台灣宗教研究的當代處境與發展前景

本文主要就「台灣宗教學會」成立十八年來的歷史進行簡略回顧，並分析當前所面臨的問題，更進一步提出未來可發展的大方向。本文指出，「台灣宗教學會」的建立與台灣社會解嚴後的民主開放息息相關，而其成員多寡與活動內容，則繫於各大學宗教系、所的消長，近期多所宗教研究學院陸續加入正規教育體制，將帶來量變與質變的結果。為使「台灣宗教學會」健全發展，本文以麥爾斯（Margaret Miles）所提的社會、宗教團體、大學學術社群「三個公眾」為參照指標，敦促台灣宗教學者亦宜在台灣的現實脈絡下，考量自身的學者和公共知識份子雙重身份，以此釐清宗教研究的界圍。本文最後根據目前台灣社會的特色，建議幾個具體的主題，諸如台灣多元宗教的和平共處、全球化發展、修行與宗教經驗、混融現象等，作為宗教學者未來研究的參考。

關鍵字

台灣宗教學會；麥爾斯（Margaret Miles）；全球化；宗教經驗；宗教混融

並列摘要

This paper examines the eighteen year-old history of the Taiwan Association for Religious Studies （TARS）, analyzing its current situation and pointing out the general direction it can take in the future. The paper explains that TARS was initiated by, and built on, the democratization of Taiwan society and that its waxing and waning have been closely related to the increase or decrease of university departments of religious studies. In particular, the recent incorporation of Christian and Buddhist seminaries into the official educational system will have an impact, quantitatively and qualitatively, on the development of TARS. For a healthy future, the paper points to Margaret Miles' ＂three publics＂—the general society, religious groups, academic communities—as references and argues that Taiwanese scholars of religious studies should take their double identity as scholars and public intellectuals seriously and accordingly remap the domain of their academic engagements. At the end, the paper suggests a few themes, such as the peaceful coexistence of multiple religions, the globalization of Taiwanese religions, spiritual cultivation and religious experience, and religious syncretism, for the reader to explore.