He Yanfeng, Feng Xue: On the Education of Marxist Views on Religion for University Students

Religion has long existed in our socialist society, requiring us to correctly understand and grasp the essence and characteristics of religion, and actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society; this is also an important task of our ideological and political work. As the successors of our socialist cause, guiding university students to establish a correct worldview, outlook on life, and value system, including fostering a Marxist view on religion, is the core content of ideological and political education for university students in the New Era.

宗教在我国社会主义社会中长期存在的，要求我们必须正确认识和理解宗教的本质和特征，积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应，这也是我们思想政治工作的一项重要任务。大学生作为我国社会主义事业的接班人，引导其确立正确的世界观、人生观和价值观，其中包括树立马克思主义宗教观，这是新时期大学生思想政治教育工作的核心内容。

I. The Urgency of Strengthening Education on Marxist Views on Religion for University Students

一、高校加强大学生马克思主义宗教观教育的迫切性

Young students are active in thought, full of vitality, and possess a strong thirst for knowledge and curiosity about external phenomena. Faced with the special social and cultural phenomenon of religion, some university students have shown great interest. The profound philosophical principles, the ethics of abandoning evil and doing good, and the mysterious religious rituals contained in religion all exert a strong attraction on these young students who are not yet deeply experienced in the world. Furthermore, with the continuous expansion of university enrollment in our country, the competition and pressure faced by young students are increasing, leading to increasingly prominent psychological problems. Some students can resolve these psychological issues through self-adjustment, while others, with weaker psychological resilience, turn to religion for psychological comfort and solace when in pain and helplessness. Additionally, overseas forces have chosen university teachers and students as targets for infiltration and development, focusing on university students as key points of penetration. Western developed capitalist countries, led by the United States, using modern communication methods such as the internet and multimedia, continuously intensify their ideological infiltration of our young students through religion. A large number of survey research results show that among contemporary Chinese university students, there have already emerged many "observers" and "religious culture followers." At the same time, the number of university students who believe in religion is also rising. Some scholars conducted a "questionnaire survey on religious beliefs of university students" among current students at three universities in Heilongjiang Province. Among them, 19.6% of the surveyed students explicitly stated they believed in religion, and 65% said they were skeptical. Compiling data from various regions, estimates of the proportion of religious believers among university students range from a high of about 20% to a low of between 3% and 4%. Although the survey results are not identical and the proportions of religious students vary, the emergence of religious believers among university students has become an undeniable fact. [1]1 The original text cites a survey from three universities in Heilongjiang Province but does not provide a full bibliographic reference for the source marked [1] in the paragraph.

青年学生思想活跃、朝气蓬勃，有着强烈的求知欲望和对外部世界事物的好奇心。面对宗教这种特殊的社会文化现象，一部分大学生表现出了很大的兴趣。因宗教中蕴涵着深刻的哲理及弃恶从善的伦理观，还有神秘的宗教礼仪等都对这些涉世未深的青年学生产生了强烈的吸引力。另外，随着我国高校的不断扩招，青年学生面临的竞争和压力越来越大，致使其心理问题也日益突出，有的学生可以通过自我调适使心理问题得以解决，而有些人的心理承受力差，在痛苦无助时，就会转向宗教，去寻求心理安慰和寄托。还有，境外势力选择将高校师生作为渗透发展对象,并把大学生作为渗透的重点。以美国为首的西方发达资本主义国家借助互联网、多媒体等现代传播手段，不断利用宗教加大对我国青年学生的思想渗透。大量的调查研究结果显示，当代中国大学生中已出现了不少“望者”和“宗教文化追随者”。与此同时，大学生中信仰宗教的人数也在不断攀升。有学者在黑龙江省三所高校对在校大学生进行了一次“大学生宗教信仰问卷调查”，其中，明确表示信仰宗教的大学生占调查对象总数的19.6%，表示半信半疑的占65%。综合各地资料，对大学生中宗教信徒人数比例的估计，最高在20%左右，最低在3%～4%之间。尽管调查的结果不尽相同，信教大学生的比例不一，但宗教徒在大学生中的出现，已经成为不容回避的事实。［1］

