Xu Xiao: Value Connotation, Fundamental Principles, and Implementation Paths of Religion-Related Courses in Universities from the Perspective of Curriculum Ideological and Political Education
Religion is a phenomenon that emerged at a specific stage of human historical development, manifesting as institutionalized traditions of belief and specific ideologies. Religion has existed in human society for a long time, inextricably intertwined with many social activities. Consequently, nearly all disciplines within the humanities and social sciences maintain some connection to it. Whether in philosophy, political science, history, literature, or art, the processes of emergence and development have all, to varying degrees, established links with religion. Thus, when researching related issues or teaching relevant courses, it is inevitable that some religious knowledge will be involved. Such courses can be termed religion-related courses. These courses possess obvious value for ensuring the integrity of disciplinary knowledge and serve as a vital entry point for scientific atheist education in higher education institutions. It is therefore of great significance to further clarify the teaching stance, principles, methods, and paths for religion-related courses. However, due to various reasons, domestic research enthusiasm for this issue remains low. Existing relevant research results are mostly explorations conducted from the perspective of atheist education in universities. A few studies have noted that foreign forces use religion-related courses and lectures to carry out "cultural proselytization" [1] and have proposed response strategies. Yet, there is almost no discussion regarding the value connotation, fundamental guidance, and implementation paths of religion-related courses as an important platform and vehicle for atheist education. Therefore, this article intends to conduct a specialized analysis of this issue, and I welcome corrections from experts [2].
I. Basic Status Quo: An Analysis of the Rise and Fall of Religion-Related Courses in Higher Education
Since the second half of the 20th century, the global expansion of economic and social modernization has been accompanied by a global religious revival. In China, religion has also developed rapidly since the 1980s, forming a "religious culture fever" [3] within cultural and intellectual circles. Particularly since the beginning of the 21st century, this "religious culture fever" has gradually heated up domestically and spread further into universities. This "fever" has complex causes, which scholars such as Huntington have discussed extensively. However, it is undeniable that during the period when "religious culture fever" prevailed, society’s understanding and evaluation of religion were neither objective nor accurate; the positive social functions of religion were overestimated, while its negative social functions were insufficiently recognized. In the cultural publishing industry, for instance, some publishers believed that mass-producing religious books could effectively leverage the positive social role of religion while bringing in considerable economic benefits, leading to a large-scale market influx of religious books for a time. The situation was similar in universities: overemphasizing the positive social functions of religion while ignoring its negative ones inevitably led to an expansion of religion-related courses. This, in turn, served to add fuel to the flames of the "religious culture fever."
In recent years, many scholars have conducted surveys on the religious beliefs of college students in different regions. Most results indicate that a significant number of students in the samples hold religious beliefs or have participated in religious activities. Among these findings, it is particularly noteworthy that Yan Hongguo, in a survey of universities in a certain city in Zhejiang Province, found that secret missionary activities on campuses—especially Christian ones—were frequent. The proportion of college students believing in Christianity showed a positive correlation with their year of study: the higher the grade, the higher the proportion of believers. These findings reflect a worrying situation regarding the current state of religious belief among Chinese college students. Foreign forces use religion to infiltrate universities, and campus missionary activities are frequent and clandestine. Under the guise of job introductions, forming student clubs, or organizing activities—and using pretexts such as work-study programs, academic exchanges, or skill-building—they employ dual inducements at both the material and spiritual levels. Their aim is to strengthen value identity ideologically, reinforce emotional experience psychologically, consolidate institutional construction organizationally, and intensify participation in activities behaviorally. More complex still is that "cultural proselytization" has gradually become a major form of religious infiltration in universities, carrying out the reality of religious infiltration under the name of "academia." This has dealt a massive blow to normal religion-related courses. The issues of campus religious infiltration and proselytization have gradually attracted attention in recent years. In April 2011, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Doing a Good Job in Resisting the Use of Religion by Overseas Forces to Infiltrate Higher Education Institutions and Preventing Campus Proselytization, further emphasizing the great significance of and specific measures for resisting religious infiltration and preventing campus proselytization. Relevant local departments thereafter formulated and issued corresponding task-decomposition plans.
