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基督清教与美国政治文化的形成

Puritanism and the Formation of American Political Culture

【作者】 杨光

【导师】 丛日云;

【作者基本信息】 中国政法大学 , 政治学理论, 2007, 博士

【摘要】 政教分离是美国政治的基本原则,但基督教在美国政治文化和政治生活中一直保持着重要的影响力。这种影响力确立于清教徒踏上北美大陆之时,清教徒因此被视为美国精神的始祖。清教主义不仅提供了神学和教会治理的观念,而且成为殖民地社会得以构建的核心要素,塑造了当时的政治观念、商业关系、家庭生活乃至个人行为的细节,也对美国政治文化的形成产生了重大影响。清教徒是北美殖民地上最早建立有序社会的移居者。虽然此后宗教的世俗化进程加速发展,但宗教的世俗化并不必然意味宗教的消亡,清教信仰在当时人们生活和观念中始终居于核心地位。文章第一部分以大量的篇幅展现在美国政治文化的形成时期,基督清教如何成为民众的生活方式,并进一步探讨清教影响美国政治文化形成的方式。在初民的生活中,清教主宰了人们全部的生活领域,宗教生活与世俗生活密不可分,清教通过全面掌控家庭、教育、公共生活等政治社会化途径,直接影响了政治文化的形成和传播;理性主义兴起后,政治主体高举自然权利和契约论的大旗,但其思维模式仍然是清教式的,清教影响并未消失,只是从全面直接影响转为间接的渗透。为更清晰地展现清教主义与美国政治文化观念间的关联性,文章第二部分选取清教教义中影响较大的神召论和契约论,深入剖析清教主义所演化出来的劳动观、财产观、自由观、政教分离观、政治权力分立观、个人观、共和观以及反对暴君、人民主权等观念,这些观念是用宗教词汇和逻辑表述出来的,而其内容却和美国建国时期的政治文化观念相差无几。诞生于清教社会中政治文化,其价值和观念自然以清教的价值和观念为母体。各种观念褪下了神圣的宗教光环而穿上世俗的新衣,但其核心内容和要素仍然保存完好。宗教仪式和组织依托神圣之名,往往给参与者的心灵和观念更为直接的影响,留下深刻的印迹。清教组织虽有派别之分,但公理宗的原则得到了新英格兰教会的普遍认可。清教徒在教会内部推行普遍平等和信徒自治原则,在教会间实行联邦式的自治主义。作为北美荒野中最早出现的组织形式,清教组织的成功运作培育了信徒的主体意识和参与观念,也为美国政治组织的建立和运行提供了平等、民主、自治、地方主义等基本精神和实现途径。尽管基督清教并不是美国政治文化形成的唯一影响要素和动力来源,但是,不可否认,基督清教以系统的宗教教义和自治的宗教组织在北美构建了清教社会,为美国政治文化的形成提供了价值观念、伦理支撑和思维模式等基本内容,是影响美国政治文化形成的关键要素。

【Abstract】 The separation of Church and State is one of the basic rules in American politics, while Christianity has been exerting continuous influence to political system and political culture since the Puritans reached American continent. Puritanism is regarded as the core of American culture. In the colonial times, Puritanism was not only a system of theology, but also set up a series of rules of political thinking, commercial activities, family lives and even details of individual’s behaviors.Although the process of Secularization developed acceleratively, the influence of religion has never disappeared. Religion played such an important role in colonists’ lives and opinions that modern people could not believe. Therefore, the central idea of part one is how Puritanism becomes a life style during the period of the formation of American political culture. Puritans tangled their religion with secular livings, meanwhile, Puritanism comprehensively dominate the ways of political socialization, such as family, education, pubic life etc., to guide the formation and transmission of political culture. With the prosperity of reasonalism and the waning of religious impulse, Puritanism altered their emphases and ways from comprehensively dominate to indirectly permeate.In order to clearly set force the interaction between Puritanism and the conception of American political culture, the doctrine of Calling and Covenant which lay great importance in Puritan theological doctrine are selected in the second part to analyze the evolution of the conception labor, property, liberty, individualism, and separation of Church and State, etc.. These conceptions are contained in religious terms and logic, but their contents are exactly the same as the implication of the conception of political culture in Revolution era. American political culture comes out of puritan society, and its value and conception comes out of Puritanism.Religion rite and organization is so saint to the believers that they would shake their hearts and sign a deep impression. Different sects have different ways to run their organization, while Congregationalism was generally accepted among the sects in the New England. According to Congregationalism, all the members in the church are equal before the God, have rights to elect their minister and govern their church themselves. Different churches are also equal and independent. The successful operation of puritan churches, which is the former organization in American continent, not only cultivate participants the consciousness of subject and participation, but also provide soul conception such as equal, democracy, autonomy and localism to the founding and running of American political organization.In the formation of American political culture, Puritanism is not the only essential element or motive power. What we can say definitely is Puritanism is the key element of the formation of American political culture, and it also provided basic conceptions, values, models and continuous power to American political thinking and activity.

【关键词】 清教政治文化神召契约自由共和
【Key words】 PuritanismPolitical CultureCallingCovenantLibertyRepublic
  • 【分类号】D771.2
  • 【被引频次】5
  • 【下载频次】1754
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