人类学与中国宗教研究

Anthropology and Studies of Chinese Religions

人类学历来就关注宗教问题,人类学的中国研究当然也会关注中国宗教问题。长期以来,西方人类学对中国宗教的研究,是将中国与中国宗教作为他者而研究。在这种汉学(或中国)研究范式下,他们的中国宗教研究表现出这样的特点:透过宗教,理解中国及中国社会。中国学者的中国宗教研究主要反映了两种不同的学科进路:宗教学进路的宗教人类学与人类学进路的宗教人类学。不同于前者旨在认识宗教本身的是,人类学进路的中国宗教研究更多的是以宗教为切入口,文化、社会才是其真正的关怀。人类学的中国宗教研究应同时关怀到宗教、人类学、中国三个维度,将宗教视为生活中的宗教,观察宗教信徒具体如何实践宗教,如何形成对宗教的理解,以期呈现更为普遍性关于宗教、关于人性的探讨和认识。

Religion has long been a major research field of anthropology. Anthropological studies of China have also produced much literature on religion. Most Western anthropologists have considered China and Chinese religions as the Other, and their research seem to have something in common： to study Chinese religions is to understand China or Chinese society. In other words, religion itself is not their ultimate concern, though it is the central topic. We argue that an anthropological study of religions in China should integrate three dimensions, namely religion, anthropology and China. Such an approach, by regarding religions as religious in life and observing how believers practice religions and develop their understanding of religions, will promote both understanding of Chinese religions and Chinese society, contributing to a more general understanding of religion, cultural changes and humanity.