From the above, it can be seen that the phenomenon of religious belief among young students is a serious problem facing ideological and political education in the New Era. It concerns the cultivation of successors for the socialist cause, the status of Marxist belief, and the harmony of socialist society. To a large extent, the excessive development of religion among university students will inevitably bring a severe impact on the ideological field of Marxism, thereby affecting the correct establishment of young students' worldview, outlook on life, and value system. Because, in the ideological battlefield, if Marxism does not occupy it, it will be occupied by various non-Marxist and anti-Marxist forces. We are a socialist country. To cultivate successors for the socialist modernization cause, we must attach great importance to the education of Marxist views on religion for contemporary university students.

上述可见，青年学生的宗教信仰现象，是新时期思想政治教育面临的一个严重问题，它关系到社会主义事业接班人的培养，关系到马克思主义信仰的地位，关系着社会主义社会的和谐。在很大的程度上来说，宗教在大学生中的过度发展必定会对马克思主义的意识形态领域带来严重的冲击，进而会影响青年学生的世界观、人生观和价值观的正确确立。因为，意识形态的阵地，假如马克思主义不去占领，就会被各种非马克思主义、非反马克思主义所占领。我们是社会主义国家，为了培养社会主义现代化事业的接班人，所以，我们必须要高度重视当代大学生的马克思主义宗教观教育。

II. Problems Facing Current Education on Marxist Views on Religion in Universities

二、当前高校马克思主义宗教观教育面临的问题

The ideological and political theory courses in universities are the main battlefield for strengthening education on Marxist views on religion. However, currently, in many universities, the content of Marxist views on religion education in these courses is insufficient, the methods lag behind the requirements of the times, and the quality of educators' own views on religion is low, thereby affecting the formation of correct beliefs and views on religion among university students.

高校思想政治理论课是加强马克思主义宗教观教育的主战场，而目前很多高校的思想政治理论课中马克思主义宗教观教育内容不足，方法跟不上时代的要求，教育者的宗教观素质不高，从而影响了大学生的正确信仰观和宗教观的养成。

(A) Insufficient Content of Education on Marxist Views on Religion for University Students

（一）高校大学生马克思主义宗教观的教育内容不足

The ideological and political theory courses in universities are courses for educating young students on the basic theories of Marxism and ideological and moral character, and are the main channel for education on Marxist views on religion. Education on Marxist views on religion in our country has been carried out for many years, but practice in recent years shows that young students do not have much knowledge about religion, their knowledge structure of religion is incomplete, they lack a correct understanding of religious phenomena and their laws of survival and development, and they do not have a correct understanding of the characteristics of religion and its status and role in socialist society. Currently, some universities in China have already offered courses related to education on views on religion, but these are mainly general religious studies courses that popularize religious knowledge, while specialized courses on Marxist views on religion have not yet been established. In particular, chapters on education on Marxist views on religion are not set up independently within the teaching content of ideological and political theory courses. There is very little content on religious theory and religious policy; whenever related content is touched upon, it can be taught in about ten minutes or glossed over.

高校思想政治理论课是对青年学生进行马克思主义基本理论和思想品德教育的课程，是马克思主义宗教观教育的主渠道。我国马克思主义宗教观教育已进行多年，但近些年的实践表明，青年学生对宗教知识的了解不是很多，宗教知识的结构不完整，对宗教现象及其生存与发展规律缺乏正确的认识，对宗教的特点及其在社会主义社会的地位和作用没有一个正确的认识。目前，国内有一些高校已经开设了相关宗教观教育的课程，但主要是普及宗教知识的宗教学通识课，而关于专门的马克思主义宗教观教育的课程还没开设。特别是思想政治理论课教学内容中关于马克思主义宗教观教育的章节没有单独设立，有关宗教理论和宗教政策的内容也非常少，每当涉及到的相关内容十分钟左右就可讲授完或一带而过。

