A few scholars, however, have held that Confucianism is a religion, or at
least has been a religion since the time of the Han Emperor Wu Di (140–87
BCE) or else the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE). The two best known advocates
of this position are Ren Jiyu (2000) and Li Shen (1999, 2000, 2004). (Their
attitude toward Confucianism as a religion is more negative than positive.)
But in recent years, more and more scholars have come to recognize the
religiousness of Confucianism, and many of these scholars are Confucians or
so-called Contemporary Neo-Confucians and are sympathetic to religion (in
Ren 2000). In some ways this is to be seen as a result of the development of
religious studies in China, which greatly improved the understanding of
religion, especially among scholars in the humanities.
A third position besides the mere opposition between the views that
Confucianism either is or is not a religion has also appeared. That is the present
author’s position (He 1999: 4–17, 18–39; 2003: 75–77, 465–67). He points
out that before we ask the question, ‘Is Confucianism a religion?’ we should
ask three logically more fundamental questions:- Was there any great religion in the history of China other than Buddhism
and Daoism? - If yes, did it have any relationship to Confucianism? and
- If yes, is the relationship comprehensive and exclusive enough to provide
a sufficient reason for denoting Confucianism the Confucian Religion or
Rujiao?
On the ground of historical facts He argues that the answer to the first question
is ‘yes’. The other religion in Chinese history is the worship of Tian (Heaven
or the God of Heaven) and the practice of sacrifice to ancestry, with its
accompanying religious feelings and ideas, ritual activity, and institutional
organization. As an established, state religion, this religion lasted for more than
2000 years until the breakdown of the Qing dynasty in 1911. To some degree
it is alive in the unconsciousness of many Chinese people today. He also
answered the second question affirmatively. The above-mentioned religion
found its expression in Confucian scriptures, its clergymen were called Ru
(Confucians) even before Confucius’s time (so that ‘Confucians’ and ‘Con-
fucianism’ are not good translations of Ruand Rujiao); its preservation was
the main concern of Confucius himself as well as of all Confucians, its
theoretical explanations were given by Confucians, and its institutional
organization was precisely the patriarchal clan system that was also the
Confucian social institution. Therefore, the answer to the third question is that
the Chinese religion can be called Confucian religion or Rujiao, although
Confucianism itself cannot be called a religion simply in regard to its humanist
ethics, social theory and life philosophy (Ren 2000).
(c) A quite controversial idea has recently emerged in the study of religions
in China, namely, the so-called hanyu shenxue, literally, ‘theology in the Han170
HE GUANGHU, CHUNG CHIN-HONG, AND LEE CHANG-YICK