Studying the Spirit of the National Conference on Religious Work and Strengthening Marxist Atheism Research: A Summary of the 2021 Annual Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society
On December 19, 2021, the Academic Annual Conference of the Chinese Atheism Society was held in Beijing. The event was hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the CASS Religious Studies Think Tank, the Chinese Atheism Society, and the CASS Center for Science and Atheism, with support from the Science and Atheism journal. The theme of the conference was "Research on Marxist Atheism and the Disciplinary Construction of Marxist Religious Studies." Jiang Hui—Vice President and Member of the Leading Party Group of CASS, Director of the Institute of Contemporary China, and Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies—delivered the opening remarks. Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, presided over the opening ceremony, and Gong Yun, Deputy Director of the Institute and Director of the CASS Center for Science and Atheism, attended the meeting.
I. Studying the Spirit of the National Conference on Religious Work
Jiang Hui pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at this year’s National Conference on Religious Work observed the overall situation, planned for major trends, and provided both direction and strategy. The speech profoundly addressed a series of major theoretical and practical issues regarding religious work in the New Era. It represents the latest summary of the Party’s practice in religious work, the latest result of integrating the Marxist view of religion with China’s specific reality, and the latest development of the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics. It serves as the general program for conducting religious work in the New Era. We must deeply study, interpret, and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, comprehensively implement the Party’s theory on religious work in the New Era, fully carry out the Party’s basic policy on religious work, accurately implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, and persist in the direction of the Sinicization of religion in our country.
Fan Jianxin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the CASS Institute of Political Science and President of the Chinese Atheism Society, noted that since the 2016 National Conference on Religious Work, the Society has actively built platforms and united experts and scholars nationwide to perform a great deal of fruitful work. Practice has proven that the Society’s efforts align with the Party’s theory and policies on religious work in the New Era and correspond with the spirit of the two National Conferences on Religious Work held since the 18th National Congress [1]. The Society has played an active role in clarifying erroneous viewpoints and blurred understandings in academic and theoretical circles, serving the modernization of the religious governance system and governance capacity, and providing intellectual support for the scientific decision-making of the Party and the government. We must profoundly grasp the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech at the National Conference on Religious Work, correctly handle the relationship between freedom of religious belief and the ideological struggle, and permeate the Society’s work with the major principle of Marxist atheism, taking active initiatives to make greater contributions to the new journey of achieving the Second Centenary Goal [2].
Zheng Xiaoyun, Director of the CASS Institute of World Religions and President of the China Religious Studies Society, pointed out that China currently faces the combined context of great changes unseen in a century and the overall strategic goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. As a variable in the evolving international order, religion affects international political, economic, social, and cultural development processes to varying degrees. Strengthening research on major theoretical and practical issues in the religious field is therefore an historical necessity. We must actively study and integrate the spirit of the 2021 National Conference on Religious Work, working together to uphold the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must persist in the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method, and strengthen the disciplinary construction of Marxist religious studies to strive in unity for the comprehensive buildup of a modern socialist power and the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Zhu Xiaoming, Honorary President of the Chinese Atheism Society and former Secretary of the Leading Party Group of the China Tibetology Research Center, noted the need to earnestly study and comprehensively implement the Party’s theory on religious work in the New Era. This theory is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; it is both a direct continuation of, and an advancement with the times relative to, the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics. It embodies the political will to effectively strengthen the Party's leadership over religious work in the New Era. To fully implement this theory and perform religious work well, one must: comprehensively recognize and grasp the "dual nature" of religion's social role [3]; comprehensively recognize and grasp the two "essences" concerning religion—namely, the illusory nature [4] of the essence of religion and the fact that religious work is essentially mass work; comprehensively recognize and grasp the long-term nature of religion alongside the requirements of the New Era; comprehensively recognize and grasp both the individual and social attributes of religion, integrating religious management into the national governance system; comprehensively recognize and grasp the "Sinicization" and "rule of law" of religion to achieve the goals of "effective guidance" and "governing well and strictly"; comprehensively recognize and grasp the principles of maintaining independence and self-reliance while resisting overseas religious infiltration; comprehensively recognize and promote the construction of a religious affairs governance pattern characterized by Party committee leadership, government management, social coordination, and religious self-discipline; and comprehensively recognize and grasp the relationship between freedom of religious belief and the struggle in the ideological field.