On one hand, the curriculum of many disciplines—humanities in particular—cannot bypass religion-related knowledge; on the other hand, the overflow of "religious culture fever" and the increasingly grim situation of resisting campus religious infiltration pose challenges. Specifically, "cultural proselytization" shares many superficial similarities in form with normal religion-related courses, exerting a tremendous negative impact. If teachers and educational administrative departments lack the ability to discern between the two, the hidden dangers are enormous. Religion-related courses in universities risk either being exploited by hostile foreign forces due to a lack of political sensitivity among schools and instructors—thereby unconsciously becoming "vanguard pawns" for cultural proselytization—or being summarily cut by universities or administrative departments out of bureaucratic "lazy governance" or "negligent governance." [4]
To speak truthfully, religion-related courses in universities possess a distinct ideological character. Teaching these courses well not only aids in atheist education but also plays an important role in preventing campus proselytization. Engels profoundly noted in Anti-Dühring: "All religion, however, is nothing but the fantastic reflection in men’s minds of those external forces which control their daily life, a reflection in which the terrestrial forces assume the form of supernatural forces." As university teachers, we should pay special attention to disseminating a correct worldview to students, consciously taking religion-related courses as a "grasp" [5] for atheist education and for resisting religious infiltration and campus proselytization, thereby precluding foreign forces from using "cultural proselytization" to infiltrate campuses.
Reflecting on the development of religion-related courses in universities since the Reform and Opening-up, the overflow of "religious culture fever," the insufficient understanding of the relationship between resisting campus infiltration and these courses, and the resulting tug-of-war have collectively caused these courses to exhibit characteristics of "drastic opening and drastic closing" and "great rises and falls" over the past forty-plus years. When "religious culture fever" heated up or even flooded society, religion-related courses expanded significantly in terms of curriculum setup, construction, capacity, and enrollment. This, in turn, fueled the social "fever." In this process, it was inevitable that "fish would be mixed with dragons" [6]: negative issues emerged, such as irrational curriculum setups, a lack of guidance in course construction, excessive expansion of content, and even violations of relevant laws and regulations. Conversely, when the situation of resisting campus infiltration became increasingly grim, influenced by the "lazy" or "negligent" governance of some universities and administrative departments, religion-related courses faced a reduction in scale, restrictions on enrollment, or even complete suspension.
II. Value Connotation: The Objectives, Scientificity, Necessity, and Rationality of Religion-Related Courses in Higher Education
By tracing the history and analyzing the current status of these courses, we can reach a basic judgment: religion-related courses in universities have always oscillated between "drastic opening and closing" and "great rises and falls," and a benign development situation has yet to form. The root cause is a lack of reflection on the value connotation and mission objectives of these courses, resulting in insufficient recognition of their scientificity, necessity, and rationality. In particular, there is a widespread bias regarding their role in ideological security and the risk of religious infiltration; thus, the positive role they can play in maintaining ideological security and resisting infiltration is underestimated. In fact, to profoundly answer whether these courses can or should be taught, one must conduct an in-depth analysis of their value connotation. In this sense, the value connotation is highly consistent with the mission objectives. Therefore, the first question to answer for the benign development of these courses is whether they can and should be taught. To answer this, one must analyze their value connotation and objectives.
First, religion-related courses are of great significance for maintaining the integrity of disciplinary knowledge. Correspondingly, perfecting this integrity is the disciplinary task of these courses. As the main battlefield for talent cultivation, universities ought to impart complete and accurate knowledge to students. As stated above, nearly all humanities and social sciences are linked to religion; whether philosophy, politics, history, literature, or art, their development has more or less involved religious contact. Thus, teaching these subjects cannot bypass religious knowledge. Mao Zedong profoundly pointed out: "Without criticizing theology, one cannot write a good history of philosophy, nor can one write a good history of literature or world history." What Mao referred to was not Christian theology in a narrow sense, but religious theology as a whole. Criticizing religious theology must, of course, be based on an understanding of relevant religious knowledge. Respecting history and facts is our basic attitude in teaching and research. We cannot sensitize or avoid a discipline simply because a certain aspect or stage of it is intertwined with religion. We must not use the sensitivity of religious issues as an excuse to dismember these disciplinary bodies of knowledge and destroy their integrity; this is not the attitude of historical materialism.
