The Discourse on the Marxist Study of Religion in the New Era in the PRC: An Outsider’s Perspective

This paper contributes to the intercultural understanding of religious studies in East Asia by examining their discursive framework within the Chinese context. It analyzes the academic discourse on religious studies in the PRC, particularly debates on atheism and the Marxist study of religion. In 2021, President Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of aligning religious studies with Marxist principles, sparking renewed debate on the field’s orientation. This paper examines the responses of religious studies scholars to state directives. It illustrates how the reframing of the discipline and reinterpretations of the Marxist view on religion serve as strategies employed by scholars to answer “the call” of the official discourse. The significant representation of scholars promoting atheism in the political sphere further aligns religious studies with official discourse, narrowing the discursive space for other theoretical approaches toward religion.