Tian Xinming, former Director of the Higher Education Social Science Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education, pointed out that the Marxist view of religion consists of the fundamental perspectives of Marxism regarding religious issues and is an organic component of the Marxist scientific system. Studying and upholding the Marxist view of religion must be linked to and unified with the entire Marxist scientific system. The Party’s theory on religious work in the New Era is the latest result of the integration of the Marxist view of religion with China’s specific reality. The full implementation of this theory is an inherent requirement and the primary focus of studying and upholding the Marxist view of religion. To study and uphold the Marxist view of religion, one must first solve the problem of truly understanding and believing in it; the core task is to solve the question of "for whom" research is conducted, and the final goal is to implement it in practice. The Marxist view of religion is the first to seek the freedom and liberation of humanity from the standpoint of the people. In studying and upholding this view through the cultivation of Party and government cadres in religious work as well as religious studies researchers, we must clearly require a persistence in the people’s standpoint, consciously representing the interests of all people—including both religious and non-religious citizens—and adhering to a people-centered research orientation. To persist in and apply the Marxist view of religion, we must correctly understand and handle the relationship between theory and practice, the relationship between Marxism as a guiding ideology and as the primary academic resource, and the relationship between Marxism changing China and China enriching Marxism. Furthermore, this must be integrated with the implementation of the spirit of the Resolution of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee [5].
Dai Jicheng, a professor at the People’s Public Security University of China, pointed out that "persisting in the direction of the Sinicization of religion" was first proposed at the 2015 Central United Front Work Conference. This National Conference on Religious Work emphasized "deeply advancing the Sinicization of religion in our country" and placed it alongside the persistence in the Holistic Approach to National Security. This reflects the importance the Party Central Committee attaches to preventing and resolving risks and challenges in the religious field; we must deeply study and grasp its essential spirit and practical requirements. The Sinicization of religion is a major innovation in the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics for the New Era. Since the reform and opening up, influenced by various domestic and international factors, while religion in our country has remained generally stable, certain prominent problems warranting vigilance have emerged. To govern religious chaos, resist religious infiltration, and oppose religious extremism, we must persist in the direction of the Sinicization of religion. Persisting in Sinicization is also an inherent requirement for practicing the Holistic Approach to National Security in the religious field. Deeply advancing the Sinicization of religion is a fundamental measure to prevent and resolve risks and challenges in the religious sphere.
II. Strengthening the Disciplinary Construction of Marxist Religious Studies
Jiang Hui emphasized that in building contemporary Chinese religious studies, we must take a clear-cut stand in persisting in Marxist atheism, integrating it throughout the entire disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system. We should utilize the construction of these "Three Systems" [6] as a lever to accelerate theoretical innovation, building Marxist religious studies into a philosophy and social science discipline that truly possesses Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese spirit, providing theoretical support for the in-depth development of religious work and related efforts in our country. He stated that the construction of the Marxist religious studies research team at CASS should be further strengthened, with efforts made to build a research base for Marxist religious studies.
