佛教與基督教對話的詮釋問題：阿部正雄的倒空的神

The Hermeneutic Question of Buddhist-Christian Dialogue: On Abe Masao's Kenotic God

本文旨於以阿部正雄（1915-2006）提出的倒空的神為例，研探佛教與基督教對話的詮釋問題。阿部試圖以佛教的空和京都學派主張的「絕對無」詮釋基督教的神，從而開啟兩宗教的會通之門。阿部認為，據聖經所記，特別是腓立比書第二章五至八節，基督耶穌的道成肉身是透過自我否定，倒空其本有的神聖而完成的。這不單是一種活動，更加是神的本質。筆者認為，有關神的本質此一論爭，不單牽涉實體與非實體的形而上學差異，更進一步透顯兩宗教對話方法學上的詮釋問題。本文會借用希克（John Hick）的比喻詮釋法──視道成肉身一事為比喻而非真實，從而展示基督教有關神的詮釋的開放性。並參考高達美（Hans-Georg Gadamer）的哲學詮釋學，藉以鞏固希克的理論。

This paper attempts to explore the hermeneutic question in the light of Abe Masao's (1915-2006) kenotic God. Abe interprets Christian God with Buddhist Śūnyatā and 'Absolute Nothingness' of the Kyoto School, in order to open up the door of dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity. For Abe, according to the Bible, the book of Philippians 2:5-8 in particular, the incarnation of Jesus Christ is completed through self-negation or self-emptying (kenosis) of divinity. It is not merely an activity, but also considered as the essence of God. For my part, the debate on the essence of God does not only relate to the difference between substantialism and non-substantialism, but also embraces the hermeneutic question of dialogical methodology between the two religions. By borrowing John Hick's metaphorical hermeneutic method, which argues that the event of incarnation is merely a metaphor instead of a fact, it somewhat indicates the hermeneutic openness of Christian God. In order to strengthen Hick's theory, the philosophical hermeneutics advocated by Hans-Georg Gadamer will be examined.