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认识现代神学28、第十五章:敬虔主义

主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立弟兄_英文:XSS姐妹_中文:姣姐妹

Contemporary World Theology,Session 28。《认识现代神学》第28讲。我们上一讲讲到敬虔主义,他们的创始人Spener,S-p-e-n-e-r,他提出五个方案去面对教会一些的弊病。这五个是: (1) A more extensive use of the Word of God,更广泛的使用上帝的话,(2) A diligent exercise of spiritual priesthood,第二,更勤奋的使用属灵的祭司的职分,就是人人要侍奉神,(3) The preaching of faith,要多宣讲信心的道理,(4) A loving spirit in controversy,第四,在争辩的时候存爱心,(5) The devotional nurture and pastoral training of theological students.第五,对神学生要培养他们的灵修生活,和给他们关于教牧事工方面的训练。

我们在这里继续。To implement these demands,为了要执行这些的需求,Spener and fellow colleagues like Francke (1663-1727) gathered the serious minded into small groups for Bible study and mutual assistance in spiritual growth. Spener还有他同工,例如Francke,F-r-a-n-c-k-e,法兰科(1663-1727),Spener和他的同工们就召聚了这些认真的信徒组成小组,来研读圣经,和在属灵的成长上彼此的帮助。He called these gatherings “little churches inside the church.”他称这些的聚会为“教会里面的小教会。”He established centers of fellowship,他也设立一些交通团契的中心,the collegia pietatis as the groups were called.这些的比较大一点点的小组聚会被称为敬虔的学院。

But the central purpose of these associations of piety was not scholarship,但是这一些的敬虔的联会或者是聚会的最重要的目的不是学术,but evangelism,the dissemination of the Word of God through all classes of society.乃是传福音,换言之,在社会上不同的阶层传播上帝的话。Along with this program went a strong self-discipline,与这个事工同时的,是他们非常注重自律,which included abstinence from playing cards,dancing and the theatre,就包括了不玩牌,不跳舞,不去戏院,and moderation in food,drink,and dress.还有在饮食上和穿着上保持廉洁。

The movement did not leave untouched also the area of compassion.这个敬虔的运动也没有忽略到慈惠或者怜悯的层面。Since Christianity was the practice of a transforming way of life,基督教既然是一个改变生命的生活方式的实践,good works became the outward expression of that faith.那么好行为就是这个信仰的外在的表现。Faith was the sun,信心就像太阳一样,good works were the sun’s rays.好行为乃是太阳的光线。Schools,orphanages,and other philanthropic organizations were started.他们开办了学校、孤儿院,还有其他的慈善的机构。The work of foreign missions was a unique feature of the pietist movement.而敬虔运动的一个独特的特点,就是海外宣教的工作。

As the years passed,pietism’s influence touched many nations.随着年月的流逝,敬虔主义的影响力出到世界的各国。In the eighteenth century,the life of John Wesley was molded and rekindled by the fire of pietism.在十八世纪,约翰卫斯理的生命是由敬虔主义的火焰所塑造和点燃。And,through Wesley’s preaching and the movement that led the formation of the Methodist Church,revival came to England.还有,透过卫斯理的讲道和他所带领的运动,也就是导致循道或者卫理公会的成立的运动,透过这个运动,复兴来到英国。In America,在北美洲,pietism joined forces with Calvinists like Jonathan Edwards to bring revival to the new nation.敬虔主义与加尔文主义者联手合作,把复兴带到这个新兴的国家,这些加尔文主义者包括约拿单・爱德华兹。

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,到了第十九和二十世纪的时候,the preaching of Dwight L. Moody bore strong traces of pietism’s emphases.慕迪先生的讲道带着浓厚的敬虔主义的色彩的。Once again a fresh interest in the old earmarks of the movement was kindled,再一次,敬虔运动的老旧的标志,人们对他们有兴趣,这些生命跟事工又再次的被点燃起来—devotional preaching,灵修式的讲道; the uselessness of doctrine when unrelated to life,与生命无关的教义的无用性; abstinence from certain habits,such as smoking,drinking,theatre attendance,in promotion of the distinctive traits of what came to be called the “separated life”,在一些坏习惯方面的节制,例如,不抽烟、不喝酒、不去戏院,来促进一种“分别出来的生命”; new passion for foreign missions,对海外宣教的新的热诚; the establishment of schools where the devotional life could be emphasized.设立一些的学校,这些学校所强调的是灵修的生活。All these emphases remain as an integral part of American “conservative” theology today.所有这些的强调,到了今天,仍然是美国的所谓“保守派”的神学的不可或缺的部分。