Second, religion-related courses are of great significance for enriching the paths for the publicity and education of Marxist atheism. Correspondingly, strengthening this education is the "ideological-political" [7] task of these courses. In July 2021, the Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in the New Era, issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, proposed the need to strengthen education in Marxist materialism and atheism. This, of course, cannot be solved by a simple sentence like "there are no gods in the world." Marx once noted: "Atheism is humanism mediated with itself through the supersession of religion." Engels also noted: "Atheism, being the mere negation of religion, and constantly referring to religion, is itself nothing without it." From the perspective of categorical relationships, atheism and religion are a pair of contradictory categories. If atheist publicity and education cannot revolve closely around this contradiction, the path may become too singular or even lapse into "preaching from the book." By deeply exploring the teaching stance, principles, methods, and paths of religion-related courses, we can link them with atheist education and enrich its practical paths.
Third, courses related to religion are of great significance for resisting and preventing religious infiltration [8] and proselytization on campus. Correspondingly, resisting and preventing religious infiltration and proselytization on campus constitute the security task of university courses related to religion. Religious infiltration refers to activities by overseas hostile forces that use religion in an attempt to subvert our country's state power and socialist system, or to undermine the unity of the motherland. Overseas religious infiltration and campus proselytization pose a massive threat to national security and campus safety. University students possess a vigorous desire for knowledge and a willingness to understand religion-related information. If we cannot or dare not provide corresponding knowledge and courses to offer positive guidance, they may seek understanding from religionists or even cultists. As General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "If we do not occupy the position of ideological and cultural publicity, others will." Therefore, against a background where "cultural missionizing" [9] is increasingly becoming the primary means of religious infiltration on university campuses, it is all the more necessary to take the initiative. We must utilize courses related to religion to guide students in using Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods to correctly understand and treat religion. Duan Dezhi once profoundly pointed out in Research on Overseas Religious Infiltration: "Although preventing and resisting religious infiltration involves a question of strategic awareness, it is moreover a political act. Therefore, while establishing strategic awareness, we should also focus on strategic measures. These measures should not only possess distinct qualities of confrontation, responsiveness, and strategy, but should moreover possess qualities of comprehensiveness, intentionality, regularity, and foresight." Overseas hostile forces intentionally blur the lines between religious infiltration and normal religious studies research, courses, or lectures, using the latter to conceal their political intentions. In the process of resisting religious infiltration, we cannot be led by the nose; we can neither allow "cultural missionizing"—this form of implicit religious infiltration—to enter the campus, nor can we simply resort to a blanket ban on religious studies research and courses. This is because religion is a long-term phenomenon, and resisting and preventing campus religious infiltration is a long-term task; it cannot be resolved in a short time through a "short-and-sharp" assault. If we turn the resistance and prevention of campus religious infiltration into a "passing wind" [10] style movement by simply banning religious research and courses, it means we have voluntarily surrendered our discourse power on religious issues and abandoned the legitimate channels for providing university students with correct knowledge. Replacing "guidance" with "blockage" [11] will ultimately leave the floor to others, and when new problems, situations, and challenges arise in the religious field, it will lead to strategic failure due to a lack of prior research and judgment.
Finally, courses related to religion are of great significance for profoundly grasping the relationship between cultural inheritance and the "Two Creatives" [12] of culture. Correspondingly, inheriting and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture is the cultural task of university courses related to religion. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century points out: "Fine traditional Chinese culture is a prominent advantage of the Chinese nation and the foundation upon which we stand firm amidst the surges of global culture; it must be inherited and promoted in combination with the conditions of the New Era." Culture is the lifeblood of a nation, and strengthening traditional culture education for university students is an important measure for enhancing cultural confidence. The Opinions on the Implementation of the Project to Inherit and Develop Fine Traditional Chinese Culture clearly state: "Promote the establishment of compulsory courses on fine traditional Chinese culture in universities, and increase the content of fine traditional Chinese culture in philosophy, social sciences, and related disciplines and courses." In fact, according to the author's investigation, the majority of so-called religion-related courses in ordinary universities are actually traditional culture courses. Traditional culture courses cannot bypass the "Three Teachings" of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and thus they become a component of religion-related courses in universities. It should be noted that after the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Teachings gradually developed into important components of fine traditional Chinese culture. However, we must see clearly that while they possess a strong humanistic spirit, it is undeniable that they are, to varying degrees, inextricably linked to theism. On the one hand, we need to prevent the practice of "cultural atavism" and proselytization under the guise of "inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture"; on the other hand, we cannot exclude the Three Teachings from fine traditional culture simply because theistic thought exists within them to various degrees. This requires guidance through correct teaching positions, principles, methods, and paths during the teaching of courses on fine traditional Chinese culture.
