清末中西祭祖纠纷与中国教民

Ancester Worshiping Disputes Between Christianity and Chinese in the Late Imperial China

在清末中西祭祖纠纷中 ,中国教民扮演了颇为独特的两难角色。清末中西祭祖冲突大多发端于祭产或族产上的纠纷 ,以经济利益的争夺为引子 ,并介入行政、外交等手段 ,从而质变为中西文化冲突的一种模式。因此 ,产权利益的得失 ,是中国教民首先必须面对的严峻问题。同时 ,族群归宿所带来的认同感 ,也严重困扰着中国教民。中国教民在产权利益、族群归宿与外来信仰间无从抉择 ,其摇摆变易的形象 ,反映了身处祭祖纠纷困境的中国教民的两难心态。

Chinese believers of Christianity played a unique role in the disputes of ancester worshiping in the late imperial China. Though the disputes of ancester worshiping stemmed from family property, the fight for family property accompanied by administrative and diplomatic means changed into a cultural conflict. So the property was the first thing which the Chinese believers must confront. At the same time, the identity given by clan group also haunted the Chinese believers. This dilemma reflected the images of Chinese believers who hesitated between the family property, clan group, and a foreign religion.