第三讲 中国神学的发展

第三讲 中国神学的发展

——“汉语神学”运动的历史、悖论与趋势

3.0. Introduction

3.0.1. Contingency of the birth, development and   trend of any historical movement:

 as product of drives of human individuals or groups who have freedom of will, hence its uncertainty and unpredictability， or contingency .   

3.0.2. Necessity of the birth, development and trend of any historical movement:

is called “Mingyun” (destiny) which has determinist sense, or “Tianming” (providence) which means the disposal of God, or of the Heaven !        

3.0. 导言

3.0.1. 任何历史运动的诞生、发展和趋势，都具有偶然性——因其乃是具有意志自由的人类个体或群体驱动的产物，所以具有不确定性、不可预测性,即偶然性。

3.0.2. 任何历史运动的诞生、发展和趋势，又具有必然性——称其为“命运”（或“命定”），具有决定论的含意；称其为“天命”（或“神意”），意指上帝的安排或上天的旨意。        

3.0.3. “Should not we consider it (“Sino-Christian Theology” Movement) as a socio-existential ‘Providence’ or ‘ Great Plan of God’, beyond the sense of individual wills ?”(You Xi-lin)

The realization of God’s plan in history is through human beings’ conscious and unconscious actions, so, “exploring between the Heaven and the human” is the prerequisite for “understanding the changes from  the past to the present” (Sima Qian) ! 

3.0.3. “我们不应该视之 (“汉语神学” 运动) 为超越个人意志的意义，即社会存在意义上的 ‘神意’ 或‘上帝的大计划 ’吗?”(尤西林)

上帝计划在历史中的实现，是通过人的有意识和无意识的行动, 因此, “究天人之际”就成了“通古今之变” (司马迁)的前提条件 ! 

3.1. Definition, Discussion and the Christian Perception of History

3.1.1. Hanyu Shenxue : “Theology in Han Language”, or “Sino-Christian Theology” (invented or resumed at Tao Fong Shan, Hong Kong)?

In broad sense: all the theology in Hanyu (in properly Chinese language, Han Language), from 7th or late 16th century to the present;

In narrow sense: the Chinese theology and Christian studies in Chinese academia(spontaneously arose mainly in Mainland China), since mid-1990s.   

3.1. 定义、讨论和对历史的基督教认知

3.1.1. 汉语神学 （Theology in Han Language, or Sino-Christian Theology)与香港“汉语基督教文化研究所”。

广义: 一切以汉语表述的神学 (从第七或十六世纪末至今）;

狭义: 1990年代中期以来中国学术界的汉语神学和基督教研究 (主要在中国大陆自发兴起）。 

 

3.1.2.1. The two fathers of Hanyu Shenxue ( Liu and He)? My criticism.

3.1.2.2. The two types of Mainland Chinese academics in this field: non-believers focusing on objective even critical studies, while believers may have much more theological concern.

3.1.2.3. The two groups agree on the importance of academic standard and the values of Christianity to the Chinese people, hence “Hanyu Shenxue is the core and goal of the Sino-Christian studies”(D.Yeung).  

3.1.2.1. “汉语神学两教父” (刘小枫、何光沪)?

何光沪的反对意见。

3.1.2.2. 中国大陆此一领域学者两大类型: 不信者专注于客观的或批判性的研究, 信仰者可能有较多的神学关注。

3.1.2.3. 两大类型都赞同学术标准的重要性，并认可基督教对中国人的价值, 故有 “汉语神学是汉语基督教研究的核心和目标”之说(杨熙楠)。  

3.1.3.1. 罗马帝国时期的古典文明已经显现出癌症的征兆—越来越多个人的人性腐化，正如人体细胞变成了癌细胞。

3.1.3.2. 基督教帮助古典文明维持了四百年, 并帮助欧洲各民族创造了一种新文明，这种文明成了以后的世界史上领先的力量。

3.1.3.3. 中华文明或儒家文明从古至今的现实, 说明了它为什么需要汉语神学，或者汉语神学为什么必然兴起。 

3.1.3.1. Classic civilization had shown signs and symptoms of cancer even during Augustus’ reign--degeneration of human nature of more and more

individuals, just like bodily cells became cancer cells.

3.1.3.2. Christianity helped Classic civilization continue another four centuries, and helped European peoples create a new civilization which has become the leading power in the whole history afterwards.