It can be seen that religion-related courses are of great significance for maintaining the integrity of disciplinary knowledge, enriching the paths for Marxist atheist propaganda and education, resisting and preventing religious infiltration on campus, and grasping the relationship between cultural inheritance and the "Two Creatives." Therefore, it can be said that the establishment of religion-related courses in universities is scientific, necessary, and reasonable. This also clarifies four major task objectives for such courses: the disciplinary task, the ideological-political task, the security task, and the cultural task. Therefore, university courses related to religion not only should and can be taught, but must be taught deeply, substantively, and thoroughly around these four objectives.
III. The Fundamental Guidance: Positions, Methods, and Principles for Teaching Religion-Related Courses in Universities
While answering the questions of "should they be taught" and "can they be taught," we have essentially pointed out the reason why religion-related courses in universities have fluctuated between "broad relaxation and sharp restriction" [13] and "great rises and falls" in the past and present, failing to form a virtuous development model. Therefore, to overcome these fluctuations, we must first clarify the fundamental guidance. By grasping the positions, methods, and principles of teaching these courses, we establish a fundamental guidance for their setup and instruction, providing a fundamental guarantee for the implementation of the disciplinary, ideological-political, security, and cultural tasks. The teaching of religion-related courses in universities should be guided by the Marxist view of religion, adhere to Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods, and strictly abide by the basic principle of the separation of education and religion.
A "position" is the standpoint from which people observe, understand, and handle problems. Classroom teaching also requires a standpoint; different positions will lead to vastly different teaching objectives, perspectives, effects, and influences. Teaching religion-related courses in universities should first pay special attention to adhering to the positions of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and persist in taking the Marxist view of religion as guidance.
Attention must be paid to the distinct difference in position between classroom teaching and the "preaching of sutras and teaching of the dharma" [14] by religionists. Resolutely preventing classroom teaching from turning into religious preaching is a vivid practice of adhering to the positions of dialectical materialism and historical materialism in the teaching of religion-related courses. Religious preaching is a self-unfolding process based on a religious standpoint; its purpose and process serve religious cultivation, practice, dissemination, and development. In contrast, university classroom teaching is a research-oriented approach that remains external to religion and treats religion as an objective subject, requiring a separation between subject and object for both the instructor and the content. This basic position seems self-evident, yet it is often challenged. In fact, the individuality of religious belief and the public nature of religious knowledge are not in conflict. However, some people only see the individuality of religious belief and subsequently confuse it with the public nature of religious knowledge. This leads to biased perceptions of religion-related knowledge, confusing the basic subject-object separation that classroom teaching should follow with the self-unfolding standpoint of religious preaching that serves spiritual cultivation. Furthermore, religion-related courses in universities should maintain a firm stance of scientific atheism and the critique of religion, taking care to avoid the entry of mystical thought into the classroom. Religious emotion and experience are core elements of religion. Human emotional experience and mental activities are rich and wonderful; the classroom teaching process should use a scientific and rational attitude to guide students to notice that the wonder of religious emotion and experience does not originate from religious mystery, but rather from the richness and wonder of human emotional experience and mental activity themselves.
Based on the aforementioned positions, we should implement the methods of dialectical materialism, historical materialism, and scientific atheism in classroom teaching.
Adhering to the method of historical materialism means persisting in "explaining religion through history" rather than "explaining history through religion." The materialist conception of history is the academic foundation of Marxist religious studies. Engels once pointed out: "Only by explaining the origin and development of a religion based on the historical conditions under which it arose and achieved dominance can the problem be solved." Mr. Ren Jiyu [15] once profoundly summarized this: "Religion does not exist in isolation from society; it is a mirror of the actual social, political, and economic status quo. Religion does not merely talk about the kingdom of heaven without involving real life. It is a distorted reflection of real life. We do not use religion to explain history, but use history to explain religion." Only by adhering to the materialist conception of history can we prevent the tendencies of "theologization" and "Westernization" in the teaching of religion-related courses and correctly understand the laws of religious development. We should establish a scientific, rigorous, truthful, and realistic academic style, always standing on the foundation of reality and history to scientifically teach and explain the origin, development, evolution, and disappearance of religion. We must adhere to a correct view of historical materials, treating various records in religious literature with caution and strictly differentiating between historical records and myths or legends. When used as historical data, they must be verified for authenticity; when examined as myths or legends, their social and historical foundations of formation and evolution must be analyzed in depth. Classroom teaching should extract thought from historical materials and interpret materials through thought, avoiding the method of "using scriptures to explain scriptures."