But pietism did not stop in America.但是,敬虔运动并不停留在北美洲而已。For during this general period,the evangelical,fired by his faith,“freely overleaped national boundaries” and carried to the ends of the world his new-found word of hope.因为在这段时间,福音派人士,因为他的信心重新的点燃起来,就很“自由的跨越不同的国家”,把他所发现的、盼望的信息带到地极。

For the first time,in many Eastern lands,the gospel was brought by missionaries,many of them deeply touched by pietistic emphases.在亚洲,第一次的有被这些的敬虔主义所强调的要点影响的宣教士,把福音带到他们中间。Now pietism,through the missionary,left its stamp on the life of the church in many areas.那么现在,透过宣教士,敬虔主义在不同的领域,在教会的生活里面留下他们的印记。

In Korea,for example,比如说在韩国,it helped to produce a lack of doctrinal preaching and an emphasis on devotional preaching,这个就导致在教义性的讲道的缺乏和对灵修性的讲道的强调,the cultivation of the Christian life sometimes largely in terms of the practice of,or abstinence from,certain practices,而培养基督徒的生命的成长,一般都是学习一些的习俗,或者是不做某些方面的事情; a healthy emphasis on the devotional life and personal evangelism,一种很健康的,对灵修生活和个人布道的强调; an early church whose center was the layman and not the minister,韩国的早期教会的核心人物是平信徒而不是牧师; a stress on emotions rather than intellect,强调情感多过强调理性,revival rather than reformation,强调复兴不强调改革,introspection rather than service.强调内省多过侍奉。

The positive contribution of pietism is enormous,and the good far outweighs the bad.敬虔运动的正面的贡献是巨大的,它的正面远远超过负面的因素。It kindled a healthy concern for true piety,in the face of almost no piety at all.他们在差不多没有敬虔的教会圈子里面点燃了一个很健康的,对真正的敬虔的关注。It improved pastoral training.在教牧的训练方面有着大大的进步。It breathed spiritual life into what might otherwise have been a dead or sterile substitute for orthodoxy.他们把灵命吹进到一个所谓的正统信仰的死沉沉的,没有生命的一个教会生活里面,那这个死沉沉的生活,是纯正信仰的一个取代品。

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It initiated perhaps the greatest missionary and evangelistic program Christianity has ever known.敬虔运动可以说主动的导致基督教历史空前的、最大的宣教和布道运动。It led to far-reaching and powerful action for the poor and oppressed of many lands.导致到影响深远的关注于穷人和被压迫的人的一些正面的行动,这个在世界不同的国家发生。It inspired some of the church’s greatest hymns (Charles Wesley) ,它启迪了教会历史上最伟大的一些的圣诗(例如查理斯卫斯理),and contributed to some of the world’s greatest music (Handel and Bach).也对人类最伟大的一些的音乐直接做贡献(例如韩德尔跟巴哈)。

At the same time,与此同时,it has weaknesses,敬虔主义有它的弱点,which have continued to plague the Western,and now the Eastern,church.不断的危害着西方的教会,现在危害到亚洲的教会。

这里,作者要指出六方面的弱点:

NO.1,第一方面的弱点。Its stress on experience could easily degenerate into subjectivism and even mysticism.敬虔主义强调经验,那么很容易的就堕进主观主义甚至乎是神秘主义。Its emphasis on introspection sometimes degenerated into a morbid preoccupation with the state of the individual soul.因为敬虔运动强调自我的省察,所以很容易就堕入到一种恐怖的,关于自己的灵命的这种的过分的关注。This element forms an especially remarkable parallel with the similar feature of mysticism,which we indicated in an earlier chapter.这个因素与神秘主义一些的特点是非常的相像的,我们在前一章已经指出过。The results of this might be seen in the system of liberalism developed by Schleiermacher (1768-1834),这种的内省的因素,在士莱马赫所发展出的自由派神学系统很清楚可以看出(士莱马赫的年日是1768到1834),whose epistemological center was religion as “feeling.”士莱马赫神学系统里面的知识论的核心,是宗教作为“情感(feeling)。”Schleiermacher had been trained in a pietist home and a Moravian college.士莱马赫生长在一个敬虔主义的家庭,和受教于一个莫拉维弟兄会的大学。