3.1.3.3. In the past and present reality of Chinese or Confucian civilization, we can see why it needs Hanyu theology and how the theology arose necessarily . 

 

3.2. 文化癌症的基因与汉语神学的必然性

3.2.1. 传统中华文明只是儒家文明吗 ?

3.2.1.1.中华文明“超过3400年” vs.儒家文明 “不超过2000年” ! (前者：孔子之前800年,汉武帝之前1200年! 后者： 1911年之后, 特别是 1949之后 ?)

3.2.1.2. 道家、佛家之外，诸子百家尤其是法家均有影响 (毛泽东说不要忘了秦始皇，他比孔子影响更大);

3.2.1.3.“阳儒阴法” : 政治制度内部的张力。

3.2. The Gene for Cultural Cancer and the Necessity of Sino-Christian Theology

3.2.1. The traditional Chinese civilization is just Confucian civilization?

3.2.1.1.“More than 3400 years” vs. “No more than 2000 years” ! (800 years before Confucius,1200 years before Han Emperor Wu Di!  After 1911, espcially after 1949 ?);

3.2.1.2. Besides Daoism and Buddhism among others, Legalism represented by Han Fei (“besides Confucius, don’t forget Qin Emperor Shi Huang Di!” --Mao);

3.2.1.3.Yang Ru Yin Fa (External Confucianism and internal Legalism): Tension in the political institution.

3.2.2. The Gene for cultural cancer?

3.2.2.1. Early Chinese civilization is characterized by veneration and worship of God (Shangdi) or Heaven (Oracle bone inscriptions, the Five Scriptures);

3.2.2.2. Zhou Rituals set up by Duke Zhou (10th century BC), a religious and social patriarchal institution: only the highest ruler has the right to do sacrifice to God!

3.2.2.3. The exclusive right based on the idea of highest ruler as the Son of God (Tianzi, means son of Heaven) -the gene for cultural cancer which brought the socio-political system, “state slavery” (K. Marx).

 

3.2.2. 文化癌症的基因？

3.2.2.1. 早期中华文明的特征，是敬拜上帝或天帝(以甲骨文和五经为证)，或曰“敬天祭祖”。

3.2.2.2. 周公 (公元前10世纪)确立的宗教和宗法社会制度即“周礼”规定: 只有最高统治者，才有权祭祀上帝——“不王不禘” !

3.2.2.3. 这种独占性、排他性权利的观念基础是：最高统治者是上帝的儿子(“天子”) –-这正是文化癌症的基因，它造成的是人人为奴的“国家奴隶制”（马克思语）这样一种社会政治制度。

3.2.3. The cancer and the remedy;

3.2.3.1. The absurd idea: continuing, distorting and politicizing of primitive ancestor worship: mistaking the human as Heavenly, the profane as sacred, the relative as absolute, hence disastrous ruling ways;

3.2.3.2. Realization of the idea: totalitarian autocracy since First Emperor (221 BC); failure of “san jiao”; total and absolutist autocracy leads to deep and spreading chaos, pseudo sanctification leads to real secularism; 3.2.3.3. The experience of Roman Empire teaches us:  Christianity is the necessary and effective remedy, hence the necessity of Sino-Christian theology !   

 

3.2.3. 癌症与救治;

3.2.3.1. “天子”观念之荒谬: 是原始社会“祖先崇拜”之延续、扭曲和政治化；误以人为神,误以世俗为神圣， 误以相对为绝对； 由此带来灾难性的统治方式。

3.2.3.2. “天子”观念之实现: 秦始皇 (公元前221年)以来全权主义的专制; “三教”的失败; 全面的绝对专制，导致普遍和深度的道德混乱； 虚假的神圣秩序，导致普遍和实在的世俗主义。

 3.2.3.3. 罗马帝国的经验教训告诉我们:  基督教是有效的药方和必须的救治；因此，汉语神学在中国的出现，乃是必然 !   

3.3. The Development of Sino-Christian Theology: Paradox? Miracle?

3.3.1. Small paradoxes and big paradox:

3.3.1.1. “A cultural movement as well as theological one”? “Responsible to the civilization rather than to the Church”? “Impossible task of assimilation of Christian civilization into Chinese culture”?

