並列摘要
The hope brought about by Christ's resurrection leads us beyond Asian ancestor respect or Western ancestor neglect into a community for the living and the dead: It is a community of hope and a community of everlasting life there. There are three theological reasons for developing Christian forms of honoring one's ancestors: (1) As an extended application of 1 Cot. 7:14, the ancestors can be brought before the divine presence to shape the familial connection within God's blessing; (2) based on Rom. 14:9, the Christian community is a community in Christ of the living with the dead, and of the dead with the living; (3) the Apostle's Creed affirms and 1 Pet. 3:18 indicates Christ descended into the realm of the dead as the first act of his resurrection. Although one cannot through prayer do anything for the salvation of the dead, yet through the act of prayer, we live in their spiritual presence. One's ancestors no longer appear in the light of some mythical origin, but rather in the light of the future resurrection of the dead and in the common hope for the ”life of the future world.” As for the West, honoring ancestors brings the awareness to people that their ancestors have left an enduring imprint on their lives. Both the sins and suffering of one's forefathers have an effect on the children. Through the act of remembrance, one avoids repression and healing in Christ becomes a possibility.