Pei Biao: In-depth Study of the Marxist View of Religion
Pei Biao: In-depth Research on the Marxist View of Religion
In recent years, the Central Committee has clearly proposed the construction of a socialist core value system, repeatedly emphasizing the persistence and consolidation of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, and vigorously promoting the Project to Research and Construct Marxist Theory. In the field of religious studies, we must conduct in-depth research into the Marxist view of religion, persist in using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to observe and analyze religious issues, and—combining this with the reality of our country's social development—continually summarize new experiences. We must strive to improve and develop Marxist religious theory with Chinese characteristics to better guide academic religious research and the practice of religious work.
I. Fully recognize the major significance of the Marxist view of religion
A view of religion constitutes people's basic outlook on religion and the fundamental methods for handling religious issues derived therefrom. The Marxist view of religion is an important component of Marxist theory; it comprises the basic theoretical viewpoints of Marxism regarding the essence, origin, characteristics, laws of development, and social functions of religion, as well as the basic principles and policies for handling religious issues applied in practice by Marxist political parties. Currently, in our study and research of the Marxist view of religion, we must first have a firm, conscious, and clear understanding of its major significance.
(1) A sharp ideological weapon for observing religious issues. Religion is a highly complex socio-historical phenomenon that has existed long and universally in human society. Regarding religion, people from different historical periods, countries, regions, and social strata have conducted observations and reflections from different levels, angles, and methods, forming many distinct or even diametrically opposed viewpoints. "There are as many definitions of religion as there are religions in the world, and the disagreements between different definitions of religion are no less than the differences between the religions themselves."
Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since entering the new century, the world has been in a period of great change, adjustment, and development. Economic globalization, political multipolarity, cultural diversity, and social informatization have become the general trend of the world. Correspondingly, the global religious field also presents complex phenomena: the influence of religious factors in the competition for soft power in international politics, culture, and diplomacy is rising daily; traditional religions are seeing universal revivals; new religious movements are emerging constantly; the process of secularization is accelerating; religious fundamentalism is rising; religious contradictions and conflicts occur one after another; and religious exchange and dialogue are in the ascendant. In these exchanges and dialogues, people have put forward various views and propositions on how to view religion and handle religious issues.
From the domestic perspective, with the continuous deepening of economic, political, cultural, and social structural reforms, and the continuous expansion of opening up, our society is undergoing extensive and profound social change and transformation. Against this broad backdrop, China's religious population continues to grow, the social influence of religion is constantly expanding, social contradictions related to religious factors have become somewhat prominent, and religious issues are becoming increasingly complex and sensitive. Correctly understanding and treating religious issues is more important and urgent than ever before.
The Marxist view of religion is a scientific view of religion built comprehensively upon modern natural science, social science, and the science of thinking. It provides us with a sharp ideological weapon to observe religious phenomena deeply, analyze religious issues scientifically, and accurately grasp the essence and laws of religion. Only by persisting in using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to observe and analyze religious issues can we comprehensively and accurately grasp the new characteristics and trends in the religious field, prevent various erroneous tendencies in handling religious issues, and maintain the correct direction for religious research and religious work.
(2) The fundamental guiding ideology for carrying out religious work. The Party Central Committee has repeatedly emphasized the need to persist in and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field. In the field of religious work, this means persisting in taking the Marxist view of religion as the fundamental guiding ideology for the Party and government to correctly recognize and properly handle religious issues. We persist in the guiding position of Marxism because Marxism possesses distinct scientific and truthful qualities, which have been proven by the practice of our country's revolution, construction, and reform. As Comrade Mao Zedong [1] said: "We say Marxism is correct, not because Marx was some kind of 'prophet,' but because his theory has been proven correct in our practice and our struggle." Similarly, our persistence in the guiding position of the Marxist view of religion in religious work is based on the same reasoning.
For a long time, our Party has persisted in combining the Marxist view of religion with the specific realities of religion in China, correctly recognizing and handling religious issues during China's revolution, construction, and reform, and forming a series of basic theoretical viewpoints and basic principles and policies. Whether establishing a united front with religious circles during the New Democratic Revolution [2] period or supporting religious circles in carrying out patriotic movements and the reform of the religious democratic system after the founding of the People's Republic, significant achievements were made. Especially since the start of reform and opening up, our Party, on the basis of "setting things right" (拨乱反正) [3], has combined new situations and tasks to continuously enrich and improve religious theory and policies. We have formulated the basic principles of religious work—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-governance, and actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society. We have proposed new requirements for correctly handling religious relations and giving play to the positive role of religion in promoting economic development and social harmony. We have opened a new realm for religious work, forming a new situation of overall stability in the religious field, where personages in religious circles and the broad masses of religious believers love their country and their religion, maintain unity and progress, and serve society.
