持把马克思主义宗教观的基本原理与改革开放的实践和时代特征相结合，开拓了马克思主义宗教观中国化的新境界。党的第二代中央领导集体的贡献。改革开放以后，以邓小平为核心的党中央作出了我国尚处于社会主义初级阶段的科学判断，确立了以经济建设为中心、坚持四项基本原则、坚持改革开放的基本路线，吹响了建设中国特色社会主义的时代号角。在宗教工作方面，中共中央下发了《关于我国社会主义时期宗教问题的基本观点和基本政策》(1982年19号文件)，系统总结了建国以来党在宗教问题上正反两个方面的历史经验，在党的历史上第一次全面集中地阐述了党对宗教问题的基本观点和基本政策，实现了宗教工作指导思想的拨乱反正，丰富和发展了马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想关于宗教问题的科学理论，形成了邓小平理论的宗教观，为中国特色社会主义宗教理论奠定了基础。党的第三代中央领导集体的贡献。十三届四中全会以后，以江泽民为核心的党中央高举邓小平理论伟大旗帜，坚持改革开放，与时俱进，把改革开放伟大事业成功推向21世纪。在宗教工作方面，中共中央、国务院先后下发了多个重要文件，江泽民同志还发表《一定要做好宗教工作》和《论宗教问题》等重要讲话，明确提出了坚持和发展马克思主义宗教观的要求，并全面阐述了宗教存在具有长期性、宗教问题具有群众性和特殊复杂性的基本观点和全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策、依法管理宗教事务、坚持独立自主自办的原则、积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应的基本方针，形成了“三个代表”重要思想的宗教观，坚持和发展了邓小平理论的宗教观，形成了中国特色社会主义宗教理论的基本框架。马克思主义宗教观中国化的最新成果。党的十六大以来，以胡锦涛为总书记的党中央坚持以邓小平理论和“三个代表”重要思想为指导，着力推动科学发展、促进社会和谐，在全面建设小康社会实践中把改革开放伟大事业继续推向前进。在宗教工作方面，以胡锦涛为总书记的党中央进一步明确了党的宗教工作基本理论和基本方针，特别强调要坚持用马克思主义的立场、观点、方法认识宗教问题，正确处理社会主义社会的宗教关系，保持和促进宗教关系的和谐，发挥宗教在促进社会和谐方面的积极作用，发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进经济社会发展中的积极作用等新观点、新要求，形成了以促进宗教关系和谐为纲领的科学发展观的宗教观，丰富了中国特色社会主义宗教理论，使之成为马克思主义宗教观中国化、时代化的最新成果。

In short, after the founding of New China, our Party, through in-depth study of the classic works of Marx, Engels, and Lenin on the religious question, and on the basis of in-depth investigation and research, summarized the basic view that religious issues have a long-term nature, a mass nature, a national nature, an international nature, and a complex nature, and, based on the fundamental political changes in our country’s religion after the anti-imperialist patriotic movement and the democratic reform of the religious system, put forward the basic principle of correctly handling contradictions among the people in the religious sphere and developing a patriotic democratic united front with religious circles, further enriching and developing the Marxist view of religion with the practice of socialist revolution and construction. After reform and opening up, our Party, based on the new changes in the domestic and international situation, especially the new situation of the prominence of international religious issues after the end of the Cold War, and on the basis of systematically summarizing the Party’s positive and negative historical experience on the religious question since the founding of the country and fully implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, summarized and generalized the basic view that the existence of religion has a long-term nature, religious issues have a mass nature and special complexity, and the basic policy of managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society, as well as the basic requirements of correctly understanding and handling religious relations, maintaining and promoting the harmony of religious relations, and giving play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic development and social harmony, forming the theory of religion under socialism with Chinese characteristics, which is both in the same line as and keeps pace with the times with the religious theories of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, opening up a new realm in the Sinicization and adaptation of the Marxist view of religion to the times. It can be seen that the history, achievements, and experience of the Party in correctly understanding and handling religious issues in the 90 years of practice of revolution, construction, and reform have important theoretical and practical significance for doing a good job of current and future religious work and continuously promoting the Sinicization of the Marxist view of religion.

