日本侵華戰爭給中國佛教帶來慘重的破壞。許多僧尼或喪命，或為了溫飽苦苦掙紮。上海租界的經懺佛事卻有過一段畸形繁榮。激增的人口、繁榮的經濟以及人們的精神需求促成了淪陷時期上海儀式經濟的興旺。抗日戰爭全面爆發後，大量人口湧入上海租界。戰爭帶來的生離死別加深了人們對生命無常的體會，越發去宗教中尋求安慰。戰時上海的宗教氛圍不僅沒有淡化，反而更加熱烈。佛教與江南文化的高度融合，使經懺佛事成為許多民眾薦亡祈福的首選。租界相對安穩的環境，讓這裡的各項佛事活動能夠照常進行。受戰爭影響，經濟上難以維繫的寺廟紛紛到上海租房，開辦下院，借助下院的佛事收入彌補遠方祖庭的困窘。寺廟和僧尼數量的增加也加劇了經懺市場的競爭，大小寺廟為了贏得更多的佛事訂購各想奇招。佛事背後巨大的經濟利益吸引了諸多投機逐利者的目光，迷信捐再次提上日程。

The Japanese invasion of China inflicted devastating damage on Chinese Buddhism. Many monks and nuns either lost their lives or struggled desperately for basic food and clothing. However, the Buddhist ritual economy in the Shanghai concession experienced a period of unusual prosperity. Following the full-scale outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, a large number of people poured into the Shanghai foreign settlements. The religious atmosphere in the concessions during the war did not diminish, but became even more intense. The deep integration of Buddhism with Jiangnan culture made Buddhist rituals the preferred means for many to pray for the deceased and to seek blessings. The relatively stable environment of the concessions allowed Buddhist activities to continue as usual. Affected by the war and facing economic difficulties, many temples rented properties in Shanghai to establish branch monasteries to make up for the hardship of their distant ancestral temples with the help of Shanghai’s ritual service income. The growing number of temples and monastics intensified competition in the ritual market, prompting temples large and small to come up with creative strategies to attract more ritual commissions. The enormous economic benefits behind the ritual market have attracted the attention of many speculators and profiteers, bringing the superstition tax back into public discussion.