It should be stated plainly that from 1957 onward, and continuing through the "Cultural Revolution" (文化大革命), "leftist" [4] guiding ideologies grew, spread, and developed within the Party, influencing and affecting religious work. There were certain errors and twists and turns that brought major losses to the religious work of the Party and the state. However, this was precisely the result of dogmatically distorting or deviating from the basic principles of the Marxist view of religion and wantonly undermining and trampling upon the Party's correct policies toward religion. Conversely, this has made us recognize more clearly and firmly that the more we face complex situations and intricate religious issues, the more we must persist in being guided by the developing Marxist view of religion, and the more we must unswervingly implement the hard-won basic principles and policies of the Party's religious work that have been proven correct by practice—without wavering, slacking, or "toying with" them (不折腾) [5].
(3) The basic scientific method for doing religious research well. The Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method are our basic scientific methods for conducting religious research. In the programmatic document "Basic Viewpoints and Policies on the Religious Issue During Our Country's Socialist Period" issued in March 1982, the CPC Central Committee specifically pointed out: "Conducting scientific research on religious issues using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method is an important component of the Party's theoretical work." It emphasized that "building a team of religious theory researchers armed with Marxism, and striving to run research institutions and relevant majors in universities that use Marxism to study religious issues, is an indispensable and important aspect of building the Party's theoretical contingent."
General Secretary Hu Jintao, in his important speech at the second collective study session of the 17th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on December 18, 2007, emphasized: "Under the new historical conditions, we must persist in the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method; comprehensively recognize the profound natural, social, epistemological, and psychological roots of the emergence and existence of religion; comprehensively recognize the objective reality that religion will exist for a long time in socialist society; comprehensively recognize the complex situation in which religious issues are intertwined with political, economic, cultural, and ethnic factors; and comprehensively recognize the special status of religious factors in contradictions among the people [6], striving to explore and master the inherent laws of religion and continuously improving the level of religious work." This important discourse by General Secretary Hu Jintao put forward clear requirements and pointed out the correct direction for us to conduct in-depth religious research guided by Marxism.
Currently, domestic academic research on religion is becoming increasingly active. Religious studies, which were relatively neglected in the past, are becoming a "prominent study" and a "hot study." People's understanding of religion is becoming increasingly diverse, and international academic exchanges in religion are constantly increasing. Under such circumstances, we must persist in the guiding position of the Marxist view of religion and persist in using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to dominate and lead diverse academic research on religion. In any society, the dominant ideology in the ideological field is determined by its dominant economic base. Marx said: "The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e., the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force." As the core and soul of the superstructure, the guiding ideology is both an important part of the superstructure and plays a key role in maintaining it. The consolidation and improvement of a social system require the dominant ideology to provide theoretical guidance, value orientation, and spiritual support. Our Party represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people, and our country unswervingly follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which determines that we must persist in taking Marxism as our guide in the ideological field.
It should be made clear that our emphasis on taking Marxism as the guide does not mean pursuing "uniformity" or "unanimity of public opinion." The diversification of people's thoughts and understandings, and the diversification of social thoughts and culture, are objective and normal states. Drawing on various methods of religious studies such as the sociology of religion, anthropology of religion, psychology of religion, and comparative religion is also conducive to enlivening academic thought and promoting theoretical innovation. We must both persist in the guiding position of Marxism and adhere to the principle of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" (百花齐放, 百家争鸣) [7], respecting differences and tolerating diversity. In short, this means "unitary leadership with diverse coexistence."
II. Profoundly grasp the spiritual essence of the Marxist view of religion
In our study and research of the Marxist view of religion, what is important is not picking out phrases or citing classics from the works of Marxist classical writers, but rather comprehensively and profoundly understanding the spiritual essence of the Marxist view of religion, grasping its dialectical materialist and historical materialist worldview and methodology, and grasping its theoretical system that is both inherited in a direct line and advances with the times.