(B) The Effectiveness of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Universities is Not Strong

（二）高校思想政治理论课的实效性不强

For a long time, ideological and political education in our country's higher education institutions has listed Marxist belief education and ideal education as key content. However, due to the outdated and backward methods and approaches of traditional ideological and political education, coupled with some teachers' educational concepts failing to keep up with the development of the times, the effectiveness of Marxist belief education and ideal education in higher education institutions is not strong. The method of ideological and political education in our country is mostly based on indoctrination, with the teacher as the center in the classroom, mainly lecturing; the teaching content is not closely linked to reality, and its targeting is weak. It does not pay attention to the actual characteristics of the educated, cannot teach students according to their aptitude, treats students as passive objects, and neglects students' individuality and psychology, causing some people to lose interest in learning ideological and political theory courses. As a result, it is naturally difficult to achieve the goal of enabling students to establish Marxist and communist beliefs. In the survey, some students left comments saying, "Political education loses its credibility because some of its content is unrealistic." They then turn to pursue religion, which emphasizes the realm of "ultimate truth, ultimate goodness, and ultimate beauty," believing that religious belief is simpler, purer, and more real. [2]2 The original text cites a student comment but does not provide a full bibliographic reference for the source marked [2] in the paragraph. The indoctrination-style teaching methods and approaches of ideological and political theory courses are also not conducive to the cultivation of correct views on religion among young students. Correct education on views on religion is not only a political need but also an internal need for the growth of young students. If education on Marxist views on religion is not transformed into an internal need for the growth of young students, a "two-skin" phenomenon may appear. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen and improve the teaching methods and approaches of ideological and political theory courses in universities, enhance the quality of teachers' views on religion, and make education on Marxist views on religion targeted and effective.

长期以来，我国高等院校的思想政治教育把马克思主义信仰教育和理想教育列为重点内容。但是，由于传统思想政治教育的方式方法陈旧落后，再加上一部分教师的教育观念跟不上时代的发展，致使高等院校的马克思主义信仰教育和理想教育实效性不强。我国的思想政治教育方式大部分是以灌输式为主，教师在课堂上是中心，以讲授为主；教学内容与实际的联系也不紧密，而且针对性不强，不重视受教育者的实际特点，不能做到因材施教，把学生当作被动的客体，忽视学生的个性和心理，致使一部分人对思想政治理论课失去了学习的兴趣，结果自然难以达到让学生树立马克思主义和共产主义信仰的目的。在调查中，有学生留言说“政治教育会因为部分内容的不切实际而失去公信力”,他们转而追求强调“至真至美至善”境界的宗教,认为宗教信仰更为简单、纯粹、真实。”［2］思想政治理论课灌输式的教学方式和方法也不利于青年学生正确宗教观的培养。正确的宗教观教育不仅是政治需要，也是青年学生成长的内在需要。如果不把马克思主义宗教观教育变成青年学生成长的内在需要，就可能出现“两张皮”现象。因此，有必要加强和改进高校思想政治理论课的教学方式和方法，提高教师的宗教观素质，使马克思主义宗教观教育有针对性和实效性。

(C) The Quality of Marxist Views on Religion Among Ideological and Political Theory Course Teachers in Universities is Relatively Low

（三）高校的思想政治理论课教师的马克思主义宗教观素质相对不高

Whether young students establish a Marxist view on religion is related to whether teachers, especially ideological and political theory course teachers, have firm Marxist beliefs. "Educators must first be educated" is the prerequisite for Marxist religious education. However, in some universities, ideological and political theory course teachers lack knowledge about religion, and some even have little understanding of the Marxist view on religion, have a half-baked understanding of our Party's religious policies, cannot accurately assess certain issues, have a weak theoretical foundation, and cannot analyze problems historically or dialectically. If the quality of teachers' Marxist views on religion is low, they cannot achieve correct guidance for university students' religious beliefs, which will affect the establishment of Marxist beliefs among young students.

