民俗学视角下城隍信仰的社会功能初探

A Study on the Social Functions of Chenghuang Belief from the Folklore Perspective

城隍信仰不仅仅是一种民俗事象,还是道教文化的重要组成部分。其所崇奉的人文道德精神,在丰富中国传统伦理文化内涵的同时,也对维系社会群体内部各种关系,鼓励人们抑恶扬善,保持社会稳定、维护社会和谐等方面发挥了独特的功能与作用。但因城隍信仰有着深远的历史渊源和复杂的社会背景,如同其他传承至今的传统文化一样,不可避免地带有一定的迷信色彩,包含一些不能适应现代社会发展与生活的因素,因而必须对其客观认识,科学引导,创新管理,以促进民间信仰与和谐社会建设的现实需求相适应。

Chenghuang belief is a kind of folk custom as well as an important part of Taoist culture. The embrace of moral humanism not only enriches the connotation of Chinese traditional ethical culture, but also has significant functions in maintaining social relationship within the group, advocating people to repress evil and encourage good and maintaining social stability and social harmony. Because chenghuang belief has the profound historical origin and the complex social background, as well as other continuation of traditional culture, it inevitably contains factors of feudal superstition and other factors. It is necessary to establish a mechanism to promote the practical needs of folk belief and the construction of harmonious society.