儒家是不是一個「宗教」（religion），是有爭議性的。很明顯，儒家不是一個組織宗教。但儒家自漢代以來即是「朝廷意理」（state ideology），正如宋儒所強調的，儒家信仰可以安身立命。故同樣明顯的是，儒家是當代西方神學家田立克（Paul Tillich）所謂的「終極關懷」（ultimate concern），無疑是有深切的宗教意涵（religious implications）。因此我認為把儒家當作一個「精神傳統」（spiritual tradition）是適宜的。在先秦儒中最關鍵性的一個人物是孔子，為我們留下了《論語》，進一步發揚儒家心性論與天道論的是孟子。宋儒從《禮記》中抽出《大學》、《中庸》兩篇，合為四書，再加上《易經》，有豐富的資源可以論先秦儒家之宗教性。

The issue whether Confucianism is a religion is controversial Obviously Confucianism is not an organized religion. But it became state ideology since Han dynasty. Sung Confucian scholars emphasized that Confucianism can provide one with spiritual satisfaction. Thus, it is without any doubt an ultimate concern as seen by Paul Tillich. It certainly has religious implications. And it is appropriate to regard Confucianism as a spiritual tradition.The most important person in Pre-Chin period to develop Confucianism as a spiritual tradition was Confucius. He left us "The Analects", this book along with "The Mencius", "The Great Learning, "The Doctrine of the Mean" have been regarded as the so-called "Four Books" since Sung dynasty. With the addition of "Commentaries" to the Book of Changes, they provide us rich sources to explicate the religions implications of Pre- Chin Confucianism.