青年学生的马克思主义宗教观是否确立，与教师特别是思想政治理论课教师是否有坚定的马克思主义信仰相关联。“教育者先受教育”这是马克思主义的宗教教育的前提，而在高校中一些思想政治理论课教师的宗教知识不足，甚至对马克思主义宗教观不甚了解，对我们党的宗教政策一知半解，对一些问题看不准，理论功底不强，不会历史地、辩证地分析问题。教师的马克思主义宗教观素质不高，就不能实现对大学生宗教信仰的正确引导，这样会影响青年学生的马克思主义信仰的确立。

III. Specific Measures for Universities to Strengthen Education on Marxist Views on Religion for University Students

三、高校加强大学生马克思主义宗教观教育的具体措施

Strengthening education on Marxist views on religion is an important task for current ideological and political education. How to strengthen education on Marxist views on religion, explore effective ways and methods for educating university students on worldview and outlook on life under the new circumstances, and enhance targeting and effectiveness, is an important content of ideological and political theory courses in universities.

加强马克思主义宗教观教育是当前思想政治教育一项重要的任务，如何加强马克思主义宗教观教育，探索新形势下大学生的世界观、人生观教育的有效途径和方法，增强针对性、实效性，是高校思想政治理论课的一项重要内容。

(A) Enrich the Educational Content of Marxist Views on Religion

（一）丰富马克思主义宗教观的教育内容

Only by proceeding from reality in our ideological and political education, continuously strengthening education on the Marxist view of religion, and persistently conducting education on the Party’s religious policies, can we gradually enrich the knowledge structure of young students, constantly improve the comprehensive quality of university students, enhance their patriotic consciousness, and enable them to establish a correct view of belief. Under the new circumstances, correct education on the view of religion must be made an important component of cultivating successors for the socialist modernization. The ideological and political theory course is the main channel and main front for conducting Marxist theoretical education for young students. Universities should incorporate the Marxist view of religion as an important educational content into the classroom teaching of ideological and political theory courses. Therefore, the curriculum system of ideological and political theory courses in universities must increase and enrich the educational content of the Marxist view of religion. For example, in the teaching content of the course “Ideological and Moral Cultivation and Legal Foundation,” content on “managing religious affairs according to law” should be added; in the teaching content of the course “Introduction to the Basic Principles of Marxism,” content on the origins, essence, functions, and extinction of religion from the Marxist view of religion should be added; in the teaching content of the course “Introduction to Mao Zedong Thought and the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” the Sinicization of the Marxist view of religion and the Party’s religious policies under the new circumstances should be taught. These religious theories with Chinese characteristics are also a component of the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics; the courses “Contemporary World Economy and Politics” and “Education on Current Affairs and Policies” can combine domestic and international current events to enable students to understand the development, changes, and trends of religion at home and abroad, as well as China’s principles and policies for handling religious issues, continuously educating and guiding university students to learn to use the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to analyze current activities of “splitting” and “Westernizing” China by some people using religion, as well as incidents of interfering in China’s internal affairs and creating terrorist activities using religious issues, so that students, in the process of analysis, comparison, and discrimination, can improve their ability to discern religious issues and not be misled by various superficial phenomena. Therefore, adding content on the Marxist view of religion education to the ideological and political theory course system, and systematically and long-term ensuring the education of university students on the Marxist view of religion from an institutional perspective, can effectively fill the knowledge gaps in the ideological and political theory education of universities.

