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认识现代神学第15讲

主讲:林慈信牧师_校对:刘加立弟兄_文字:XSS姐妹

CHAPTER VII  THEOLOGY OF SECULARIZATION

第七章 世俗化的神学

我们上一讲开始讲这一章,说John Robinson,这位罗宾逊博士(也是主教),写了一本书,叫做Honest to God(《对神诚实》),是1963年出版的。我们现在继续。

Robinson’s work starts with the conviction that,罗宾逊的著作的出发点是,the idea of God “up there” (whether physically, metaphysically or metaphorically) is outdated, meaningless, and wrong.在上面那里的那位上帝这概念(不论是在物质上、地理上,在上面,或者是在形而上学的上面,或者寓意上的上面的上帝)是过时了,没有意义的和错误的。Twentieth century theology must have a new “image of God”,20世纪的神学需要一个新的“神的形象”,and a radical reinterpretation of Christian doctrine.和对基督教教义一个彻底的,从根拔起的重新的诠释。God, said Robinson, using the language of Tillich, is “the Ground of our very being,”罗宾逊说,他用上了田立克的词汇:“上帝是我们的存有本身的根基(Ground of being),and the church of God was never intended to be an organization for religious men.上帝的教会从来就不是要作为一个宗教人们的(就是宗教的信徒们的)一个组织。The motto for believers in the new Christianity must be,所以在这个新的基督教里,信徒们的主题应该是“Love God and do what you like.爱神,然后随己所欲的去行。”The line between church and world must be erased, he says.他说,教会和世界之间的界限必须完全消灭。

One feels these same demands of secular theology in the book of Harvey Cox, The Secular City (1965).在Harvey Cox1965年的著作《世俗之城(The Secular City)》里面,读者们也遇见世俗神学同样的要求。Cox’s book sought to show that, Cox的书试图要指出,secularization was not the enemy of the gospel but the fruit of the gospel.世俗化不是福音的敌人,乃是福音所结出的果子。By secularization, Cox means,世俗化的意思,根据Cox来说就是,the historical process by which societies are delivered from church control and closed metaphysical systems.指一个历史上的过程,借着这个过程,社会被搭救了,不再在教的控制之下,也不再在一些关闭的形而上学的系统的控制之下。The center of interest in Cox’s secularization is the world, not the church or some supernatural realm. Cox的世俗化的专注点是世界而不是教会,也不是什么超自然的境界。In the same spirit, Cox insists,本着同样的精神,他坚持说,we must redefine the God of the Bible as the God of this world,我们必须对圣经里的上帝做出一个新的定义,作为这个世界的上帝,not a God in some fenced-off religious sphere.不是一个被栏杆围起来的一个宗教范围里的上帝而已。

These demands by such men as Cox and Robinson are no longer simply a tragic indication of Western capitulation to a secular world.这些Cox和罗宾逊这类的人所做出的要求,已经不仅仅是指出这个悲剧,就是西方社会(或者教会)如何向世俗世界投降。The capitulation is worldwide, a real part of our global-village church.这个投降是全球性的,是我们这个地球村教会的真正的部分。So, C. H. Hwang, formerly of the Tainan Theological College (Presbyterian) in Taiwan, repudiates the theological education pattern imported by the missions as “church directed”,因此C. H. Hwuang,台湾长老会的台南神学院以前的教授,他要推翻宣教士所引进的神学教育模式,他说那个是“有教会导向的神学教育”,and says “we must find a new pattern appropriate and fit for a world-directed missionary community.” “我们必须找到一个新的神学教育模式,是适合用在一个以世界为导向的宣教群体的。”

Prof, Masao Takenaka of Doshisha University,日本的Doshisha大学里的Masao Takenaka教授,in the John Mott lectures before the East Asia Christian Conference (November, 1961),在1961年11月东亚基督教大会的慕德纪念讲座里是这样说的,can speak of “a new style of Christian life in Asia today” in terms of the new man in Christ “open to secular engagement.”他可以论到今天“在亚洲一个新的基督教生活模式”,就是一个“在基督里向参与世俗世界有敞开性的、新的人”,一个在基督里的新人,是对参与世俗世界敞开的。

