“和谐”:亚洲神学的核心范畴

神学最原初的意义是关于神的科学。但对于亚洲人,特别是对于中国人来说,人与"神"打交道,则是为了他们自己当下和将来的生命。这与西方学者对神学的理解有着很大的不同。亚洲神学重在关心生命而较少关心"神",只有在人们关心生命时,"神"才会参与进来。为了生命,人们必须培养人与自然、人与神的关系,并把它们作为对象。因为,正是这些关系决定着生命;正是神、大地、人的和谐,决定着人的命运——只有和谐状态下的和谐方式,才能赋予生命、维持(延长)生命、发展生命。所以,人的生命(和宇宙的生命)可以用"和谐"来表述——"和谐"是生命的形式。在中国哲学中,"和谐"既是生命的手段也是生命的目的。作为手段,处于结合、融合、合成等形式中的"和谐"是最具普遍性和必要性的东西;而作为目的,"和谐"就是幸福。由于和谐是生命的动力、条件和形式,它揭示了宇宙伦理(神学)与人的伦理之间的内在关系,"和谐"本身便可合理地作为规范人与神、人与自然、人与人关系的原理。这就是为什么把"和谐"看作是亚洲神学和伦理学的核心范畴之原因。

Harmony as a Category of Asian Theology

Theology in its most original sense is a science of and about God.But in Asia,especially for Chinese is a human approach to God for the sake of their present and future life.Human life could be presented in harmony.That means,harmony is a form of life.In Chinese philosophy,harmony is at same time the means and purpose.Harmony as means is the universality and necessity in the process of combing and shaping.But as purpose,harmony is happiness.Because harmony is the motivation,condition and form of life,it can conclude the inner relations between universal ethics(theology) and human ethics,and also,the principles that decide the relations of human being,god and nature lie in it.