中国科举制度与道教——以梓潼梦为中心的考察

梓潼梦是古代士人祈求梓潼神保佑中举的梦境。梓潼神主管科举桂禄的神格衍生出梓潼梦的仙话传说，是揭示道教与中国梦文化关系值得研究的问题。史籍中关于梓潼梦的各种灵验故事，是士人企盼科举成功心态的社会记忆。唐宋时期蜀中士人的各种梓潼梦故事，丰富了中国梦文化的内容，也反映出中华文昌文化的思想内涵。梓潼梦所彰显的文昌帝君司禄主功名的神格，奠立了士大夫阶层崇拜文昌帝君的格局。梓潼梦故事在科举制度下的流行，反映了道教对科举制度的神学影响。唐宋以来社会上流传的梓潼梦故事，是中国科举制度与道教神仙信仰相结合的产物。宋代道教宗师通过编撰褒扬梓潼帝君灵验的经书、用于祭祀梓潼帝君的斋醮科仪、供信仰梓潼神的文士受箓所用的文昌箓，对梓潼神进行道教神学的提升，以彰显梓潼梦的感应功能。通过一系列对梓潼神的道教化改造，宋代以后道教已建构起文昌帝君信仰体系。道教对梓潼梦灵验故事的特殊建构，道教的梓潼神成为中国社会专掌司禄的文化大神，深刻影响了古代拳拳于科举的士人。     

Pictures of you: God images,gun ownership,and empowerment in the United States

Objective

In the current study, we seek to shed new light on the role of religion in American gun culture by considering whether images people hold of God affect the probability of gun ownership and the experience of empowerment through guns for religious Americans (i.e., the extent to which owners derive security, identity, and status from their guns).

Methods

We analyze nationally representative data from the 2021 Baylor Religion Survey in the United States. Binary logistic and ordinary least squares regression models were used.

Results

We failed to observe any associations between God images and gun ownership. However, among gun owners (n = 430), belief in an engaged God was associated with lower levels of gun empowerment, while belief in a judgmental God was associated with higher levels.

Conclusion

God images may contribute to the experience of empowerment through guns by representing spiritual connection and intimacy or divine anger and retribution. We suggest that future research delve deeper into the intersection of God images and gun-related beliefs and behaviors.