研究中国宗教的社会学范式 杨庆堃眼中的中国社会宗教

Sociological Paradigms for Studying Religion in China——Religion in Chinese Society to Ching Kun Yang

本文通过杨庆堃教授对中国宗教极其卓越和具有开创性的研究,来审视中国宗教的社会学范式。杨氏的《中国社会中的宗教》是一部堪称现代经典的华丽巨著,是中国宗教社会学研究的典范之作,是社会学学者研究中国宗教的重要参考书,具有极高的学术价值和理论创新意义。相对于西方宗教的制度性,杨氏提出发散性宗教的概念,指出散开宗教的信仰和仪式有机会发展为有组织的社会体系,同时它是作为社会组织模式整体的一部分,在散开的形式中,宗教发挥着多样的功能,以组织的方式出现在中国社会生活中。杨氏是第一个从宽阔的社会学角度来证明中国宗教存在形式、合理性以及历史传统的华裔学者,对于其后学者的研究奠定了重要的学术基础。

This paper examines the sociological paradigms for studying religion in China on the basis of Ching Kun Yang's innovative,outstanding research in this field.His book Religion in Chinese Society,as a modern classic modeling how to conduct sociological studies on religion in China,has been acknowledged for its high values in academic work and theory building.It is definitely a very important reference book to the sociologists who'd like to carry on this line of research.In contrast to Western institutionalized religion,Yang has put forward the concept of diverse religion,contending that diverse religious beliefs and rituals will have the opportunity to evolve into organized social systems,and at the same time,to function as part of the social organizational whole.In its diversified form,religion is playing multiple functions and exists as a form of organization in the Chinese secular social life.Yang was the first scholar who demonstrated from the broad perspective of sociology the existential form of religion in China,its rationality and historical traditions.His work has laid down a very important academic foundation for later scholars to carry out their research.