张籍指出，韩愈为文“多尚驳杂无实之说”，对韩愈文集作文本分析可知此言非虚。韩愈古文确实表现出“驳杂无实”的特征，反映出其信仰世界中的鬼神观念，形成因素是古代鬼神观念的影响、自身儒墨并用的意识及其早年经历，在早期杂文中已初露端倪，因元和十四年（819）被贬潮州后接触了岭南敬鬼神的风俗得到强化，在潮州的祭神活动和因此创作的一些祭神文和碑志中更加突显，并不背离儒家“敬鬼神而远之”的传统，而是成为儒家实现政治统治的辅助手段。

Zhang Ji pointed out Han Yu "likes to talk about miscellaneous and fictitious things". The text analysis of Han Yu's collection shows that this statement is true. Han Yu's writings do show the feature of "miscellaneousness and fiction", which reflects Han Yu's belief in the concepts of ghosts and spirits. This belief is the result of the influence of the ancient concept of ghosts and spirits, Han Yu's own consciousness to combine Confucianism and Mohism, and his early experience. The belief was shown in his early prose works, and was strengthened by the custom of worshiping ghosts and spirits in southern Lingnan when he was demoted to Chaozhou in the 14th year of Yuanhe(819). His belief was more prominent in his god-worshipping articles and inscriptions for the god-worshipping activities in Chaozhou, which did not deviate from the Confucian tradition of "respecting ghosts and spirits at a distance", but became the auxiliary means to realize the political rule of Confucianism.