我们的思想政治教育只有从实际出发，不断加强马克思主义宗教观教育、不断进行党的宗教政策的教育，才能逐渐丰富青年学生的知识结构，不断提高大学生的综合素质，增强大学生的爱国主义意识，使其树立正确的信仰观。在新形势下，必须把正确的宗教观教育作为培养建设社会主义现代化接班人的一项重要内容。思想政治理论课是对青年学生进行马克思主义理论教育的主渠道和主阵地，高校应将马克思主义宗教观作为重要的教育内容充实到思想政治理论课的课堂教学之中。所以，高校的思想政治理论课课程体系必须要加大和丰富马克思主义宗教观的教育内容。例如，在《思想道德修养与法律基础》课的教学内容中加入“依法管理宗教事务”的内容；在《马克思主义基本原理概论》课的教学内容中添加马克思主义宗教观中的关于宗教的根源、本质、功能、消亡等内容；在《毛泽东思想和中国特色社会主义理论体系概论》课的教学内容中讲授马克思主义宗教观的中国化及新形势下我党的宗教政策，这些中国特色的宗教理论也是中国特色社会主义理论一个组成部分；《当代世界经济与政治》和《形势政策教育》课可以结合国内外的时事，让学生了解国内外宗教发展、变化及其趋势和我国处理宗教问题的方针政策，不断教育和引导大学生学会运用马克思主义的立场、观点、方法分析当前一些人利用宗教对我国进行的“分化”“西化”活动及利用宗教问题干涉我国内政、制造恐怖活动等事件，使学生在分析、比较、鉴别的过程中，提高辨别宗教问题的能力，使自己不被各种表面现象所迷惑。因此，在思想政治理论课课程体系中增加马克思主义宗教观教育的内容，从体制上保证对大学生进行马克思主义宗教观教育的系统性和长期性，可以有效地弥补高校思想政治理论课教育中的知识空白点。

(II) Improve Teaching Methods, Enhance the Effectiveness of Education on the Marxist View of Religion

（二）改进教学方法，增强马克思主义宗教观教育的实效性

In the 21st century, China’s ideological and political education faces multifaceted challenges. If we do not change the traditional method of one-sided indoctrination from the past, if our educational methods cannot achieve diversification and cannot keep up with the requirements of the times, then the effectiveness of our ideological and political education will not be enhanced, and our education on the Marxist view of religion will also be ineffective. Therefore, the traditional methods of ideological and political education must be reformed. (1) Achieve diversification of teaching methods and means. Utilize various forms and means, including traditional effective methods and modern multimedia technology, to strive to enhance the effectiveness of education on the Marxist view of religion. Through films, television, and multimedia courseware, enable students to understand the historical phenomenon and social reality of religion more vividly and concretely, thereby enabling students to master the Marxist view of religion. (2) Enhance the interactivity of classroom teaching, strengthen emotional communication with students. In the process of educating on the Marxist view of religion, greater emphasis should be placed on cultivating students’ subjective consciousness, transforming one-sided indoctrination into an interactive educational model of intersubjectivity, making education on the Marxist view of religion a process of spiritual and emotional exchange between teachers and students. Because the purpose of education on the view of religion is not only for students to master Marxist theoretical knowledge about religion, but most importantly, to enlighten their wisdom and abilities. Ideological education and belief education must achieve “moving people with emotion, touching people with feeling; convincing people with reason, persuading people with logic.” Only when emotion and reason are integrated can the ultimate goal of education be realized and the expected results be achieved.

21世纪我国的思想政治教育面临着多方面的挑战，如果不改变过去的那种正面灌输的传统方式，我们教育方法不能实现多样化，不能跟上时代发展的要求，那么我们的思想政治教育的实效性就不会增强，我们的马克思主义宗教观教育也不会有成效。所以，必须要改革传统的思想政治教育的方式。（1）实现教学方式方法的多样化。运用传统有效的以及现代多媒体技术等多种形式和手段，努力提高马克思主义宗教观教育的实效性。通过电影、电视、多媒体课件，让学生更形象生动地认识宗教这一历史现象和社会现实，从而让学生掌握马克思主义宗教观。（2）增强课堂教学的互动性，加强与学生的情感交流。在马克思主义宗教观教育的过程中要更加注重培养学生的主体意识，变单向灌输为主体间性互动教育模式，使马克思主义宗教观教育成为师生间的一种精神交流和情感交流互动过程。因为，宗教观教育的目的不只是要学生掌握马克思主义的宗教理论知识，最为重要的是应启迪其智慧和能力。思想教育和信仰教育必须做到“动之以情，以情感人；晓之以理，以理服人”，只有做到了情理交融，教育的最终目的才能实现，才能达到预期的效果。