Dr. Harold Hong, president of the Methodist Theological Seminary, Seoul, Korea,在韩国首尔卫理公会神学院的Dr. Harold Hong院长,can tell us,可以这样说,that the question of whether we may speak of the “secularization of Christianity” has passed.我们已经过了那个询问我们是不是可以论到“基督教的世俗化”的年月了,“Now the only question that remains is,现在留下来唯一的问题是,how we shall witness about Christ in this secularism.我们现在如何在这个世俗的处境里为基督作见证。For today’s Christian this is an urgent, very immediate and serious task.对今天的基督徒来说,这个是一个迫切的、直接的、严肃的一个任务。”As in Korea today, the world church’s agenda has given top priority to the theology of secularization.今天,全球教会的议程就等于在今天的韩国一样,把世俗化神学放在最优先的地位。

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While we therefore recognize the sharp disunity within this general spirit (can we call it a movement?),我们一方面看到这个一般性的精神(甚至乎可不可以称它做运动也是不确定)里面,有着非常清楚的分歧,nevertheless we can recognize several common refrains in the singers of this theological rock music.但是我们还是看到这个神学上的摇滚音乐里,他们唱歌的人还是在唱一些共同的副歌的。

下面是要讲世俗化神学一些的共同点,一共有四点。

No.1 第一点,Secular theologians agree,世俗化神学家同意,that the problems of this world should be a chief concern for the Christian.这个世界的问题应该是基督徒主要的关注。They deplore the many ways in which the church has rationalized its failures to confront social and political evils.他们严肃的谴责教会过去在多方面提出借口,不面对、不面责社会和政治上的邪恶。In this connection, the loudest voice for this participation comes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer,在这方面,参与世界、谴责世界的最显著的声音来自潘霍华(Bonhoeffer),the German pastor who was executed by the Nazis during World War II for taking part in the plot on the life of Hitler.就是那位被纳粹党在第二次世界大战所杀的德国的牧师,因为他在谋杀希特勒的谋略上有份。Bonhoeffer’s spirit of activism is the spirit of secular theology.潘霍华的动态主义精神,积极的精神就是世俗神学的精神。This may be one of the reasons why he has almost become its patron saint.可能就是因为这个原因,他差不多成为世俗神学的守护神,或者圣人。Many of the slogans of the movement come from Bonhoeffer’s diary and letters written in prison shortly before his execution.世俗化神学很多的主题,很多的名言,都来自潘霍华面对死刑之前,在监狱里所写日记和书信。

Bonhoeffer called for a “religionless Christianity,”潘霍华呼吁要有一种“没有宗教的基督教,”for living before God as if God did not exist.呼吁人在上帝面前活着,好像上帝不存在的那样,在上帝面前生活。His plea was not directed against prayer or worship or the church.他的呼吁不是在反对祷告、敬拜,或者反对教会本身。It was basically an attack on the idea that there are any spheres in life that do not belong to Christ.他基本上在敌对一种的概念,就是说,生命中、生活中,有哪一些的范围不属于基督的呢。“Christ cannot be shut up in the sacred society of the Church.基督不能被关闭在教会这个神圣社团里面的。”

No.2 第二个共同点,Secular theologians generally agree,世俗神学家一般都同意,that even our theology must express this spirit of secularization.甚至乎我们的神学也要表达出这种世俗化的精神的。Harvey Cox says, Cox是这样说,we must stop talking about old-fashioned ontology (ideas of essence and substance),我们不可以再讲到老旧的本体论(就是本质、实质这种的概念),and start talking about functions,我们要开始论到不同的功能,about dynamic activism. 要谈到充满着活力的活动主义。In the words of Bishop Robinson,用罗宾逊主教的说法,the question, “How can I find a gracious God?” must be replaced,人们所问的“我如何找到一位充满着恩典的上帝”这个问题要被取代之,by the question, “How can I find a gracious neighbor?” 我们现在要问的是“我如何找到一个充满恩典的邻居呢?”According to the extremest of the secular theologians, Paul Van Buren,根据Van Buren这位最极端的世俗神学家,God himself is to be left out.我们要把上帝自己排除在外。Christianity, he says, is to be reconstructed without God,他说,我们要重新建构基督教,建构一个没有上帝的基督教,Jesus is to be set forth as the paradigm of human existence.我们要提出,耶稣作为人类生存的模范。