总之，新中国成立后，我们党通过深入学习马克思、恩格斯、列宁关于宗教问题的经典著作，在深入调查研究的基础上，概括出宗教问题具有长期性、群众性、民族性、国际性、复杂性的基本观点，并根据反帝爱国运动和宗教制度民主改革后我国宗教在政治上发生的根本变化，提出了正确处理宗教方面的人民内部矛盾、发展同宗教界的爱国民主统一战线的基本原则，用社会主义革命和建设的实践进一步丰富和发展了马克思主义宗教观。改革开放以后，我们党根据国内外形势的新变化，特别是冷战结束后国际宗教问题凸显的新形势，在系统总结建国以来党在宗教问题上正反两个方面的历史经验和全面落实党的宗教信仰自由政策的基础上，总结概括出了宗教存在具有长期性、宗教问题具有群众性和特殊复杂性的基本观点和依法管理宗教事务、坚持独立自主自办的原则、积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应的基本方针，以及正确认识和处理宗教关系、保持和促进宗教关系的和谐、发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进经济发展和社会和谐中的积极作用的基本要求，形成与马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想的宗教理论一脉相承又与时俱进的中国特色社会主义宗教理论，开拓了马克思主义宗教观中国化、时代化的新境界。可见，党在90年革命、建设、改革的实践中正确认识和处理宗教问题的历史、成就和经验，对于做好当前和今后的宗教工作，不断推进马克思主义宗教观中国化，具有重要的理论和现实意义。

Min Xianliang, Deputy Director of the Third Research Division of Religious Affairs under the State Administration for Religious Affairs, pointed out that the May Fourth Movement, which occurred in 1919, was the ideological source of many major events in modern Chinese history. This patriotic student movement, sparked by patriotism, simultaneously brought various new currents of thought into China, the most notable of which was the spread of Marxism in China, and the Chinese revolution thus entered the period of the New Democratic Revolution. In 1921, Mao Zedong and eleven other representatives of communist groups from various localities held the First National Congress in Shanghai, proclaiming the founding of the Communist Party of China. From the day of the CPC’s founding to the present, a full ninety years have passed. Reviewing the ninety-year course of revolution and construction traversed by our Party, it has led the Chinese people to achieve abundant results on the path of pursuing national liberation, building socialism, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Our Party has always adhered to the basic principle of national unity, the unity of the people, and the unity of all ethnic groups within the country. While upholding the fundamental tenets of Marxism, it has continuously explored paths suited to our country’s development with a pioneering spirit that keeps pace with the times, greatly enriching and developing the basic theories of Marxism and forming a theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, namely Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. These theories are all permeated by a common idea: closely combining the fundamental tenets of Marxism with the different revolutionary and construction practices of our country, studying the practical experience and developmental laws of socialism according to different themes of the era and actual needs, and solving the problems faced in the course of changes in the times and social development, thereby forming theoretical achievements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context that are both continuous in lineage and keep pace with the times. Our Party’s basic theory and policy on the religious question are no exception; they are an important component of the theoretical system of Marxism with Chinese characteristics. After ninety years of continuous exploration and development, combined with our country’s actual conditions, our Party’s understanding of the religious question has become increasingly scientific and accurate, its theory on the religious question has become more mature, and the basic principles and policies formulated for religious work have become progressively more complete. From initially implementing freedom of religious belief and advocating the separation of religion from politics, to the establishment of the basic principle of religious work — “comprehensively implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, manage religious affairs according to law, actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society, and adhere to the principle of independence and self-management” — and then to putting forward a series of the latest theories, such as giving play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development, adhering to the Scientific Outlook on Development, building harmonious religion, and properly handling the “five major relationships” [9]9 The “five major relationships” refer to the relationships among political parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad, as articulated by the CPC in the context of the united front. including religious relations, our Party’s theory on the religious question has continuously developed in the direction of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, the needs of the times, and the popular level, forming the latest achievements of the Marxist view of religion in contemporary China. When we drink water, we think of its source; when we reflect on the present, we recall the past. China’s Marxist view of religion has also been gradually formed and continuously perfected. It includes both adherence to the fundamental tenets of Marxism and deepening and development in combination with our country’s specific realities; it includes both summaries of successful experience and lessons from failures. But setbacks are temporary after all; our Party dares to promptly sum up experience, draw lessons, and courageously blaze a new future. On the solemn occasion of commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Party’s founding, we must profoundly reveal our Party’s history, deeply carry out historical research on the Party’s religious question, clarify the process of adapting the Marxist view of religion to the Chinese context, strengthen confidence that Marxism can truly be adapted to the Chinese context, the needs of the times, and the popular level, firmly grasp the characteristics of the era’s development, use the continuously developing Marxist theory of religion to handle and solve our country’s religious questions well, continuously enhance the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the broad masses of religious believers, and enable religious figures and the broad masses of religious believers to make new contributions to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

