近代中國基督教史的研究趨向──以美國及台灣為例/邢福增

撮要

西方及華人學術界對近代中國基督教史這個專門領域,多年來累積了大量的研究成果。美國、中國大陸及港台地區等學者都在這方面出版專著及論文。本文旨在從較宏觀角度,回顧並評檢戰後美國及台灣地區的研究趨向及其轉變。文中所指涉的近代中國基督教,主要以1882-1949年間基督新教為討論焦點。我們可見,中外學者的研究取向,主要集中探討基督教與中國社會政治的關係,或從中西文化交流及中外關係的角度來開展其分析架構。筆者最後認為,近代中國基督教史研究應建立其研究「學統」與主體,而不應被約化成為近代中西文化交流史,或近代中國政治社會史。

 

ABSTRACT

The studies of the history of Christianity in China attracts many researches from Western and Chinese academic circles. Various scholars from United States, Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong have published many books and articles in this field. This paper tries to review and assess those researches of post-war United States and Taiwan’s scholars, evaluating their historiography and paradigms shift from a macro perspective. All studies related to Christianity in modern China, which are discussed in this paper, are limited to the development of Protestantism in China from 1842 to 1949. Obviously, one of the major approaches among them is to explore the relationship between Christianity and the socio-political development of Chinese society. Thus, Christianity in modern China is inevitably being understood under the framework and context of either Sino-western cultural exchange or Sino-western diplomatic relations. The writer believes that the studies of the history of Christianity in modern China shall focus more on developing its own “identity” and “academic tradition”(xue tong), rather than being reduced as merely an appendix of the history of Sino-western encounter.

原載於《建道學刊》22期(2004年7月),頁27-55。