Li Shen, Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society and professor at Shanghai Normal University, emphasized that Marxist research should treat Marxist religious studies as a discipline of equal importance to Marxist philosophy and political economy. The direct source of Marxist philosophy was classical German philosophy—which was essentially the religious studies of Germany at that time—because the philosophical systems of classical German philosophers were almost all established through the process of critiquing religion. When Marx and Engels critically inherited classical German philosophy and constructed their own philosophical systems, they also critically inherited the religious studies of those philosophers and constructed their own religious studies system. For example, the Introduction to a Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right is a major religious studies work by Marx. Therefore, Marxist philosophy and Marxist religious studies are of the same root and coexist; their theoretical foundations are identical. However, due to their different tasks and the specific problems they face, they developed into two distinct systems of thought. Consequently, without studying religious issues, one cannot deeply understand classical German philosophy or Marxist philosophy. The study of religious issues is precisely the task and object of Marxist religious studies; only by deeply understanding Marxist religious studies can one deeply understand Marxist philosophy. However, for various reasons, the academic community has long either subsumed Marxist religious studies under Marxist philosophical research or simply refused to acknowledge that Marxism contains a religious studies component at all, resulting in the poor development of the discipline in China. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s proposal at the National Conference on Religious Work to "strengthen the disciplinary construction of Marxist religious studies" not only points the way for religious studies but also indicates a new direction for Marxist research.
Zhang Xinying, Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society and Director of the Science and Atheism journal, proposed that the construction of religious studies with Chinese characteristics needs to address two key issues. First, the practical service objects of religious studies research must comprehensively balance the needs of various tasks, such as united front work, ideology, social governance, and national security. The theory of religion with Chinese characteristics for the New Era, guided by a problem-oriented approach that encompasses both the domestic and international situations, defines the scope of religious work by fully mobilizing political thinking, dialectical thinking, and bottom-line thinking. It creatively applies the Marxist view of religion, clearly emphasizing that seizing the initiative in the ideological struggle is of great significance for achieving the goals of religious work. It clearly emphasizes the institutional guarantee of integrating religion into the national governance system through the rule of law and an attitude of "guidance" for systematic governance. It further emphasizes a strategic approach to coordinating religion-related work using the Holistic Approach to National Security. Relying on the greatly enhanced collective execution of Party and government departments and mass organizations under the Party's absolute leadership, it ensures from a practical standpoint that the Central Committee’s measures concerning religious work are implemented with unprecedented depth. The focus of religious studies in the New Era must also reflect this comprehensive coordination of the domestic and international situations. While continuing to meet the needs of united front work, it should more actively and broadly cover the theoretical and policy needs concerning religious issues across all fronts and fields.
Second, the construction of a research team for religious studies that meets the development requirements of the New Era must be driven by a transformation in ideological concepts. The field of religious studies must effectively strengthen the Party's leadership, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," and ensure that all members confirm and correct their political and ideological stances. Great efforts should be made to truly solidify and implement the "Four Consciousnesses," the "Four Confidences," and the "Two Upholds." The conscious effort to clear away ideological concepts that do not conform to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era or the complete spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speeches at the two National Conferences on Religious Work must be elevated to the level of upholding the guiding status of contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism in disciplinary construction and ideological struggle. Regarding Western theoretical schools of religious studies, we must conduct rigorous analysis and engage in "rational sublation" [7] based on a thorough understanding; we cannot treat them as infallible tenets, mechanically apply them to China's religious reality, or promote religious consciousness in a disguised form. Facts have proven that only Marxism can allow religious studies and its researchers to thoroughly break free from the shackles of religious worldviews and values, to seek truth from facts in revealing the objective laws of the emergence, development, evolution, and disappearance of religion and its connection to all aspects of social life, and finally to integrate the exploration of religious issues with the historical process of human liberation. In doing so, we creatively elevate religious research to the brand-new realm of Marxist religious studies.
Jia Runguo, Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society and Deputy Director of the Religious Research Center of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping formulated two major tasks at the National Conference on Religious Work: cultivating a team of religious studies researchers and strengthening the construction of the discipline of Marxist religious studies. This research team must possess four key elements: "firm ideological and political standing," "adherence to the Marxist view of religion," "excellent academic style," and "aptitude for innovation."