Adhering to the method of dialectical materialism means guiding students to dialectically view the relationship between the long-term existence of religion and the fallacy of theism, and helping them correctly understand characteristics such as the long-term nature and complexity of religion. The social effects of religion include both positive and negative roles. When value judgments are involved in teaching, one must seek truth from facts; one cannot one-sidedly exaggerate the positive roles of religion while avoiding its negative roles, nor can one exaggerate the negative roles while concealing the positive ones. When exploring the positive roles of religion, one must also avoid mystical rhetoric and instead conduct multi-disciplinary analysis from perspectives such as psychology and sociology with a scientific and rational attitude. Marxist religious studies is, in essence, a form of scientific atheism. Maintaining a firm stance of scientific atheism and the critique of religion in classroom teaching can enhance students' critical thinking and help them establish a scientific worldview. However, at the same time, it must be noted that Marx and Engels never took the simple critique or even the elimination of religion as their primary task. Rather, they focused on analyzing under what social and historical conditions, and under the influence of what alien forces among specific people, these fantastic forms of reflection were produced, thereby closely integrating the critique of and struggle against religion with the practice of social transformation.
In addition to following the above positions and viewpoints, one basic principle must be made clear: in the teaching of religion-related courses in universities, the principle of the separation of education and religion must be upheld with a clear-cut stand. The separation of education and religion is both a principle stipulated by China's Constitution, laws, and regulations, and an inevitable trend in the development of modern education. Article 36 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates: "No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state." This defines the fundamental legal basis for the implementation of the separation of education and religion in our country. Article 8 of the Education Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates: "The state shall practice the separation of education and religion. No organization or individual may use religion to engage in activities that interfere with the educational system of the state." This means that the influence of religion on school education must be excluded. Furthermore, regulations such as the Regulations on Religious Affairs, the Certain Provisions on the Management of Order on Campus in Higher Education Institutions, and the Provisions on the Management of Students in Ordinary High Education Institutions all contain relevant stipulations. Therefore, while emphasizing the necessity of religion-related courses in universities, we must also maintain a clear-cut stand on the principle of the separation of education and religion, resolutely resist overseas religious infiltration, and do a good job in preventing campus proselytization.
The establishment, implementation, and management of religion-related courses in universities should strictly follow the provisions of the aforementioned laws and regulations. Tangible, localized, and detailed implementation can be achieved through the joint efforts of three parties: the university, the faculty, and the students. At the university level, the setting and management of religion-related courses should avoid administrative negligence or "lazy governance" [16]; courses should instead be established scientifically based on pedagogical reality. Institutions must not simply relinquish control and allow religious courses or lectures of a proselytizing nature—which violate the scientific spirit—to enter university classrooms under the guise of academic lectures. Conversely, they must not adopt simplistic or heavy-handed methods, such as total bans, while ignoring the scientific nature, necessity, and rationality of religion-related courses. Therefore, university academic management departments should actively study the Marxist view of religion and other relevant professional knowledge, policies, and regulations to improve their discernment. They should strengthen communication with relevant professional teachers and scholars to promote the healthy development of religion-related courses in terms of establishment, management, evaluation, and assessment. At the teacher level, those involved in teaching and research of religion-related courses must further deepen their ideological understanding, enhance their awareness of risks, and improve their ability to prevent and resolve risks. They should follow the requirements of the Ten Professional Conduct Guidelines for University Teachers in the New Era, actively disseminate excellent culture, take the lead in practicing Core Socialist Values, promote truth, goodness, and beauty, and spread "positive energy." Consequently, specific attention must be paid to upholding the guidance of the Marxist view of religion in teaching and research, using these courses to strengthen Marxist atheism education, cultivating students’ critical thinking, enhancing their scientific spirit, and helping them establish a scientific worldview. Classroom instruction must resolutely avoid propagating religious dogmas or conducting religious activities, and particularly must not incite university students to join religious organizations. Course syllabi or enrollment guides should also clearly state that religious studies is a serious science, reminding prospective students to establish a correct understanding, uphold the research stance of Marxist religious studies, maintain a firm position of scientific atheism, and engage in study and research with scientific rigor. At the student level, individuals should strengthen their study of laws, regulations, and campus rules, eliminate campus religious activities, and consciously resist campus proselytization and the infiltration of foreign religions into campuses. They must correctly understand the disciplinary nature of religion-related courses and study with the objective of seeking knowledge, truth, and facts.
