理查德·霍斯利对保罗的社会历史研究

Richard A.Horsley’s Social Historical Research on Paul

保罗作为确实存在的历史人物,却往往得不到社会历史维度的恰切研究。传统神学或哲学多倾向于将原本血肉丰满的保罗形象变成僵化的信仰概念和属灵符号。有鉴于此,有必要突破保罗研究的局限性。以美国新约学者理查德·霍斯利为代表的一批当代学者就采用社会历史批评的方法,对保罗及其社团进行了考察,力图揭示保罗形象不同以往的立体性和多样性。霍斯利认为,应将保罗书信置于罗马帝国统治的社会格局中进行解析。他从这一进路就保罗社团的思想宗旨、话语体系、组织形式展开了新颖的论述,并提出保罗的真实意图在于建构一个"在而不属于"罗马帝国的替代性社会。霍斯利的研究使保罗形象和保罗社团中过去被遮蔽的社会历史因素得到突显。

As an actual historical figure,Paul is rarely properly studied in a social and historical dimension.Traditional theology or philosophy tends to transform the fleshy image of Paul into rigid concepts of faith or spiritual symbols.In light of this,it is necessary to break through the limitations of Pauline research.A group of contemporary scholars,represented by American New Testament scholar Richard A.Horsley,have studied Paul and his community with a social and historical approach,in an effort to reveal new and different,three-dimensional and diverse images of Paul.In Horsley’s view,Paul’s letters should be analyzed within the social structures of the Roman Empire.With this approach,he launched a new discussion of the ideological purpose,discourse system and organizational form of Paul’s society,and also proposed that Paul’s real intention was to construct an alternative society"in but not of"the Roman Empire.Horsley’s research highlights social and historical factors in the image of Paul and Paul’s community which have been obscured in the past.