To have firm ideological and political standing, one must truly study, understand, believe in, and apply the basic principles of Marxism and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This entails persisting in religious research for the sake of the Party and the people, for the prosperity and development of advanced socialist culture, and for the persistence and development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. It further requires researching religion to consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere and to safeguard national ideological and political security. Given that the Marxist view of religion is essentially scientific atheism, one must research religion and critique theology. The Marxist view of religion should be consciously implemented throughout the entire process and all aspects of religious research, avoiding various forms of "platform-style" (endorsing), "spokesperson-style," "apologetic-style," "proselytizing-style," "theological-style," "Westernized-style," or "sympathetic-acquiescence-style" research. One must adhere to the Marxist academic style of seeking truth from facts and integrating theory with practice, while simultaneously innovating Marxist religious theory and persisting in the development of religious studies with Chinese characteristics.
Religious studies in the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics can only be a Chinese Marxist religious studies characterized by rigorous scientific rigor, distinct class character, and prominent national character. It cannot be Western religious studies characterized by religiosity and theology, nor can it be Middle Eastern Islamic religious studies. As a component of Marxism, Marxist religious studies is a science that serves the liberation of the proletariat and humanity, possessing functions of critique, cognition, and governance. To strengthen the construction of the discipline of Marxist religious studies, one must begin with the construction of the textbook system and establish the "Three Systems" [8] of Marxist religious studies as quickly as possible.
Huang Chao, a researcher at Wuhan University, outlined and analyzed the four developmental stages of Chinese Marxist religious studies: the foundation period, the establishment period, the development period, and the New Era. A significant feature of the disciplinary construction of Marxist religious studies in the New Era is the adherence to Marxist atheism. Zhu Xiaming proposed forming task forces for "Marxist Religious Studies" and "Marxist Atheism," coordinating national religious research forces, and conducting comprehensive and systematic investigations into the state of religion in China during the New Era. This serves to provide strength for the comprehensive implementation of the Party's theory on religious work in the New Era and to actively guide religion to adapt to the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Zeng Chuanhui, a researcher at the Institute of World Religions, explored the construction of the sub-discipline of philosophy within Marxist religious studies. He argued that China's principles or introductions to Marxist religious studies lack a "philosophy of religion"; consequently, there is a lack of introductory results that use Marxist philosophy to provide a structural through-line for the philosophies of major world religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity. Existing works titled "Philosophy of Religion" are essentially Christian philosophy, primarily adopting a theistic standpoint or at least a "sympathetic understanding" [9], rather than being works on the philosophy of religion in a general sense. Marxist scholars in China, represented by Ren Jiyu and Du Jiwen, once achieved outstanding results in the study of Buddhist philosophy. However, what is generally called philosophy of religion, regardless of its standpoint, inevitably falls into the discourse frameworks of specific religious thoughts like Buddhology or theology. To change this status quo, the basic theoretical logic and categories of Marxist philosophy should be used to govern and frame the common theoretical issues reflected in all religious philosophies—such as the relationship between God and man, the relationship between form and spirit [10], doctrines of fate, theories of good and evil, and views on the afterlife. Only then can introductory results for a Marxist philosophy of religion in the general sense be formed. To avoid confusion with theistic philosophy of religion, this sub-discipline could be named "Critique/Study of Marxist Philosophy of Religion."
Peng Wuqing, a professor at the School of Politics and Law of Xinjiang Normal University, pointed out that the guiding position of Marxism in the field of religious studies must be maintained with a clear-cut banner. Efforts should be focused on constructing a disciplinary system of Marxist religious studies with atheism at its core, fully reflecting Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese demeanor [11]. The construction of the Marxist religious studies textbook system should be accelerated to form a system that meets the requirements of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. Furthermore, the construction of new types of think tanks for the discipline of Marxist religious studies should be strengthened to provide theoretical support for the formulation and implementation of China's religious policies and for international struggles in the religious sphere.