3.3.1.2.In comparison with western counterpart, Chinese academics outside church research into Christianity not for criticism, but for understanding;

3.3.1.3. Turning our eyes to the  macro-history, we can see a big paradox, or a historical dialectic:

3.3. 汉语神学的发展:
 悖论? 奇迹?

3.3.1. 诸多小悖论，一个大悖论:

3.3.1.1. “既是神学运动，也是文化运动”（赖品超）? “不是对教会负责，而是对文明负责”（吴飞）? “基督教文明融入中华文化的不可能的任务”（张旭）?

3.3.1.2.“与西方同行相比, 教会外的中国学者研究基督教，不是为了批判，而是为了理解”（温伟耀）？

3.3.1.3. 把眼光转向大历史，我们会看见“历史的辩证法”，或一个大悖论！

 

3.3.2. Flourishing or stagnancy ? Life or death ?

3.3.2.1. While Roman Empire was going to death, Chinese Empire seemed go to flourish through unification wars (in Sui and Tang Dynasties);

3.3.2.2. The private Confucian academic system in Han Dynasty was transformed into the official civil examination during Sui and Tang, making Confucians into literati-officialdom in the following 1000 years!

3.3.2.3. The interaction between the strengthening of autocracy and the dependence of Confucianism; even weakened the independence of other religions?  

 

3.3.2. 繁荣还是停滞 ? 生命还是死亡 ?

3.3.2.1. 隋唐时期，在罗马帝国走向死亡之际, 中华帝国似乎正通过统一战争走向繁荣？

3.3.2.2. 然而，汉朝经学的私家教育体系，被转变成了隋唐科举的官员选拔体系,这就把儒家改造成了以后一千多年的“士大夫” !

3.3.2.3. 专制的加强与儒学的依附相互作用; 这甚至削弱了其他宗教的独立性(儒释道三家关系—范文澜)?

统治的稳定，不等于文化的繁荣；

表面、暂时的现象，不等于深刻、长期的影响！  

 

3.3.3. Who is the Son of God ?

3.3.3.1. The opposite answer brought to Sino-Christian theology the most adverse situation in the history: suffering not only the suppression by force from rulers and governments, but also the attack by slander from intellectuals and common people;

3.3.3.2. But it entered, disappeared, re-entered, once again disappeared, re-entered and got rooted, grew hard and slowly, held and spread…, while the situation has been continuing, or even becoming more complex and more difficult!    

 

3.3.3. 究竟，谁是“天子” ?

3.3.3.1. 基督教神学的“异己”回答，使它陷于历史上最不利的处境：不仅要遭受统治者和政府的强力压制,而且要遭受知识分子和普通民众的中伤攻击 ;

3.3.3.2. 但是，在这种处境一直持续、甚至变得更为复杂和更为困难的条件下，基督教神学进来了、消失了，又进来了、又消失了, 再次进来了并且扎根了,艰难地缓慢地成长了, 坚持住了、传播开了……!    

 

3.3.4. A small phoenix from the ash?

3.3.4.1. After 30 years of death, the Christian studies (at least partly with Chinese theology as core and goal) revived and grew, with thousands of essays, monographs, translations, anthologies, dictionaries and popular readings, having influence on all the walks of life;

3.3.4.2. All these happened in the circumstance where the pressure and censorship has been increasingly  strengthened.    

 

3.3.4. 灰烬里飞出的小凤凰?

3.3.4.1. 在死亡三十年之后，基督教研究 (至少部分地以基督教神学为核心和目标) 复苏了、成长了,并且以其数以千计的文章、专著、翻译、文集、 辞书和通俗读物, 对各行各业 的生活发挥着巨大的影响;

3.3.4.2. 所有这一切，都发生在这样一种环境下，即压力和审查一直在不断加强的环境下。    

 

3.3.5. David vs. Goliath ?

Sino-Christian theology as a marginal discipline engaged by a small number of individual academics, facing up such numerous and complex issues and problems as those

Of such an old and enormous traditional civilization and its modernization;

Of  such a really strong and actually surrounding  institution;

    Of dialogs with Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Islam; relations between West and East, Pre-modernity and Modernity, State and Church, with various humanities, social sciences, feminism, post modernism, environmentalism, etc..  

 

3.3.5. 大卫对歌利亚 ?

