新世紀大學中宗教研究及宗教課程的定位

The Place of Religious Studies and Religious Curriculum in Universities of the New Century

馬斯登（George Marsden）在研究美國大學的發展史時，闡釋了美國基督教大學曾經歷過一個世俗化的歷程，使本來在主導地位的基督新教，逐漸被推移至大學教育中的邊緣位置。不過，馬斯登亦指出，近代學者也必須重新釐定宗教在學術領域的地位。他並極力主張近代學者應抱持一個開放的態度，重新思考和反省有關宗教信仰的學術涵義。本文嘗試應用馬氏的理論，闡析同樣的世俗化歷程也曾發生在中國基督教大學的身上。在美國，「世俗化的過程」是由內部的因素推動產生；但在中國，「世俗化的過程」卻是由外在的因素—1920年代發生在中國的非基督教運動和收回教育主權運動，帶來的強烈要求而達成。本文並就馬氏的理論，探討新世紀大學中宗教課程和宗教研究的新定位，宗教已不再是大學教育中的核心價值，但作為眾多價值觀的一種，它仍可在學術界佔一席位。本文嘗試以香港中文大學崇基學院作為案例，說明在近代基督教大學中宗教課程和宗教研究仍受到華人學者的接納和尊重，並且從這個案中，可見証宗教團體辦理的高等教育機構，亦可為華人大學的宗教學術研究肩負重要的使命。

George Marsden attempted a 'secularization paradigm' in his analysis of the development of American universities in the last century. In this paper, the same paradigm is applied to the study of Christian universities in China. It has been found that Christian colleges in China had also undergone a process of secularization because of the Anti-Christian Movement and the Educational Rights Campaign in the 1920s in China. However, Christian colleges in this new century are found to have moved beyond the secularization paradigm, as suggested by Marsden in his book, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. It is further argued that though religion is no longer taken as the core value of university education, it can still be reckoned as one valuable worldview to be considered by the academia. This paper attempts to illustrate the case of Chung Chi College, the Chinese University of Hong Kong which is found actively promoting teaching and research in religious studies, not only in the study of Christianity, but also of other religions such as Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and other Chinese popular religions. It is suggested also that Christian colleges as well as those colleges run by other religious organizations in Asia could best serve to ensure that religious perspectives and research are respected and encouraged in the university education today.