山道期刊
总第四十八期（2021年12月）
| 主题： | 疫症与灾难 包括专题文章六篇、讨论文章一篇及书评五篇 |
| 页数： | 210 |
| 售价： | HK$100 |
编者的话
吴国杰
自从新冠肺炎疫症爆发，全球染疫人数已逾二亿五千万，病逝者超过五百万，数字还未计算检测能力薄弱、无法确定死因的第三世界穷困国家。因着疫情，世界各地人民的生活、经济、出行皆受到不同程度的影响；例如外出要戴口罩，保持社交距离，聚会人数受限，入境须检疫隔离，旅游往来大减，相关行业裁员，失业率因而攀升等等。在这环境下，教会聚会也在相当程度上受到影响，疫情严重、聚会受限期间，教会实体聚会暂停，网上直播、视像对话成为必须的替代模式；即使疫情缓和，实体聚会重开，网上同步也变成新常态。面对这被称为「世纪疫症」的灾难，究竟基督信仰有何资源可帮助教会作出回应，将危机化为转机？今期《山道期刊》以「疫症与灾难」为主题，集合了不同的学者从两约圣经、教义神学、实践神学等角度进行探讨，期望能启迪现代的基督徒如何应对这个时代挑战。
圣经研究方面，今期有两篇专文，分别为何溢信的〈大卫数点人数带来三日瘟疫的难题〉及何善斌的〈天灾人祸与基督社群身分的塑造：析读马可福音十一及十三章的叙事〉。何溢信首先比较撒母耳记下第二十四章和历代志上第二十一章，从而指出后者实为前者的来源；并且，运用互文批判（inter-textual criticism），指出「大卫数点人数带来三日瘟疫」这叙事，实与那些曾描画以色列历史里的重要人物的叙事文本有丰富的互文关系，这些重要人物包括亚伯拉罕、雅各、摩西和约伯；并由此推断，历代志的经文叙事是要让人认识神所拣选的大卫是个优秀君王，他知罪必回转，听从上帝，并且爱惜子民。至于何善斌的文章，他论证马可福音是在圣殿被毁后不久才写成的，并在这个前提下，尝试展示马可福音第十一及十三章的叙事，如何回应此时期发生的地震、瘟疫、饥荒、圣殿被毁等连串天灾人祸，并如何借此塑造初代基督徒的身分。文章展示经文中隐藏许多惹人发出疑问的地方，从而指出马可叙事的真正意思，是重申福音要进入普天下不同族群当中，如此主耶稣那「万国同来敬拜上主」的远象才能实现；因此昔日的门徒，以及今日的基督徒，都当以饶恕的态度，在迫害者面前见证福音，好叫万民归主。
教义神学方面，有两篇专文。赵崇明的〈瘟疫的隐喻〉一方面讨论桑塔格（Susan Sontag）对「疾病的隐喻」的批判，借此提醒读者将疾病、瘟疫污名化对患者所带来的负面影响；另一方面，又引据圣经中的隐喻表述，以及神学家麦菲（Sallie McFague）和根顿（Colin E. Gunton）的研究，肯定隐喻在信仰思考上的角色和功用；借此提醒读者要妥善运用隐喻，特别要留意其可变性和开放性。文章最末谈论瘟疫电影《盲流感》和瘟疫小说《黑死病》的剧情，从人类面对瘟疫时的困境和出路，探讨其中隐喻的含意。另一篇专文是贺志勇的〈疫症中的回应：侯活士教会观给香港教会的启迪〉。文章引据侯活士（Stanley Hauerwas）的见解，指出正确应对苦难的方法，不是尝试寻求种种解释，而是勇于面对。由于教会是培育基督徒品格、以致能忠心向世界见证上帝的群体，因此面对苦难不是个别基督徒的问题，而是涉及整个教会的挑战。教会应透过共同参与苦难、拥抱苦难，来见证上帝的同在，学习如何忠心跟随基督，借此参与祂的拯救计划。
实践神学方面，今期也有两篇专文，分别从道德伦理和基督教教育角度作出反思。叶敬德的〈2019冠状病毒病肆虐下的道德抉择：一个基督信仰的反省〉强调，不论从神创造时交付人类的管家职分，从主耶稣在世时留下的榜样，或是从终末神国完全降临时的角度，基督徒都应该竭力对抗疫症（包括2019冠状病毒病）。基督徒应当在平衡个人权利和社群利益的伦理下，支持非药物性和药物性的抗疫措施，并鼓励医疗资源的公平分配。至于林德平的〈疫情中神学教育的数码化：契机或威胁？ 〉，则针对疫症下急促发展的网络文化，特别是神学教育数码化的实况，作出反思。文章指出，在网络化个人主义的时代，基督徒的网上信仰学习存在着自主性趋显而地方性趋隐的特性。然而，若神学教育的目的──正如法利（Edward Farley）所说的──是培育神学智慧，那就必然包含地方性的向度；如此就需要将互联网构想成「多地方性」而非「无地方」的舞台。
此外，今期还有讨论文章一篇，就是洪子云的〈查尔斯‧泰勒论世俗化与基督教价值〉。文章探讨查尔斯‧泰勒（Charles Taylor）怎样回顾及分析世俗人文主义兴起的历史，从而批判罗尔斯（John Rawls）、哈伯马斯（Jürgen Habermas）等人认为宗教人士要在公共领域避免使用宗教理由和语言的主张。泰勒强调现代许多公共价值如自由、平等，其实都源于基督教的价值。现代所谓的公共理性，其实也有特定的道德架构，并非中立。社会实在没有充分理由将宗教理性排除于公共讨论之外。一如既往，本期还有多篇书评，评阅书籍涉及旧新两约圣经、神学思想、牧养实践等各方面。
期望今期文章能给疫症肆虐下的广大读者带来亮光及安慰，并引导信众群体转眼仰望耶稣，从祂得着力量，在困境中继续活出信仰，为主作美好的见证，荣神益人！
| 编者的话 | 点击查阅 | |
| 专题文章 | ||
| 何溢信 | 大卫数点人数带来三日瘟疫的难题 | Abstract |
| 何善斌 | 天灾人祸与基督社群身分的塑造：析读马可福音十一及十三章的叙事 | Abstract |
| 赵崇明 | 瘟疫的隐喻 | Abstract |
| 贺志勇 | 疫症中的回应：侯活士教会观给香港教会的启迪 | Abstract |
| 叶敬德 | 2019冠状病毒病肆虐下的道德抉择：一个基督信仰的反省 | Abstract |
| 林德平 | 疫情中神学教育的数码化：契机或威胁？ | Abstract |
| 讨论文章 | ||