(III) Continuously Improve the Quality of University Teachers’ Marxist View of Religion

（三）不断提高高校教师的马克思主义宗教观的素质

Ideological education must convince people with reason, but also move people with emotion. The teacher’s personal charisma will play a role in setting an example. Only when teachers themselves truly believe in Marxism and truly understand the Marxist view of religion can they play a role in educating young university students and enhancing the persuasiveness, appeal, and influence of the theory. This requires improving teachers’ theoretical cultivation of Marxism, requiring teachers to “truly believe” and “truly understand” Marxism, and to become staunch Marxists, so that they can play the role of teaching by precept and example. Therefore, teachers must scientifically and comprehensively understand the connotation, characteristics, functions, and long-term nature of religion; must be able to accurately elucidate the positive and negative values of religious culture; must be able to explain the scientific nature of the Marxist view of religion in the comparison between theism and atheism, so that students can be convinced and accept it. Teachers must also systematically master various religious theories and our Party’s religious policies, and at the same time be able to use the methods of dialectical materialism and historical materialism to analyze and explain real-world religious issues, enabling students to master certain religious knowledge, satisfying young students’ pursuit of knowledge and spiritual life needs, and broadening students’ horizons, laying a good ideological foundation for establishing Marxist beliefs. At the same time, teachers must also use Marxist atheism to educate students, enabling them to resist various forms of idealism and fallacies. Therefore, only when the religious knowledge reserves of ideological and political theory teachers are enriched, and they have a correct understanding and scientific attitude towards religion, can the students they cultivate have a correct view of religion, continuously internalize the Marxist view of religion, and establish Marxist beliefs.

思想教育要以理服人，也要以情动人。教师的人格魅力会起到率先垂范的作用，只有教师首先真的信仰马克思主义、真的懂马克思主义的宗教观，才能起到教育青年大学生，提高理论说服力、吸引力和感染力的作用。这就要求必须提高教师的马克思主义理论修养，要求教师“真信”、“真懂”马克思主义，成为坚定的马克思主义者，这样才能发挥教师言传身教的作用。所以，教师必须要科学全面地理解宗教的内涵、特征、功能、长期性，必须能够准确地阐明宗教文化的正面和负面价值，能够在有神论和无神论的对比中说明马克思主义宗教观的科学性，这样才能使学生信服，为学生所接受。教师还必须系统地掌握各种宗教理论和我们党的宗教政策，同时能够运用辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的方法，分析和说明现实中的宗教问题，让学生掌握一定的宗教知识，满足青年学生对知识的追求和精神生活的需要，并能够开阔学生的视野，为确立马克思主义信仰奠定良好的思想基础。同时，教师还要用马克思主义的无神论，去教育学生，使他们能够抵御各种唯心论、歪理邪说。所以，只有思想政治理论课教师的宗教知识储备丰富了，对宗教有正确的理解和科学的态度，其培养的学生才可能有正确的宗教观，才能不断地内化马克思主义宗教观，树立马克思主义的信仰。

References:

参考文献：

[1]1 The original text cites a survey from three universities in Heilongjiang Province but does not provide a full bibliographic reference for the source marked [1] in the paragraph. Li Zhiyuan, Sun Mingzhe. Education and Guidance on the Religious Beliefs of Contemporary University Students [J]. Reform and Opening Up, 2011(2): 164.

［1］李知渊，孙明哲.当代大学生宗教信仰的教育与引导［J］.改革与开放，2011（，2）：164.

[2]2 The original text cites a student comment but does not provide a full bibliographic reference for the source marked [2] in the paragraph. He Yanfeng, Zhang Li. On the Education and Guidance of Religious Beliefs of University Students in the New Period [J]. Education and Vocation, 2009(32): 182.

［2］贺彦凤，张丽.论新时期大学生宗教信仰的教育与引导［J］.教育与职业，2009，（32）：182.