對話與社群：聖經及基督教經典教學與西方傳統

Dialogue and Community: Teaching the Bible and Christian Classics in Relation to Western Tradition

在美國的高等教育中，「西方傳統」傳統以來即被定義為人文領域的核心課程。聖經與其他基督教的經典（也包含一些猶太文本）被視為是這個傳統不可或缺的部份。這些作品不僅被認為是有識之士必備之知識，更被當作是可以且應該規範個人與社會的重要傳統。這些基督教文本以及其他經典不但向來被視為真實的歷史教授，解釋人類的起源，同時也被當作「應當遵守」的觀點，成為我們處事與受教的規範。它們一直都是核心課程的部份內容，被認定對於各種專業與技術教育都有重要的價值。在美國這種假設已經被質疑，而且在高等教育的不同分支中甚至遭到公開或是在實際運作中被棄絕的命運。到底這些文本以及整個所謂西方的典律究竟應該扮演什麼角色，各家爭論不休。更由於此在美國的政治／社會環境裡宗教作品，在高等教育課程裡的適切性必須受到特別的檢驗，因此這方面的爭論愈形劇烈。所以，究竟教授這些文本的目的為何，叉該如何教授？這正是美國教育目前激烈討論中的問題。很少人會反對學生必須體認世界觀與文化傳統乃是多元的，以及學習這些傳統的必要性。但是問題在於在這個學習過程中如何解釋為何選定某些我們認為對我們的文化（這裡指的是美國）相關的傳統來研究，而不是其他的傳統？這篇論文討論的是在美國一般教育中教授聖經與基督教經典時牽涉的相關問題。討論的重點是在一般教育中教授這些文本與更廣泛的文化認同與願景之間可能有的關連。

In higher education in the United States, the 'Western tradition' has traditionally defined the core curriculum of the liberal arts. The Bible and classic Christian texts (and to a lesser degree Jewish texts) have figured as an integral part of this tradition. They have been presented not only as part of the knowledge that constitutes an educated person in this culture but also as part of a tradition which can and should orient individuals in their private and social lives. These Christian texts, along with those of classical antiquity, have been taught not just as genetic history explaining where 'we' culturally have come from but also as part of a prescriptive 'ought' within which 'we' should orient our decisions, employ our education. They have been part of a core curriculum, presumed to have an integrative value for all other specific and technical education. In the U.S. this assumption has now been contested and in many arms of higher education it has been explicitly or functionally abandoned. The place of these texts and of the western 'canon' generally, is a matter of great dispute. The dispute is sharpened because these are religious texts, which in the political/social context of the U.S. are subject to special scrutiny for their appropriateness in any general education program. What then is the purpose of teaching such texts and how should they be taught? This is a burning question in U.S. education. Few people contest the idea that students should be made aware that there are multiple 'world views' and cultural traditions, and that there is value in studying various such traditions. The question is whether in the midst of such study there is any justification for privileging one or some, as particular to our culture (the U.S. in this case). This paper reflects on some of the implications of these developments for teaching the Bible and Christian in general education in the U.S. It focuses particularly on the question of what relation, if any, can be maintained between the role of such texts in general education and wider questions of cultural identity and vision.