一个早期的世界网络:欧亚宗教

横亘欧亚大陆大部分地区的宗教在公元前4000年到公元200年间得到了创造性的蓬勃发展,这一时期的思想、艺术、实践得以集中共享。由于历史原因,存在于西方文化长廊末端的基督教与东方佛教之间的联系在大约5-15世纪间开始大量减少,15世纪以后,这种关系进入了重建期。基督教和佛教这两种彼此“分离”的宗教看起来十分不同。尽管每种宗教都有其自身的历史,但就其本质而言,诸宗教之间则存在着许许多多的关联。信仰间的对话不是必须的,但欧亚宗教最好被视为一个错综复杂的网络,在这个网络里,制度化的“宗教”是这个复杂网络的服务器。宗教的“象征符号”可被视为某种类似于DNA解码序列的东西。

An Early World-Wide Web :Religions of Eurasia

A rich, abundantly creative ocean of religiosity developed between 4000 BC and 200 AD across large areas of Eurasia. Ideas, art and practices were intensively shared.For historical reasons, contact between the Christianity of the Western end of the cultural corridor and Buddhism at the Eastern end was much reduced from about the 5th to the 15th centuries, and by the time contact was re-established, the two separate religions looked quite different to one another. Although every religion has its own history,...