III. Strengthening Research on Marxist Atheism
Xin Xiangyang pointed out that this year marks the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. In summarizing the Party's major achievements and historical experience over a century of struggle, he noted that the CPC is "capable" (neng) because Marxism "works" (xing), and atheism is precisely the premise and foundation of Marxism. Strengthening research, propaganda, and education on atheism is of great theoretical and practical significance for consolidating the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere, for consolidating the ideological foundation of the Party's governance, and for preventing and resolving major risks in the religious sphere. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the proposition of strengthening the disciplinary construction of Marxist religious studies at the 2021 National Conference on Religious Work. Since Marxist religious studies is essentially a form of scientific atheism, strengthening its disciplinary construction is the inherent responsibility of the Institute of Marxism Studies and the Chinese Atheism Society.
Shen Zhenyu, former Executive Deputy Editor of Science and Atheism, reviewed the twenty-year development of the publication, emphasizing the importance of building platforms for atheism research and propaganda in the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism. Xi Wuyi, Vice President of the Chinese Atheism Society, pointed out that we must persist in the direction of the Sinicization of religion in China and build the discourse power of Marxist atheism. As a strategic policy for upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground in the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of expositions on "persisting in the direction of the Sinicization of religion in China" profoundly reveal the objective laws of religious survival and development, enrich the Party's basic policy on religious work, and develop the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics on religion; they constitute the guiding ideology for doing religious work well in the New Era. In recent years, as the domestic and international situations have undergone profound changes, new problems in the religious sphere have shown an upward trend. Persisting in the direction of the Sinicization of religion is a strategic measure to promote the resolution of prominent problems in China’s religious sphere.
At this National Conference on Religious Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the "Three Must-Nots"—namely, "religious activities shall be carried out within the scope prescribed by laws and regulations, and must not harm the physical health of citizens, must not violate public order and good customs, and must not interfere with educational, judicial, or administrative functions and social life." This draws specific boundaries for the constitutional principle of "separation of church and state" [12] in terms of regulating religious management. General Secretary Xi Jinping also proposed strengthening the disciplinary construction of Marxist religious studies, which will become the primary task in the field of religious research in China. Marxist atheism is a high-level form of scientific atheism's development, inheriting and developing the thoughts of modern Enlightenment thinkers and humanistic atheism. In contemporary China, Marxist atheism is the philosophical foundation of the Core Socialist Values. Scientific atheism is also a happy way of life and an important path to building a harmonious society; as long as scientific atheism is thorough, it will inevitably lead to a rational social system.
Zhao Wenhong, former Party Secretary of the Institute of World Religions at CASS, pointed out that the replacement of Roman rational culture by Christian faith culture offers important insights for China. Ancient Roman culture was primarily a culture of secular rationality, using reason rather than religious faith to guide individual and national life; traditional religion served people's practical interests, and gods were subordinate to humans rather than humans being subordinate to gods. The history of the Roman Empire—which originally excluded monotheistic Christianity and suppressed it many times, yet eventually declared it a legal religion and then established it as the state religion—is thought-provoking. In the late Roman Empire, society from top to bottom became corrupt and decadent, indulgent and bloodthirsty, causing countless Romans to become weary of this life and turn to Christianity for solace. Factors such as the fanatical religious faith and "chosen people" consciousness of Christians, the immense spiritual appeal of the Christian Kingdom of Heaven, the miraculous powers claimed by the primitive Christian church to exorcise evil and pray for blessings, the noble morality and martyrdom displayed by Christians, the unity, discipline, and egalitarian system within the early church, as well as Christianity's advocacy for aiding the poor and its sophisticated missionary strategies, all propelled the replacement of Roman rational culture by Christian faith culture.
Evidently, in a secular rational society, once many people lose their ideals, convictions, and patriotic spirit, becoming indulgent and corrupt, they easily seek a spiritual way out in religion. We must have the consciousness to defend our national culture, safeguard the humanistic and rational characteristics of Chinese culture, and attach great importance to religious issues. We must both understand the current state of religion and predict its long-term development trends; we must both respect the freedom of religious belief and actively guide religion, while maintaining a clear head and never allowing the positions of the mainstream ideology to be eroded by religion.