(1) The principle of historical materialism. The Marxist view of religion is fundamentally different from all theological and idealist views of religion; it is also distinct from ancient naive materialism and modern mechanical materialism. Its most important, fundamental, and greatest characteristic is the scientific principles and laws of historical materialism that run through it.
Marx once pointed out that historical materialism was the result of his combination of the critique of religion with the critique of politics, and the combination of philosophical research with economic research; once this result "was achieved, it served as a guiding thread for my studies." Engels also pointed out that historical materialism is the science of real people and their historical development; once produced, it became the methodological guide for further in-depth study of religion and other disciplines, "becoming our best tool and our sharpest weapon."
It is precisely by persisting in and applying the basic principles of historical materialism that the Marxist view of religion emphasizes that one cannot study religion in isolation, especially religious ideology in isolation. Instead, religion—this highly complex phenomenon—must be placed within the historical process of the contradictory movements between the productive forces and relations of production, and between the economic base and superstructure of human society. It must be examined and analyzed within the actual connections between religion and various social aspects such as economy, politics, culture, and ethnicity. In this way, the Marxist view of religion possesses a profound historical vision and a broad social perspective, which are unique characteristics not possessed by any religious theories prior to Marx and Engels.
Precisely because it persists in and applies the basic principles of historical materialism, the Marxist view of religion holds that religion, as a form of social consciousness, is a reflection of social existence, just like other forms of social consciousness. Therefore, the study of the essence and origin of religion should, in the final analysis, be sought from the material basis of religion; the study of the historical development of religion should examine the changes in the material conditions of life at each stage of religious development, and use the changes in social structure determined by the actual state of development of the productive forces to explain the changes in religion. In this way, the Marxist view of religion has stripped away the various mystical halos shrouded around religion, profoundly insighted the actual material basis of religion, and scientifically revealed the essence, origin, laws of development, and social functions of religion.
As Marx said, “We do not transform secular questions into theological ones. We transform theological questions into secular ones. History has been explained by superstition for a long time, but we now explain superstition by history.” [8]
(2) The Scientific Dialectical Method Marx and Engels founded the theory of materialist dialectics, thereby raising dialectical thought to a scientific height. As an important constituent part of the Marxist theoretical system, the Marxist view of religion also fully embodies the scientific dialectical method. By earnestly studying the classic Marxist works on religion and learning our Party’s important documents regarding religious work, one can deeply appreciate that the Marxist view of religion—whether in its basic theory or its basic policies—is saturated with materialist dialectics and radiates the light of its truth.
It is precisely by applying materialist dialectics at the level of theoretical understanding that we analyze not only the cognitive and psychological roots of religion, but also its natural and social roots; we analyze not only the laws governing the historical development of religion's emergence, development, and eventual disappearance, but also the objective reality of its long-term existence; we analyze not only its ideological attributes such as religious concepts and sentiments, but also its social attributes such as religious organizations and activities; and we analyze the relationships between elements internal to religion as well as the relationships between religion and the economy, politics, culture, society, as well as ethnicities and the state.
It is also by upholding materialist dialectics at the level of policy practice that we frankly acknowledge the ideological opposition between Marxist political parties and religion, while emphasizing the consistency of the fundamental interests of the broad masses of religious and non-religious people; we respect and protect the freedom of religious belief while also respecting and protecting the freedom not to believe and the freedom to propagate atheism; we persist in managing religious affairs according to the law while focusing on actively guiding religion to adapt to socialist society; we take care to overcome and suppress the negative effects of religion while fully affirming and giving play to its positive roles; and we continuously strengthen religious and cultural exchanges while adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, resolutely resisting the use of religion by hostile forces for infiltration. The materialist dialectics contained within the Marxist view of religion provides us with a correct direction and scientific method for accurately understanding and handling religious issues and preventing interference from both "Left" and Right erroneous deviations [9].
Comrade Jiang Zemin pointed out: "In our study of theory, the key is to learn to use the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method to observe and solve problems, to improve our dialectical thinking ability, and to prevent metaphysics and one-sidedness. This requires that we must earnestly study and master the basic principles of Marxist philosophy." In our study and research of the Marxist view of religion, we must comprehensively master its scientific dialectical method of analysis and persist in using materialist dialectics to understand and handle religious issues.