No.3 第三个共同点,Secular theologians demand that the distinctions between the church and the world be erased.世俗神学家坚持要求除去教会和世界之间的区别。In keeping with this spirit,这种精神表达在下面两件事情上:the theme of the second Assembly of the World Council of Churches (1954) ,1954年第二次基督教全球教协的大会,was changed from, “Christ the Hope of the Church and the World,”原来是“基督,教会与世界盼望,” to “Christ the Hope of the World.” 后来改成“基督,世界的盼望。”For the same reason,为了同样的原因,the New Delhi Assembly of the W.C.C. (1961), 在印度新德里,1961年举行的基督教全球教协的大会的主题,removed the word “our” from the phrase, “our Lord Jesus Christ,” in the Constitutional Basis.在他的宪法基础文件里,把“我们的主耶稣基督”里的“我们”除掉了。“Our” might appear to be restrictive, to set the church off from the world.“我们的”可能会太过有限制性了,把教会与世界分别出来。The church must participate actively in politics, in revolution.教会必须积极的参与,在政治、在革命上。For that is said to be where God is acting today.因为上帝现在就是在这些的范围里面在做工的。And, in keeping with this desire, evangelism is given new meaning.也本着同类的精神,现在传福音有着新的意义。It is no longer calling men to repentance for sins and faith in Christ.传福音不再是呼吁人来畏罪悔改,信靠基督。The new evangelism is political activity, social work among the poor.现在新的宣教或者传福音,就是政治活动,在穷人中从事社会工作。

No.4 第四个共同点,There is an effort at a minimum of supernaturalism in the secular theology.在世俗化神学里,他们把超自然的因素试图减到最少。The old-fashioned liberal view of Jesus as the perfect man who lived close to God is revived.他们恢复了老旧的自由派神学的耶稣观,耶稣就是那位完全的人,在上帝面前亲近上帝,这样子生活的。Robinson describes Christ as “a window into God at work.”罗宾逊说,基督就是“好像一道窗,看到上帝在做工。”The atonement then becomes merely Jesus’s “utter self-surrender to others in love,”基督的赎罪工作只不过是耶稣“极度地奉献自己,在爱中为别人献上自己,”in which “he disclose and lays bare the Ground of man’s being as Love.”在这个爱里,“耶稣基督显露出、暴露出,人的存有的根基是爱。”So too, secular theologians reject any supernatural kingdom to appear at the second coming of Christ.同样的,世俗的神学家也拒绝相信,在基督第二次再来的时候,有什么超自然的国度。The only world it knows is the world that is here and now.他们所认识的唯一的世界,就是在这里,现在的世界。The idea of heaven is called an “escape hatch” by many.很多人称天堂为一个“逃生舱口”而已。

How does the Calvinist react to the demands of the “secularization of Christianity”? 一位加尔文主义者怎么回应这种要求“基督教世俗化”的声音呢?Certainly, we recognize that these men have caught the spirit of our day.肯定的是,这些人事,抓到我们现今时代的精神了(we also recognize that they have been caught by the spirit of our day,我们也看见他们也被现今的精神所抓到)。And, in humility, we must confess,我们必须谦卑地承认,that the church has not always been “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth”教会并不常常是“世界之光,世界上的盐”(太5:13-14)。Jesus did demand that we be concerned about the evils of our world and seek to correct them.耶稣的确要求我们要关注于这个世界的邪恶,也试图去纠正他们的(太25:31-46)。

But we cannot feel that the answers of “secular theology” provide the biblical way to be “the salt of the earth.”但是我们不可以感觉到“世俗神学”所提出的答案是符合圣经的,作为“地上的盐”的方法。

No.1 第一方面的批判,Secular theologians consistently refuse to come to grips with the biblical testimony concerning God, the world, and man.世俗化的神学家一致的拒绝面对接受圣经所讲的,关于上帝、关于世界、关于人的见证。Robinson’s ideas, for example, are a caricature of the biblical doctrine of God.罗宾逊的概念,简直是对圣经的神观一种的讽刺。Cox’s book, Secular City, engages in the most dubious exercises in biblical exegesis. Cox的著作,《世俗之城》,里面的解经是最值得人怀疑的。

我们下一讲开始来讲从第二方面到第五方面的批判。

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