「場所」為中心的「宗教活動空間」－變遷中的中國「宗教制度」

The ＂Place＂ Centered ＂Space of Religious Activity＂- The Changes of ＂Religion System＂ in China

李向平(LI Xiangping)

《道風：基督教文化評論》 26期 (2007/01) Pp. 93-114

並列摘要

This article discusses two concepts, ＂institutional religion＂ and ＂religious organization＂, and describes the phenomenon of ＂institution＂ change in the religions of contemporary China. It shows that the professional religious corporation is already separated from the traditional ＂institutional religion＂ and it is constructed as an important structure of the religions of contemporary China. However, the social independence of such professional religious corporation has not been fully developed yet; its social space has been transformed into the ＂space of religious activity＂. Relationships in every religious group are space-positional, not social. Although they have the institutionalized formal reason (Max Weber), they are diffused in the contemporary Chinese social structure. They are unable to show the ＂institutional convergence＂ of religious systems. A unique kind of diffusion, which can be observed in institutionalized religion, is observed in the religions of contemporary China. Therefore, the social expression that the contemporary religions of China should have is limited by the space-position mode. Religion of China is a kind of private faith and shows a religious phenomenon that ＂utility among individual is incomparable＂, because of the shortage of experience of social support.