中国“邪教”的由来与演变

Origins and Evolutions of "Cults" in China

所谓邪教,就是被历代政府、合法宗教和主流社会所排斥的民间教派。如果以中国历史上有代表性的"邪教"活动作为中国邪教演变阶段的标准的话,中国"邪教"大致可分为七个时期:一是道教时期(汉末至隋);二是佛教时期(南北朝隋唐至宋元);三是摩尼教时期(五代、宋元);四是白莲教时期(南宋至明);五是明清秘密教门时期;六是会道门时期(晚清至民国);七是建国后会道门被取缔、镇压与会道门、邪教复苏时期。本文将就中国"邪教"发展的前五个时期展开。

The term 'cult' was often given to folk religions excluded by authorities, recognized religions and mainstream society. In terms of evolving stages of main 'cults' in Chinese history, the evolution can be divided roughly into seven periods: Ⅰ. Taoism (from the late Han Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty); Ⅱ. Buddhism (from the Northern and Southern dynasties to the Sui, the Tang,the Song and the Yuan dynasties); Ⅲ. Manichaeism (the Five Dynasties, the Song and the Yuan dynasties); Ⅳ. White Lotus Society (from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty); Ⅴ. Secret sects in the Ming and the Qing dynasties; Ⅵ. Superstitious sects and secret societies (Huidaomen) in the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China); Ⅶ. Superstitious sects and secret societies banned and suppressed in the early period of P. R. China and then revived. This paper deals mainly with 'cults' in the first five periods.