国家宗教事务局宗教研究三处副处长敏贤良指出，发生于1919年的“五四运动”是中国现代历史上许多重大事件的思想源头。因爱国主义而引起的这场学生爱国运动同时引发了各种新思潮进入中国，其中最为引人注目的就是马克思主义在中国的传播，中国革命从此进入了新民主主义革命时期。1921年，毛泽东等12人代表各地的共产主义小组在上海举行第一次全国代表大会，宣布中国共产党成立，自中国共产党成立之日起时至今日，已整整90周年了。回顾我党走过的90年的革命和建设历程，他领导中国人民在追求族解放、建设社会主义和实现中华民族伟大复兴的发展道路上已取得丰硕成果。我党始终坚持国家的统一，人民的团结，国内各民族的团结这一基本的理念，在坚持马克思主义基本原理的前提下，以与时俱进的开拓精神不断探索适合我国发展的道路，极大的丰富和发展了马克思主义基本理论，形成了具有中国特色的社会主义理论体系，这就是毛泽东思想、邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想及科学发展观。这些理论贯穿一个共同的思想，就是把马克思主义的基本原理紧紧与我国不同的革命和建设实践相结合，根据不同的时代主题和实际需要，研究社会主义的实践经验和发展规律，解决时代变化和社会发展过程中面临的问题，从而形成了既一脉相承又与时俱进的马克思主义中国化理论成果。我党关于宗教问题的基本理论和政策也不例外，是中国特色马克思主义理论体系中的一个重要组成部分。经过90年的不断探索与发展，并结合我国的实际，我党对宗教问题的认识也越来越科学、准确，关于宗教问题的理论也更加成熟，制定的宗教工作基本方针和基本政策也日趋完善。从最初实行宗教信仰自由，主张政教分离到“全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策，依法管理宗教事务，积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应，坚持独立自主自办原则”宗教工作基本方针的确立，再到提出发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进经济社会发展中的积极作用，坚持科学发展观，建设和谐宗教，处理好包括宗教关系在内的“五大关系”等一系列最新理论，使我党关于宗教问题的理论不断朝向马克思主义中国化、时代化、大众化的方向发展，形成了当代中国的马克思主义宗教观的最新成果。饮水思源，思今追昔，中国的马克思宗教观也是逐步形成并不断完善的。既有对马克思主义基本原理的坚持，也有结合我国的具体实际的深化和发展，既有成功经验总结，也有过失败的教训，但挫折毕竟是暂时的，我们党敢于及时总结经验，吸取教训，并勇于开拓新的未来。在隆重纪念建党90周年之际，深刻揭示我党的历史，深入开展党关于宗教问题的历史研究，明确马克思主义宗教观的中国化进程，坚定马克思主义能够真正实现中国化、时代化、大众化的信心，牢牢把握时代发展特征，用不断发展的主义宗教理论处理和解决好我国的宗教问题，不断增进党与广大信教群众的血肉联系，使宗教界人士和广大信教群众为实现中华民族的伟大复兴做出新的贡献。

The adaptation of the Marxist view of religion to the Chinese context is an important aspect of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. Shortly after the founding of the Communist Party of China, it grasped the Marxist view of religion based on historical materialism. Over the past ninety years, our Party has both adhered to the fundamental tenets of the Marxist view of religion and enriched and developed it according to the practice of China’s revolution, construction, and reform, blazing a successful path for correctly understanding and handling the religious question and creating a historical picture of continuously advancing the adaptation of the Marxist view of religion to the Chinese context.

