论马克思主义宗教功能论的时代化和中国化

Modernization and Sinicization of Marxist Theory on Religious Function

功能是宗教学研究的重要概念。马克思和恩格斯是马克思主义宗教理论的创立者,也是马克思主义功能论的理论源头。据检索,《马克思恩格斯全集》总共使用“功能”14处,使用“职能”2716处,但使用“宗教(的)职能”只有3处。可见功能和职能等词汇虽然是马克思和恩格斯的常用词,但他们只使用了3处“宗教的职能”。这表明,马克思恩格斯对宗教功能的考察还是不自觉的,功能这个核心概念在他们那里还没有经过理性的提炼,没有成为他们相关学说的核心概念,没有转化为研究方法。尽管马克思和恩格斯没有创立“宗教功能论”,但他们给宗教下了许多功能性定义,由此启发了后世研究者加强宗教功能的研究。自改革开放以来,中国学术界高度重视马克思主义宗教理论的研究,也非常注意对马克思恩格斯相关文本的解读。在宗教功能问题上,中国学者没有像包尔丹那样把马克思恩格斯的宗教研究方法归结为功能主义,而是把宗教功能研究与宗教本质研究结合在一起,由此迈出了宗教功能论的时代化与中国化的步伐。段德智教授提出了具有他个人研究特色的、内容丰富的“宗教功能论”。这种宗教功能论以马克思主义宗教理论为理论渊源,以马克思恩格斯关于宗教功能的少量论说为理论要素,吸取了西方宗教学诞生以来所取得的宗教功能研究成果。他的理论是把马克思主义宗教理论时代化和中国化的产物。这是我们中国学者在新时代创建中国式马克思主义宗教理论的必由之路。

Function is an important concept in religious studies.Marx and Engels are the founders of the original Marxist religious theory and the theoretical source of Marxist functionalism.According to the retrieval,The Complete Works of Marx and Engels uses the term“function”14 times and“effect”2716 times,but only mentions“religious function”3 times.It is evident that although terms like“function”and“effect”are commonly used by Marx and Engels,they only employ the phrase“religious function”three times.This indicates that Marx and Engels’examination of the function of religion was still unconscious.The core concept of function had not yet undergone rational refinement in their work,nor had it become a core concept in their related doctrines or transformed into a research method.Although Marx and Engels did not establish a“theory on religious function”,they provided many functional definitions of religion,thereby inspiring later researchers to enhance the study of religious function.Since the reform and openingup,the Chinese academic community has placed great importance on the study of Marxist religious theory and has also paid close attention to the interpretation of relevant texts by Marx and Engels.On the issue of religious function,Chinese scholars did not attribute Marx and Engels’method of religious research to functionalism,as Daniel L.Pals did,but integrated the study of religious function with the study of religious essence,thus taking steps towards the modernization and sinicization of the theory of religious function.Professor Duan Dezhi has proposed a“theory of religious function”that is characterized by his personal research features and rich content.This theory of religious function is rooted in Marxist religious theory,takes the few discussions on religious function by Marx and Engels as theoretical elements,and incorporates the achievements of religious function research obtained since the birth of Western religious studies.His theory is the product of the modernization and sinicization of Marxist religious theory.This is the essential path for Chinese scholars to create a Chinese Marxist religious theory in the new era.