论西方知识分子的清教主义传统及其精神特质

Western Intellectuals'Puritan Tradition and Their Mental Traits

基督教创立时确立的守贫和禁欲的基本伦理信条,在中世纪成为西方清教主义基督徒的修身养性信条,形成了修士们保存学术、苦心研修的处世倾向。在政治黑暗的中世纪,"异端"以致修会及其修道院在宗教生活志趣上大多摒弃了教会的政治嗜好。从修士成长为清教徒式治学精神的大师们诉诸理性和摒弃宗教权威的学术自由精神,促成了中世纪大学的蓬勃发展。新教运动是清教主义基督徒长期积淀形成的关于教会治理结构的政治伦理观念与大公教会治理结构现实的严重对峙之使然。与基督教社会以及长期的教会教育体制相联系,清教主义是西方传统中知识分子的一种基本精神倾向。虽然清教主义者有着属灵需要和获得救赎之宗教目的,但客观上却促进了人类的文明进步和文化发展,成为西方文明、文化乃至人类文明、文化十分重要的创造者和引领者。

Puritan tradition：severe order of religious life and undefiled political and ethical appeal 1. Severe order of religious life：the origin of puritanism It is well known that Christian came into being as a breakaway from Judaism in a time of religious confrontation, national conflict, social instability and great suffering of the ordinary people. At the time of its foundation, the Christianity already established its most fundamental doctrine, i. e. to link the Gospel of Christ closely with the Passion of Jesus Christ, thereby establishing their basic ethical creed：to keep to poverty and abstinence. This is the most basic, characteristic and centripetal conception of Christianity which bears most the sense of affiliation.