马克思主义宗教观中国化，是马克思主义中国化的重要方面。中国共产党成立后，很快就掌握了以唯物史观为基础的马克思主义宗教观。90年来，我们党既坚持马克思主义宗教观的基本原理，又根据中国革命、建设、改革的实践丰富和发展马克思主义宗教观，走出了一条正确认识和处理宗教问题的成功道路，创造了一幅不断推进马克思主义宗教观中国化的历史画卷。

Huang Kui of the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, speaking on “The Perspective of Political Economy in the Marxist View of Religion,” stated that social being determines social consciousness, the economic base determines the superstructure, and a given superstructure and social ideology in turn exert a counter-effect on the economic base and social being. The religious question is part of the overall social question. Contemporary China is in the primary stage of socialism and remains a class society, except that the breadth, depth, intensity, and degree of social contradictions and class contradictions are predominantly non-antagonistic overall. Different standpoints, viewpoints, and methods give rise to different views, discourses, and even discursive forms on the religious question. These discursive forms, based on different political-economic standpoints or considerations, in turn produce different political-economic effects or consequences for the state of existence of religion, the resolution of the religious question, and the overall work of the Party and the state. First to be considered is ideological discourse. Ideology generally refers to the worldview and corresponding values and behavioral norms held by a certain class, interest group, or even the state. Ideology can influence and shape people’s aggregation and expression of interests, influence and shape people’s process of socialization; it can influence and shape the social changes of a society, saving various behavioral costs in the process of people’s interaction; it can serve the cost-benefit analysis of people’s behavior, defining and altering people’s behavioral orientations and preferences. The Marxist view of religion, i.e., Marxism’s basic view of religion (“an inverted world outlook,” an anesthetic effect akin to opium), primarily adopts an attitude of ideological critique, and its main purpose is to criticize the social institutional roots from which religion arises and persists. The current state of religion worldwide shows a positive correlation with the socioeconomic base, especially private ownership. The social changes in China in recent years, while achieving enormous progress at the material and spiritual levels, have also been accompanied by many negative phenomena. Among these, the deep social roots of the religious fever or religious chaos that have emerged and persisted lie in the process of privatization in the socioeconomic sphere and the unabated increase in exploitation, oppression, and class polarization. The method of class analysis is far from outdated for understanding and handling the religious question. Changes in the contemporary international situation and changes in China’s socioeconomic base in recent years have led to transformations in China’s superstructure and ideology. The discursive confusion in the ideological sphere (asking only about gains and losses, not right and wrong), including confused understandings of the religious question, has produced actual consequences and real harms that have already been and are still adversely affecting the overall work of the Party and the state and the formation of a scientific worldview among the common people. The rising governance costs and heightened expectations of harm from “spiritual pollution” [10]10 “Spiritual pollution” (精神污染) was a term used in the early 1980s to criticize the spread of Western bourgeois ideas and decadent cultural influences in China. in the sphere of worldview and ideology are making the long-dormant issue of propaganda and education on atheism cry out for attention. Second is the discourse of the united front. United front work is one of the three magic weapons [11]11 The “three magic weapons” (三大法宝) of the Chinese revolution, as formulated by Mao Zedong, are the united front, armed struggle, and Party building. by which our Party has continuously moved from victory to victory in the ninety-year course of revolution, construction, and reform. Emphasizing that religion is one of the forms through which humanity attempts to grasp the world (in Marx’s words), a special spiritual and cultural phenomenon of human society, and emphasizing seeking common ground while reserving differences, harmony without uniformity, and, in the Chinese context, “political unity and cooperation, mutual respect in belief,” undoubtedly helps to establish a patriotic united front for the new era with the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as its vision of struggle. The success of united front work helps to reduce the governance costs of the ruling Party.