IV. Path to Realization: What to Teach and How to Teach It in University Religion-Related Courses
Based on the analysis of the practical needs and logical mechanisms of university religion-related courses, it is clear that their value connotation and task objectives are highly consistent. If value connotation and task objectives address the questions of "should we teach" and "can we teach," then the realization path involves further exploring "what to teach" and "how to teach" from the perspective of specific instructional design, based on the aforementioned stances, methods, and basic principles. In essence, this is the process of putting the four major tasks mentioned above into tangible, localized, and detailed practice.
The disciplinary task of university religion-related courses is to perfect the integrity of disciplinary knowledge. For this task, a teaching path combining "the study of religion" with the "critique of theology" can be utilized. Early in the founding of Chinese Marxist religious studies, Mao Zedong gave clear instructions: "The world's three major religions affect a vast population even today, yet we have no knowledge of them... without critiquing theology, one cannot write a good history of philosophy, nor a good history of literature or world history." [17] It is evident that in Mao Zedong's instructions, the integrity of disciplinary knowledge was a major goal for the establishment of religious studies. This goal’s realization path can be summarized as "studying religion" and "critiquing theology." This is not only the realization path for Chinese Marxist religious studies but should also become the basic path for teaching religion-related courses in universities. "Studying religion" means researching and acquiring objective knowledge about religion to serve teaching activities, allowing students to understand objective facts about religion through classroom lectures. "Critiquing theology" involves Marxists using scientific atheism as a weapon to critique religious theology. During the teaching process, in addition to imparting religion-related knowledge, the illusory nature of theistic concepts must be objectively revealed. Care must be taken to avoid treating myths and legends within religions as historical facts.
The Ideological-Political task of university religion-related courses is to strengthen Marxist atheism propaganda and education. For this task, a teaching path combining the "Ideological-Political Curriculum" [18] with "Curriculum Ideological-Political" [19] can be utilized. In the past, Marxist atheism propaganda and education in universities suffered from deficiencies where form outweighed content, leading to poor results. By integrating "Curriculum Ideological-Political" construction into religion-related courses and strengthening education on the Marxist view of religion within the Ideological-Political Curriculum itself, these deficiencies can be overcome. Integrating the "Curriculum Ideological-Political" philosophy into religion-related courses allows for an in-depth exploration of the contradictory categories of atheism and religion from academic, ideological, and logical perspectives. As Tian Xinming stated: "For scientific atheism to persist in and expound its own atheist concepts, it must face various complex social phenomena intertwined with theism, study the social soil that produces theistic concepts, and analyze the various contradictions arising from or intertwined with the contradictions between atheism and 'theism,' and between believers and non-believers. Studying and analyzing these contradictions step by step is the step-by-step unfolding of the rich content of scientific atheism."
The security task of university religion-related courses is to resist and prevent religious infiltration on campus. For this task, a teaching path combining "security education" with "campus political security" can be utilized. From a strategic, holistic, goal-oriented, and systematic perspective, we should strengthen the construction of the discipline of Marxist religious studies and continuously promote the healthy development of religion-related courses, using high-level courses as a platform to resist and prevent religious infiltration. For specific, short-term, and tactical instances of campus religious infiltration and proselytization, religion-related courses can be combined with campus security education and campus political security work. Religion-related courses can be opened to a wider audience; content regarding the Marxist view of religion, the Party’s religious theories and policies, and university ideological security can be opened to staff from the university Party Committee's Security Department, United Front Work Department, Political Security Office, Student Affairs Department, and Graduate Affairs Department. Furthermore, open activities can be organized, inviting staff from the Security Department and Political Security Office to jointly hold seminars and case-sharing sessions. This links the practical experience and cases encountered by functional departments with classroom theory, thereby enhancing students' understanding of resisting and preventing campus religious infiltration and proselytization in a "tangible and perceptible" way. This is of great significance for forming a synergy and building a "Great Wall of Resistance" on campus.