(3) The Quality of Advancing with the Times The Marxist view of religion was founded by Marx and Engels, inherited and enriched by Soviet communists such as Lenin, and subsequently upheld and developed by Chinese communists such as Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao. It is a scientific system of theory and policy that is both inherited from a single lineage and advances with the times.
The Marxist view of religion not only possesses a solid scientific and theoretical foundation but is also capable of continuous enrichment and development alongside the practice of revolution, construction, and reform. It achieves an organic unity of scientific and revolutionary character, theoretical and practical nature, and inheritance and innovation. In studying and researching the Marxist view of religion, one must both understand its classic original works and key viewpoints and master its scientific system of continuous lineage and temporal advancement.
In the sixty-plus years since the founding of New China, and especially in the thirty-plus years of reform and opening up, our Party has undergone a long and arduous exploration. By summarizing experiences both positive and negative, we have gradually formed a complete set of religious theories and policies guided by the Marxist view of religion that possess Chinese characteristics and conform to the basic national conditions of the primary stage of socialism. This has greatly enriched and developed the Marxist view of religion, becoming an important constituent part of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In contemporary China, to uphold the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to truly uphold Marxism; likewise, to uphold the religious theory and policies of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to truly uphold the Marxist view of religion. In this new period and new stage, we must persist in taking the Scientific Outlook on Development [10] as our guide, grasp the theoretical quality of the Marxist view of religion in advancing with the times, perfect the theoretical system of religion for socialism with Chinese characteristics, and promote the continuous innovation of the Marxist view of religion as the era progresses and practice develops.
III. Actively Promote the Sinicization, Modernization, and Popularization of the Marxist View of Religion
Based on new changes in the global, national, and Party situation and the new requirements for the development of Marxism, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee proposed the strategic task of promoting the Sinicization, modernization, and popularization of Marxism. To implement this spirit in religious research and religious work, we must promote the Sinicization, modernization, and popularization of the Marxist view of religion.
(1) Sinicization. Only by integrating the Marxist view of religion with China’s national conditions and continuously enriching and developing it in practice can it better play its role in guiding practice. To promote the Sinicization of the Marxist view of religion is to continue persisting in combining the basic principles of the Marxist view of religion with the concrete realities of Chinese religion, according to the new requirements for religious work in the new stage of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must continuously form new ideas for a Marxist view of religion that possesses Chinese characteristics, conforms to Chinese reality, and embodies Chinese experience, and continuously enrich and perfect the socialist theory of religion with Chinese characteristics.
(2) Modernization (时代化). Modernization [11] is an inevitable requirement of the theoretical quality of the Marxist view of religion in advancing with the times. To promote its modernization is to base ourselves on the era's themes of peace and development in the world today, combined with the era's characteristics of economic globalization and religious pluralism. We must stand on the era's tasks of promoting scientific development, fostering social harmony, and co-building a harmonious world. We should absorb the excellent achievements of religious research from all countries, learn from the successful experiences of religious affairs management worldwide, and seek truth from facts, advance with the times, and uphold the fundamentals and break new ground. By responding to the demands of the times and solving realistic problems, we will continuously endow the Marxist view of religion with distinct contemporary content and characteristics, making it a scientific theory that promotes religious harmony.
(3) Popularization. To promote the popularization of the Marxist view of religion is to combine the reality of religious existence and influence with the reality of religious issues and religious work. We must continuously systematize, vulgarize [12], and concretize the basic principles of the Marxist view of religion and its latest Sinicized and modernized achievements. We must utilize scientifically innovative methods, diverse and lively forms, and easy-to-understand language to broadly publicize and comprehensively popularize it among cadres and the masses. This will enable it to become the worldview and methodology through which people correctly treat birth, aging, illness, and death, as well as fortune and misfortune; correctly understand and transform the world; correctly understand and handle religious issues; and correctly carry out religious research and religious work.
In short, the Sinicization, modernization, and popularization of the Marxist view of religion constitute an interconnected and inseparable unified whole. Sinicization is the core, the overarching principle and requirement governing modernization and popularization; modernization is the key, the important mark demonstrating the scientific and advanced nature of Sinicization and popularization; and popularization is the foundation, the important path for expanding the depth and breadth of Sinicization and modernization.