中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所黄奎以《马克思主义宗教观的政治经济学视角》表示，社会存在决定社会意识，经济基础决定上层建筑，而一定的上层建筑、社会意识形态对于经济基础、对于社会存在又会产生反作用。宗教问题是社会总问题的一部分。当代中国处于社会主义初级阶段，仍然是阶级社会，只是社会矛盾、阶级矛盾的广度、深度、烈度、程度总体上以非对抗性为主而已。不同的立场观点方法，会对宗教问题形成不同的看法、话语乃至话语形态。这些基于不同政治经济学立场或考量的话语形态，又会对宗教的存在状态、宗教问题的解决及党和国家的工作大局产生不同的政治经济学效应或后果。首先要看到的是意识形态话语，意识形态一般指某个阶级、利益集团甚至国家所持有的世界观及相应的价值观念和行为规范。意识形态可以影响和左右人们的利益综合和利益表达，影响和左右人们的社会化过程;可以影响和左右一个社会的社会变迁，节约人们在互动过程中的各种行为费用;可以服务于人们行为的成本收益分析，定义和改变人们行为取向和偏好;马克思主义宗教观即马克思主义对于宗教的基本看法(“颠倒的世界观”、类似鸦片的麻醉作用)主要是持一种意识形态批判的态度，且主要目的是批判宗教赖以产生和存续的社会制度根源。世界范围的宗教现状与社会经济基础尤其是私有制呈现正相关的关系;中国晚近若干年的社会变迁，在取得物质层面和精神层面的巨大进步的同时，也伴随着许多消极负面现象。其中，宗教热或宗教乱象得以产生和存续的深厚社会根源，就在于社会经济领域的私有化进程及剥削压迫、阶级分化现象的有增无减。阶级分析法对于认识和处理宗教问题远未过时;当代国际形势的变化、晚近中国社会经济基础的变迁，导致中国上层建筑、意识形态的嬗变。意识形态领域的话语混乱(不问是非对错、只问利弊得失)，包括对于宗教问题的混乱认识，所导致的实际后果和现实危害，已经和正在对党和国家的工作大局及普罗大众科学世界观的生成产生不利影响。世界观领域、意识形态领域“精神污染”的治理成本上升和危害预期加剧，正使得冷寂多年的无神论宣传教育问题呼之欲出。其次是，统战话语。统战工作是我党在革命、建设、改革的90年奋斗历程中不断从胜利走向胜利的三大法宝之一。强调宗教是人类试图掌握世界的形式之一(马克思语)、是人类社会一种特殊的精神文化现象，强调求同存异、和而不同及中国语境中的“政治上团结合作，信仰上相互尊重”，无疑有助于建立以中华民族伟大复兴为奋斗愿景的新时期爱国统一战线;统战工作的成功有助于降低执政党的社会治理成本。

Provided that the rigid bottom line of mainstream ideology is maintained, whether a flexible and pragmatic united front discourse can inspire and attract religious elites, making them fellow travellers or even close friends on the nation’s and the people’s striving journey, will produce important political-economic effects on social stability and harmony, the long-term peace and order of the state, and the prosperity or decline of the nation; history and reality show that the success or failure of united front policies and strategies depends to a large extent on whether an appropriate and necessary class and stratum analysis is applied to religious organisations and related groups. The targets of the united front should be limited solely to the upper echelons of the religious circles; if it is expanded to include ordinary religious believers, whose numbers are increasing due to social change, the cost of the united front will become ever higher, ultimately unbearable; as an atheist party, our Party should minimise to the greatest extent the phenomenon of “the uniter being united” [12]12 “The uniter being united” (统战者被统战) refers to a situation in which the Party, in its efforts to unite and win over others through the united front, is itself influenced or co-opted by those it seeks to unite., and always maintain the independence of its worldview, the integrity of its ideology, and sufficiently sharp political discernment. The third is the discourse of law-based governance: freedom of religious belief is, in essence, a form of bourgeois right. The dialectical unity of rights and duties, together with the grim reality of the West being strong and we being weak, means that the contemporary Chinese discourse of law-based governance on religion, still in the primary stage of socialism, simultaneously possesses attributes of ideology, characteristics of patriotism, and political-economic cost-benefit considerations; freedom of religious belief actually expresses the bourgeoisie’s tolerance and mollification of various religious beliefs that do not endanger its fundamental interests, whereas the proletarian party and state should strive to weaken and even eliminate the social soil in which religion breeds, liberating people from all kinds of superstitions and various sorceries from the height of the cause of human emancipation; in managing religious affairs, the principle of national sovereignty should be unswervingly upheld, and the religious anarchist arrogance that absolutises “separation of church and state” — such as “render unto God the things that are God’s, and unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” — should be attacked, and the new-interventionist discursive hegemony of Western hostile forces, which advocates “human rights above sovereignty”, should be deconstructed; given that the Marxist view of religion requires turning religious belief into a private matter for individual citizens, given the ancient Chinese political-cultural tradition of “great unity” (大一统) [13]13 “Great unity” (大一统) is a classical Chinese concept emphasising political and cultural unification under a single central authority, historically associated with the Qin and Han dynasties. and the path dependence and institutional inertia long formed in dealing with religious issues, given that the fundamental characteristic of the contemporary Chinese legal system lies in “the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country, and law-based governance”, and given that the principle articulated by Deng Xiaoping — “minor principles must be subordinate to major principles” (小道理服从大道理) [14]14 “Minor principles must be subordinate to major principles” (小道理服从大道理) is a phrase attributed to Deng Xiaoping, meaning that partial or local considerations must yield to overarching or fundamental ones. — is far from obsolete, in the foreseeable future China may have continuous “Pareto improvement” measures regarding the law-based governance of religion, but its overall trend should not deviate from the direction of minimising the cost of law-based governance and maximising the interests of the state and the nation. At the same time, the great changes of the times have also brought new challenges. At the symposium, delegates discussed how to study the Marxist view of religion based on the “national conditions” of contemporary Chinese society, abandoning the previous emphasis on struggle and the “critique” of religion, and instead “actively guiding” and bringing into play “the positive role of religion in promoting social harmony”, correctly understanding and handling the current “religious relations” in our country, and actively contributing to building a harmonious society. In particular, how to promote research on and develop the Marxist view of religion in accordance with the basic principles and theoretical conceptions established by the 17th National Congress of the CPC [15]15 The 17th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2007, at which Hu Jintao’s theory of “Scientific Development” was enshrined as a guiding principle. became a hot point of contention at the meeting.