汉语神学，作为少数单个的学者从事的一个小小的边缘学科, 面对着无数纷繁、巨大、复杂的课题和难题，这些课题和难题来自

a.这样一个古老而巨大的传统文明及其现代化过程;

b.这样一种真实而强大的实际上围绕着它的体制;

c. 同儒、释、道和伊斯兰教的关系; 东方与西方之间、前现代与现代性之间、国家与教会之间的关系；与各种人文学科、社会科学、女性主义、后现代主义、环境保护主义……的关系，等等。  

3.4. The Trend as a Sign for Hope

3.4.1. Appearing of more and more scholars (even of the fourth and fifth generations) in this field, surprising coming of excellent authors and works, and forming of “ethical community (0f scholars) sharing some spiritual values” (Jason Lam);

3.4.1.1.They are bravely facing the above-mentioned problems, dealing with them, widening their horizons;

3.4.1.2. Not yet a victory as David’s, but achievements as Su Qin and Zhang Yi’s: defense of the dignity of the discipline in academia and connection of the different sides for the same enterprise.

3.4. 趋势：希望的迹象

3.4.1. 这一领域，有越来越多的学者(甚至第四代和第五代学者)涌现 ，有优秀的作者和著作涌现,有 “分享精神价值的（学者）伦理共同体形成” (林子淳);

3.4.1.1.他们正勇敢地面对上述种种难题, 在探索、探讨中扩大着自己的视野;

3.4.1.2. 他们尚未取得“大卫式”的胜利, 但是正在取得“苏秦张仪”似的成就:——在学术界维护着这门学科的尊严， 为这门学科而对上述复杂关系中的方方面面，进行着“合纵连横”的工作。

 

3.4.2. Sino-Christian Theology is going to advance dialogs between Christianity and traditional thoughts and contemporary currents in China, reflecting on and responding to China’s politic0-economical conditions, nationalism, bureaucrat capitalism, social ethics, rural reconstruction, feminism and environmental protection and other matters (D. Yeung); providing its unique perspective and constructive proposals in its  spirit of service of neighbors (Z. Xie); exercising its influence upon Chinese society and culture, therefore, in one word, is playing some vitally decisive role in the rebirth (if any) of Chinese civilization !  

 

3.4.2. “汉语神学要推进基督教与中国传统思想和当代思潮 之间的对话，反思并回应中国的政治经济状况 ,如民族国家主义、权贵资本主义、社会伦理道德、农村社会重建、女权保护、环境保护和其他重大问题”(杨熙楠);

“本着服务邻人的精神，提供其独特的角度和建设性的建议” (谢志斌);

对中国的社会和文化发挥影响, 从而对中华文明的重生发挥极其关键的作用 !  

 

3.4.3. In many aspects, Chinese civilization is now in the phase similar to that Classic civilization was in during late Roman Empire, and its relations to Christianity is one of the aspects;

 Christianity, enjoyed entertainments in Tang and Yuan Dynasties, suffered ambiguous treatments in late Ming and early Qing, nearly died or was forced to underground in 18th century and 1st half of 20th century, revived in such a situation, will get fuller life!  

 

3.4.3. 在很多方面, 中华文明现在所处的阶段，十分接近古典文明在罗马帝国后期所处的阶段；其与基督教的关系,就是这样一个方面。

 基督教在唐朝和元朝受到礼遇, 在明末和清初碰到两面性的对待, 在十八世纪和二十世纪下半叶被迫进入地下、濒临死亡, 但却依然从十九世纪初到二十世纪上半叶挣扎、成长，从二十世纪末到二十一世纪初发展、壮大！在这样一种处境下，它竟然能够复活，竟然获得了更为丰盛的生命! 这一切，岂非一大奇迹？  

3.5. Epilogue

Of Sino-Christian Theology Movement, we can see

From the macro history, the urgent necessity of its appearance, comprehending the Province;

From the macro paradox, the unique experience of its development, comprehending the Miracle;

From the macro trend, the way out for the Chinese civilization, comprehending the Hope !

 

3.5. 结语

关于汉语神学运动，我们可以

从其大历史，看到其产生出现的必然，领悟其背后的神意;

从其大悖论，看到其独一无二的历程， 领悟其背后 的奇迹;

从其大趋势，思考中华文明的可能出路，看到前面的希望  !