Qiu Shi: Grasping the Relationship Between Religion and Culture Within the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan"
Editor’s Note: To implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development [1], and to explore how fine traditional Chinese culture functions in the process of the Sinicization of religion in our country, the Chinese Atheism Society, the Center for Science and Atheism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the editorial department of Science and Atheism held a thematic seminar on April 21 in Beijing titled "Traditional Chinese Religion and Traditional Chinese Culture." The following are excerpts from the key points made by some of the experts and scholars.
Since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, "Religious Culture Theory" has become prevalent, leading to a temporary "religious culture" craze. This has complicated the relationship between religion and culture, and many problems in the religious sphere are related to this. Both "religion" and "culture" are complex concepts with multiple connotations; their extensions can be broad or narrow, and there are significant differences between Chinese and Western interpretations. Studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on religious work inevitably involves the question of how to understand the relationship between religion and culture, especially how to correctly view the relationship between traditional Chinese religion and traditional Chinese culture. We must grasp religion and culture within the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, correctly recognizing and handling their relationship within religious and cultural work, and avoiding abstract discussions of "religious culture" divorced from the background of the times and practical work.
"Culture" is an extremely elastic concept. It can range from "humanities" (as opposed to "nature") at its broadest, to "literacy" (as opposed to "illiteracy") at its narrowest. In contemporary China, the most commonly used concept of culture is the one situated alongside "economy," "politics," "society," and "ecology" within the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, referring generally to everything related to spiritual culture, such as propaganda, ideology, education, science, culture, and health. Discussions on the relationship between religion and culture should be strictly limited to this scope; we cannot be led astray by other concepts of "culture."
"Religion" is also an extremely elastic concept. Its definition is closely related to different cultural traditions, particularly worldviews and views on religion. Mainstream Western religious studies hold that the definition of religion depends on one's own religious faith. In the eyes of many Western scholars, not only is Confucianism the most important traditional religion in China, but even Marxism belongs to the category of religion. In the eyes of many Chinese scholars, while whether Confucianism is a religion remains open to discussion, Marxism is definitively not a religion. Most Chinese humanities scholars believe that Confucianism—one of the "Three Teachings" [2] in Chinese history alongside Buddhism and Daoism—is not a religion; however, many professional religious studies scholars believe that Confucianism is a traditional religion with Chinese national characteristics. In the discourse system of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, religion refers to supernatural ideas such as ghosts and gods, and is a form of social ideology. The Soviet Union once distinguished between religion and the church, defining religion as an ideology that did not include the religious masses or their social organizations. In the contemporary Chinese context, religion is both an ideology and a social entity; the church has become an element of religion, which encompasses not only thoughts, beliefs, and feelings but also religious rituals and organizations. In the important documents of the Communist Party of China (CPC), religious work has always been discussed within the political category. Within the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, religious work belongs to the political sphere and is a part of United Front work [3]. In the Party’s theory and principles regarding religious work in the New Era, religion is a political issue rather than a cultural one, and religious work is political work rather than cultural work.
The political reports of previous National Congresses of the CPC generally deploy work in various fields according to the sequence of economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology; the discussions and deployments regarding cultural work never involve religion. For instance, the report of the 19th Party Congress deployed cultural construction in its seventh section, "Firming Up Confidence in Our Culture and Promoting the Prosperity of Socialist Culture," which covered five main areas and did not involve religion. In the report of the 20th Party Congress, neither the fifth section, "Invigorating China through Science and Education and Developing a Strong Personnel Force for the Modernization Drive," nor the eighth section, "Confidence and Strength in Our Culture: Preparing for New Successes of Socialist Culture," involved religion.