NO.2,第二方面的弱点。Emotion was so strongly emphasized in pietism,敬虔主义是那么的强调人的情感,that the role of the intellect was seriously harmed.导致于理性的生活是严重的受损。Pietism failed to keep spiritual vitality and intellectual vigor in proper balance.敬虔运动没有在灵命的活泼和理性的严谨之间维持一个正确的平衡。As a result,结果,pietism,as a theological force,remained then and now relatively sterile.作为一个神学的一股的势力,敬虔主义在当时和现今都是缺乏活力的。It remains suspicious of science,philosophy,and the academic world.敬虔主义对科学、哲学,和学术的世界,不断的保持着怀疑的态度。

NO.3,第三方面的弱点。It cannot see the wider demands of the Christian faith in areas like politics,society,or labor.敬虔主义看不到基督教的信仰在政治、社会,或者劳工方面的广大的要求。Christianity is said by the pietist to participate in society only insofar as it calls the sinner to repentance and faith in Christ.敬虔主义者认为,基督教是如何参与社会的呢?唯独透过呼吁罪人悔改,信基督。It does not demand a Christian approach to education or science or economics.它并不要求有一种基督教的对教育、科学,或者经济方面的进路。It demands only that an individual Christian approach education or science or economics.唯独的要求是一个个别的基督徒进入到教育或者科学或者经济学的范围里面而已。

NO.4,第四方面的弱点。Pietism frequently underemphasized doctrine,敬虔主义往往是忽略了教义,and overemphasized the practical frequently.往往是过分的强调那实际的。This lack of doc-played some part in the development of the ecumenical movement mirrored in the World Council of Churches.这个对教义的忽略,对世界教协(WCC)所发展的教会合一运动是一个的影响的因素。And it continues to be evident in that movement’s doctrinal latitudinarianism.这个教会合一运动,他们的交易的松散性,到了今天仍然是很明显的。

It also continues to leave pietistically influenced movements more open to theological deviations and perversions.它不断的让那些受到敬虔主义影响的运动受到神学的偏差或者错误的影响。For this reason,and in view of the strong influence of pietism on the so-called “mission fields,”为了这个的缘故,还有因为敬虔主义在所谓“宣教工厂”的一些的国家有这么强烈的影响,因此,there is much room for concern that the “younger” churches will be easily prone to unbiblical movements and elements.因此,很多人会关注所谓比较“年轻的”教会是否很容易就遭受到不符合圣经的运动和要素的影响。A quick glance at Oosthuizen’s Post Christianity in Africa confirms this.读者假如去翻阅一下《非洲的后基督教》这本书,就很容易证实这一点的。

NO.5,第五方面的弱点。Pietism historically has tended also to produce the “little church within the church,”多年来,敬虔主义一般会生出一个“小小的教会里面的教会,”with a real danger of what some have called disruption and spiritual pride.同时带来的是对教会的纷争和属灵的傲慢。

In the nineteenth century,this tendency helped to create interdenominational,independent foreign mission agencies,在十九世纪,这种的教会里的教会这种的心态,就直接、间接的导致一些宗派之间的独立的海外宣教机构成立,such as the justly famous China Inland Mission,正如一个驰名的,中国内地会(now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship,目前被称为海外基督使团的). Such groups,rather skeptical of the holiness of the established churches,这些的团体对主流的,也就是大宗派的圣洁是保持怀疑的态度的,have maintained separate existence to the present day,到今天仍然是独立存在的,and continue to manifest many of the pietistic emphases we have cited earlier.特别是显出我们上文所说过的、所提到的,敬虔主义的所强调的要素。

NO.6,第六方面的弱点。Pietism tends to allow devotional routines of Bible reading,prayer,and church attendance to become a substitute for fuller Christian practice.一般来说,敬虔主义让读经、祷告,和参加教会聚会,这些的循例的活动取代了一个更完整的基督徒的实践生活。

Its tendency to limit the definition of the Christian life to the four walls of a church building or the abstinence from certain practices produces an abstracted view of “spiritual life.”因为他一般来说会把基督徒生活的定义限于教会建筑物的四道墙里,还有限于一些不从事一些坏习惯的生活,因此他们的所谓“属灵生命”是一种抽象的观念。The wider responsibilities of love and peace and longsuffering can sometimes take second place,很多时候一些比较广泛的仁爱、和平、忍耐的一些的责任,往往是成为次要的,to a stronger emphasis on prohibitions regarding smoke or drink.比较重要而强调的是禁止信徒抽烟跟喝酒。“These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone . . .” (Matt. 23:23).太23:23,也就是说,这更重的是你们当行的,那也是不可不行的。

End of CHAPTER XV,第15章结束。

我们下一讲讲第16章,DISPENSATIONALISM,时代论。

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