「聖賢」與「聖徒」：儒教從祀制與基督教封聖制的比較

Sages and Saints: A Comparison Between Confucianism and Christianity in Terms of Canonization

毋論作為踐履的典範或教義的傳承者，儒教聖賢和基督教聖徒皆擁有「家族的類似性」（family resemblances）。故拙文擬藉儒教從祀制與基督教封聖制的比較，以突顯儒教獨特的宗教性格。為了達成此一目的，特從推舉過程、成聖標準、信仰的階層分析與信仰形態四方面加以考察。本世紀之初，德國社會學家韋伯（Max Weber, 1864-1920）對儒教信仰的階層性業已有所解析；惟就「國家祭典」（state cult）或「公共宗教」（public religion）的層面，儒教猶留有詮釋的餘地。拙文企透過異文化禮制運作的對照，以揭露此一面相。大致而言，儒教所呈現官方的公共宗教的色彩與基督教以回應個人福祉、災難的信仰，有相當的差異。這或可說明浸淫於私人宗教（private religion，例如基督教）為範式的近代中國知識份子，為何難以捉摸儒教的宗教性質。

During the last ten years, I have been studying the Confucian temple as a national cult. By ''national cult,'' I mean a system of religious worship that also has political dimensions and is promoted by rulers throughout the territories they govern. Worship in the Confucian temple, with a history of more than two thousand years, is a fitting example of a national cult. Basic to my research program is my conviction that the Confucian temple was the converging point of political and cultural power in imperial China. After offering a very brief account of the role the Confucian temple has played in traditional society, my abstract will highlight the new comparative direction to be explored in the present article. As can easily be inferred by its name, the Confucian temple is devoted to worshipping Confucius (K'ung-tzu, 551-479 BCE), along with those who made major contributions to the Master's teachings through the centuries. While Confucius was but one, his disciples throughout history have been many. Therefore, the process of selecting faithful disciples for inclusion in the temple was of crucial importance for the continuation of the worship system. The criteria of choosing authentic disciples often changed along with the intellectual climate.