Yao Hongyue, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at Beijing Technology and Business University, pointed out that the construction of the contemporary Chinese Marxist atheism system faces three major tensions: between Marxist atheism and religious theism, between Marxist atheism and traditional Chinese theism, and between Marxist atheism and the practical demands of theism. Grasping and responding to these tensions is an important premise and foundation for constructing the contemporary Chinese Marxist atheism system. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we should achieve the construction of this system by mastering these tensions.
Dr. Han Qi of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS pointed out that the National Conference on Religious Work proposed to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the Party's policy on freedom of religious belief and to manage religious affairs in accordance with the law. The evolution of the Western concept of freedom of religious belief went through four periods: the state of nature, burial, formation, and maturity. Marxist atheism is currently in a mature stage, and it has promoted the refinement of the Western concept of religious freedom. China's policy of freedom of religious belief—which includes both the freedom to believe and the freedom not to believe—is a mature and complete concept and right of religious freedom. In fact, the proletariat has surpassed the bourgeoisie; they do not use religion or theology as a tool for their own rule, and they oppose the interference of religious forces in political and social public life. They adhere to the separation of church and state and the separation of education and religion, treating religious belief purely as a private matter for individual citizens and implementing the policy of freedom of religious belief. All of this inevitably requires us to persist in and propagate Marxist atheism.
Dr. Zhang Ge of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS pointed out that the current theory and practice of Marxist atheism education primarily focus on "integration" (ronghe), which is currently the only feasible method and the only remaining achievement. However, "integration" education suffers from defects: the "points of integration" are sparse and scattered, lacking systemic depth, and it places high demands on the quality of propaganda and education workers, making it difficult to popularize. To this end, a complete and systematic narrative system for propaganda and education must be established. Marxist atheism has a scientifically rigorous narrative system: it completed the historical task of critiquing theology at the ontological level; to explain "why people believe in gods," it transcended theological critique to enter social critique, revealing the deep-seated practical roots of religious persistence from an epistemological level; to explain "how to treat the non-existent gods and the people who believe in them," it transcended the ideological sphere to enter the sphere of social practice, providing a scientific methodology for the proletarian party to correctly understand and handle religious issues.
In his concluding remarks, Jia Runguo pointed out that this annual conference had a warm atmosphere and fruitful results, making it a grand academic event. The conference took place shortly after the National Conference on Religious Work, giving it significant meaning. The speeches by leaders at the opening ceremony reflected a clear political height, theoretical depth, and strong support for our work. Whether it is Marxist atheism or Marxist religious studies, both are disciplines with strong ideological attributes and are important components of China's socialist superstructure. It can be said that the research teams and disciplinary construction of Marxist religious studies in China have two "hard cores": the Marxist atheism research team is the core of the religious studies research team, and Marxist atheism is the core discipline of Marxist religious studies. Marxist atheism should hold a very important position within Marxist religious studies. The fact that the newly established Religious Research Think Tank of CASS co-sponsored this conference marks the merging of the research teams from the Institute of Marxism Studies and the Institute of World Religions, as well as the convergence of the Chinese Atheism Society and the China Association for Religious Studies. This shows that the fields of Marxist atheistic and religious research have entered a New Era—with a fresh atmosphere, a favorable situation, and a boundless future, yet also a long way to go. It is hoped that we will take this conference as an opportunity to forge ahead from a new starting point.
More than 70 experts and scholars from research institutions and universities—including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee [13], the Central Institute of Socialism, the People's Public Security University of China, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China University of Mining and Technology, Wuhan University, Xinjiang Normal University, Henan University, Shanghai Normal University, and the Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics—participated in the conference both online and offline. The participating experts and scholars engaged in heated academic discussions centered on themes such as the historical trajectory of the disciplinary construction of scientific atheism, resisting overseas religious penetration [14], the New Atheist thought of French philosophers, the disciplinary construction of anti-cult studies, and maintaining vigilance against "Religious Market Theory" [15].