早期拉丁教父的死亡观评析——以德尔图良、安布罗斯和奥古斯丁为例

Early Latin Godfathers' View of Death: a Comparative Study Based on Cases of Tertullian,Ambrose and Augustine

早年的德尔图良在死亡观上,采取了实用主义的态度,他同情胆怯者,号召人们勇敢面对死亡;晚年的德尔图良成了一名孟他努主义者,因而在死亡问题上采取了偏激的态度,他开始诅咒胆怯者和极力赞扬殉道者。安布罗斯从肉体与灵魂的截然对立出发,认为死亡的本质就是善,因为死亡意味着灵魂离开肉体而获得自由,这种死亡观显然是柏拉图主义影响的结果。作为教会体制代言人的奥古斯丁,则从《圣经》的立场出发重新解读死亡,他认为死亡不是善而是恶,但是这种恶可以被转化为善用;他同情惧死行为,并谴责自杀性的殉道现象,认为这种现象不仅与《圣经》教导相悖逆,而且客观上会鼓动异端邪说,威胁教会统治。

In his youth,Tertullian took a pragmatic attitude toward death;he showed his sympathy for cowards and called people to face death bravely.In old age,as he became a Montanist,Tertullian held an extreme view of death,and he began to put a curse upon the cowards and lauded martyrs to the skies.Starting from the principle of soul-body dualism,Ambrose considered that innate nature of death is good,and that death means soul's freedom from body.This view of death obviously results from Platonism's influence.On the other hand,as a mouthpiece of Church authorities,Augustine made a new interpretation on death in accordance with Bible,holding that death is more of evil than good,but The evil can be turned into a good use;he sympathized with people in their cowardice,and reprimanded suicidal martyrdom,which he considered as an opposition to teachings of Holy Scripture,a fosterer of heresy,and a menacer of Church authorities.Among all the early Latin Godfathers,Augustine's view of death alone was adopted by later Christians.