基督教聚會空間的發軔

A Study on the Ecclesial Space of Proto-Christianity

基督教於四世紀末已成為羅馬政府唯一的合法宗教，且在爾後的一千五百餘年深深地影響了西方文化的各個層面。關於基督教建築的發展，過去的幾部經典建築史論及基督教建築論述均自四世紀起，而由耶穌福音工作到《米蘭敕令》之間的三百年幾乎不曾討論。這段期間基督教是什麼樣貌？聚會的空間是什麼形式？與異教如何互動與相互影響？攸關這段基督教始創期混沌未明的建築課題。近十餘年，在開放風潮中，不同宗教與文化的學者打破樊籬，一同檢視古代文獻經卷；輔以基督教領袖的默許，不再以護教為主軸，而共同來追求真相，將基督教推向一個廣袤的普世面貌。許多出土經卷與考古探索大量開放，使得這段混沌浮現出較清晰的輪廓。筆者嘗試運用新出文獻為這段時期基督教建築的形塑給予初步的描繪 。基督教非始於基督耶穌，而是始於人們相信耶穌「為人罪而死，又死而復活」。基督信仰附在猶太教身上，被學界稱為猶太基督教，並與異教共生互融，直至四世紀方自立門戶。起初教徒與猶太教徒在猶太會堂聚會，並常在教友自宅舉辨家庭聚會，所用空間、裝飾、氛圍與儀典和異教者無甚差別。聚會處由尋常家庭聚會所，演變成住家教堂，再成為宣教中心，其中有些成為日後的正規教堂。聚會空間逐漸擴大，空間的需求由簡單亦漸次細分專業，直到四世紀在康士坦丁的支持下躍上舞台，實驗與定制同步大展宏圖。（ 本文主題為基督教，以「異教」稱基督教以外的宗教，並無不敬之意，特此說明。）

Founded in fourth century and been the sole legal religion in Roman Empire in the late fourth century, Christianity has been influencing western culture for over 1500 years. Discussing of its architectural development, however, rarely focused on the period between Jesus’ Gospel mission and the Edict of Milan, especially in architectural textbooks. In the earliest three hundred years, the profile of primordial Christianity, the form/space of early ecclesial gathering, the interplay with paganism and other cultures are all critical points, on which this paper is trying to shed light. Recently, in opener trend, religion leaders and scholars on different sides cooperate together to review new discoveries and sources, not to inclined to pursue apologetic interests but to historical truth, trying to push a wider ecumenical horizon. Christianity did not begin with Jesus’ ministry. Christianity is a religion rooted in a brief in the death of Jesus for sin and in his resurrection from the dead. Attached on Judaism, Proto-Christianity, also called Judea-Christianity, started and grew slowly. Initially, Judaea-Christian gathered with Jews in synagogues. Often they organized meeting in members’ houses, called domus ecclesiae in Latin, shared similar space, decoration, atmosphere, and ritual with other religions. For the need of functional differentiation, domus ecclesiae gradually turned into domus church, then to titulus (religion center), among which many finally became churches. Through around three hundred years, Judaea-Christianity widely assimilated paganism and shaped its own form. From 4th century, under Emperor Constantine’s protection, Christian architecture started its booming prosperity.