在保持主流意识形态刚性底线的前提下，能否以灵活务实的统战话语感召、吸引宗教精英，使之成为国家民族奋进征途上的同路人甚或亲密友人，将会对社会的稳定和谐、国家的长治久安、民族的兴旺发达与否产生重要的政治经济学效应;历史和现实表明，统战政策和策略的成功与否很大程度上取决于是否善于对宗教组织及相关人群进行适当的必要的阶级阶层分析。统战对象应当仅限于宗教界上层人士，如果扩大至因社会变迁而日益增多的一般信教群众，则统战成本将会越来越高，以致最终无法承受;我党作为无神论政党，应当最大限度避免“统战者被统战”的现象，始终保持世界观的独立性、意识形态的完整性和足够敏锐的政治鉴别力。第三是法治话语:宗教信仰自由，本质上是一种资产阶级法权。权利和义务的辩证统一以及西强我弱的严峻现实，使得尚处于社会主义初级阶段的当代中国的宗教法治话语兼具意识形态属性、爱国主义特征和政治经济学成本收益考量;宗教信仰自由表达的实际上是资产阶级对于各种并未危及其根本利益的宗教信仰的容忍和怀柔，而无产阶级政党和国家应当致力于弱化以至消除宗教赖以滋生的社会土壤，从人类解放事业的高度把人们从形形色色的迷信和各种妖术中解放出来;在宗教事务管理问题上，应当毫不动摇地坚持国家主权原则，掊击所谓“上帝的归上帝，恺撒的归凯撒”之类将“政教分离”绝对化的宗教无政府主义僭妄，解构西方敌对势力的“人权高于主权”的新干涉主义话语霸权;鉴于马克思主义宗教观要求将宗教信仰变为公民个人的私事，鉴于中国古代“大一统”的政治文化传统及其处理宗教问题久已形成的路径依赖和制度惯性，鉴于当代中国法律体系的根本特征在于“党的领导、人民当家作主和依法治国三者的有机统一”，鉴于邓小平所揭橥的“小道理服从大道理”原则远未过时，在可以预见的将来，中国在宗教法治问题上可能会有持续不断的“帕累托改进”举措，但其总体趋势应该不会偏离法治成本最小化、国家民族利益最大化的方向。与此同时，时代的巨变也带来了新的挑战，会上代表就如何根据当代中国社会的“国情”研究马克思主义宗教观，摒弃以往强调斗争、注重对宗教的“批判”，转而“积极引导”，发挥宗教在促进社会和谐方面有积极作用”，正确认识并处理好我国当前的“宗教关系”，积极为构建和谐社会作贡献”，特别是如何依据党的十七大确定的基本原则和理论构想如何推动研究并发展马克思主义宗教观成为了会场上交锋的热点。

Online editor: Wang Jiafei

网络编辑： 王佳菲