The Party's theory of religious work also does not speak of "religious culture." According to research, the Party's theory of religious work mainly consists of several levels: first, basic theory, which primarily concerns the fundamental understanding of and attitude toward religion, including its essence, origins, history, role, and the stance taken toward it; second, basic viewpoints, which primarily concern fundamental judgments on religious issues, such as the beliefs that religion possesses mass, ethnic, international, complex, and long-term characteristics [4]; third, basic policies, summarized as the Party's basic guidelines for religious work; and fourth, basic requirements, primarily the several principles that must be adhered to in doing religious work well, summarized as the "Nine Musts." [5] Among these, only the fifth "must"—"it is a must to persist in the direction of the Sinicization of religion in our country"—relates to culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that to persist in the direction of the Sinicization of religion in our country, we must use the Socialist Core Values [6] to lead and educate religious personages and the religious masses, and use Chinese culture to "soak" [7] the various religions in our country. The Socialist Core Values are the kernel and soul of Chinese culture; only by practicing these values can religions in our country meet the requirements of persisting in the direction of Sinicization. the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics has a rich connotation, specifically referring to fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. Guiding the religious circles in the educational practice of Socialist Core Values is to lead and "soak" various religions with advanced socialist culture. Establishing patriotic education bases for the religious community and providing them with patriotic education is the use of revolutionary culture to "soak" religion. Carrying out the "Four Entrances" activities [8], the "Five Histories" education [9], and experiential activities of fine traditional Chinese culture in religious circles is to lead and "soak" religion with Chinese culture. Thus, it can be seen that in the Party’s theory of religious work, the relationship between our country's religions and Chinese culture is one of the "led" to the "leader" and the "soaked" to the "soaker." Persisting in and deeply advancing the Sinicization of religion in our country means using Chinese culture to "transform" [10] religion, integrating it into Chinese culture through leadership and "soaking." Religion is, of course, culture, and Chinese religion certainly belongs to Chinese culture, but it does not belong to fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, or advanced socialist culture; rather, it is a specific culture that needs to be led and "soaked" by them.
"Religious Culture Theory" originates from Western theories of religious studies. There is a fallacy in Western religious studies that claims primitive culture is religious culture. In reality, primitive culture existed in a state of chaos, containing the seeds of science, art, morality, religion, philosophy, and political and legal thought, all intertwined and not yet differentiated. The differentiation and development of human spiritual culture began in class society, and the differentiation of various forms of social consciousness is a post-modern phenomenon. Compared to modern culture, primitive culture was mixed with more superstitious elements, yet it was not lacking in scientific elements. Describing primitive culture as religious culture is a form of pan-religionism intended to prove the universality and importance of religion. This is a fallacy created after the victory of the bourgeois revolutions to "preserve religion for the people" in order to consolidate the capitalist system, yet it has had a significant influence on the field of religious studies in our country. Religion is an ideology with atheism at its core [sic], which integrated and processed various ancient intellectual materials and occupied an important position in ancient culture. However, modern culture was established through the Enlightenment and the critique of religion, advocating science and opposing superstition.
Another fallacy in Western religious studies is the belief that religion is the essence and soul of culture or civilization, using religion to represent the whole of culture—for instance, describing Western culture as Christian culture, Middle Eastern culture as Islamic culture, Chinese culture as Confucian culture, Indian culture as Hindu culture, and Japanese culture as Shinto culture. In fact, any culture or civilization is a complex composed of multiple factors, containing certain religious factors, but even more non-religious or even anti-religious factors. The history of human culture is a history in which scientific factors have gradually marginalized, negated, and replaced religious factors. Describing religion as the essence and soul of culture or civilization and elevating its status and role is, in essence, using ancient superstitious culture to negate modern scientific culture. Since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, "Religious Culture Theory" has been introduced to China, exerting a series of negative influences on our country's religious studies research. We must strengthen our analysis and critique of Western religious studies theories, recognize the essence of "Religious Culture Theory," clarify theoretical rights and wrongs regarding religious issues, defend the scientificity and purity of the Party's religious theory, prevent the misdirection of erroneous Western religious studies theories, and provide academic support and intellectual assistance for maintaining the correct direction of our country's religious studies research and religious work.
(Author biography: Qiu Shi, Director of the Chinese Atheism Society)