The cultural task of university religion-related courses is to inherit and promote the fine traditional Chinese culture. For this task, a teaching path combining cultural inheritance with cultural "Two Creatives" [20] can be utilized. It is undeniable that traditional culture, represented by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, possesses religious characteristics to varying degrees. Therefore, in the classroom, we must guide and remind students to discern and resist "cultural atavism" and proselytizing activities conducted under the guise of promoting traditional culture. On the other hand, we cannot exclude traditional culture merely because its Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist components possess religious traits. It is particularly important to note that although the "Three Teachings" (Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism) have certain religious characteristics, their thoughts and culture are not the exclusive property of religious believers; they belong to the entire Chinese nation. Today, as we emphasize the inheritance and development of the fine traditional Chinese culture and the "Second Integration," [21] we should naturally include Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist culture. However, how to handle and resolve the practical problem of inheriting and developing cultures with typical religious colors—especially for the vast number of non-believers—has become an issue that must be addressed in the current development of fine traditional Chinese culture and in university religion-related courses. This problem can only be truly resolved under the guidance of the Marxist view of religion. Specifically, classroom instruction can focus on the perspective of "de-sanctification, de-scripturalization, and de-sectarianization." "De-sanctification" means that historical figures with the status of religious leaders are treated as subjects for analysis and discussion rather than as god-men or saints. "De-scripturalization" means that during the transformation and innovation of fine traditional Chinese culture, the texts and thoughts in ancient Chinese culture are not sanctified or mystified, and the "supernatural powers" of "classics" are not peddled. Concepts contained in ancient texts are treated as subjects for open discussion rather than unquestionable, golden rules. "De-sectarianization" means that when teaching fine traditional Chinese culture, one is not bound by the factions or religious sects of traditional Chinese thought. Regarding cultures with certain religious characteristics, especially Buddhism and Daoism, we must view them from the perspective of the "prominent continuity" of Chinese civilization, recognizing that they constitute only a small part of the 5,000-year history of the Chinese nation and not its entirety. We must shed the "believer's psychology" and avoid being bound by sectarian consciousness. Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist cultures have prominent tendencies toward sanctification, canonization, and sectarianism, along with-derived mysticism. We must not be limited by these aspects in the process of inheriting, innovating, and transforming fine traditional Chinese culture.
V. Conclusion
Religion has existed in human society for a long time and is intertwined with many human activities. Many disciplines, especially in the humanities and social sciences, have been linked to religion to varying degrees. From the perspective of historical materialism, one cannot sensitize a discipline and avoid it just because a certain aspect or stage of it is intertwined with religion. Nor can one use the sensitivity of religious issues as an excuse to dismember the knowledge of these disciplines and destroy their integrity. "Cultivating virtue and nurturing people" (Lide Shuren) [22] is the fundamental mission of universities. Universities have the responsibility and obligation to impart complete and accurate disciplinary knowledge to students, and even more so to guide students in establishing a scientific worldview. Integrating the "Curriculum Ideological-Political" philosophy into religion-related courses allows for an in-depth exploration of the contradictory categories of atheism and religion from academic, ideological, and logical levels, further innovating the path of Marxist atheism propaganda and education. This ensures that both propaganda and theory are emphasized, and both "combativeness" and "ideological depth" are maintained, effectively exerting the value of Marxist atheism education. Therefore, we should take the Marxist view of religion as our guide, do a solid job in teaching university religion-related courses, and strive to improve course quality. Teaching these courses is both a process of imparting knowledge and a process of helping students establish a scientific worldview. We must further integrate education on the Marxist view of religion, the Party’s religious policies, and relevant national laws and regulations into religion-related courses, truly putting the "Curriculum Ideological-Political" philosophy into practice.
(About the Author: Xu Xiao is an Associate Professor at the Center for Religious Studies, School of Philosophy, Shaanxi Normal University.) Internet Editor: Tong Xin Source: Science and Atheism, Issue 6, 2024.