| 洪子云 | 查尔斯．泰勒论世俗化与基督教价值 | Abstract |
The Problem of David's Census and Three Days of Pestilence
Craig HO
This paper consists of two parts. The first part is a new attempt to settle the problem of priority between the parallel episodes of 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 through intertextual criticism; the second part offers an explanation for the intertextual links between the two parallel episodes with the narratives of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Job. It is found that, contrary to both the generally received view since WML de Wetter of Chronicles' dependence on Samuel and A. Graeme Auld's theory of independent supplementation to a common source ( his hypothetical Book of the Two Houses), the textual differences between 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 are best explained by the dependence of the former on the latter. It is also found that the pericopes of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Job that have strong thematic connections with 1 Chronicles 21 were very likely generated out of 1 Chronicles 21 for the making of these pericopes and for shedding interpretive light on 1 Chronicles 21.
Social Identity Formation of the Christ Group in Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters: A Narrative Criticism of Mark 11 and 13
Sin Pan HO
Both Jews and the Christ group faced many sudden changes in the first century. The situation became acute in the 60s and 70s of the Common Era. Earthquakes, famines, plagues and sudden changes in social order were not uncommon in the Mediterranean world. In the 60s and 70s, the Christ group experienced empire-wide persecutions for being accused of setting Rome on fire. Jews witnessed the destruction of both Jerusalem and their sacred temple in Jerusalem after the Jewish war for independence.
How did the Christ group respond to these natural and man-made disasters? Were their responses different from the Jews?
In this paper, I will investigate the first narrative book of the New Testament: the Gospel of Mark. Mark 11 and 13 are examined from the perspective of narrative criticism, and found that Jesus' words and deeds towards the Second Temple were explicitly portrayed; the narrator intends the narratives to echo with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. The narrator communicates a constructive vision of world mission resulting from natural disasters and the First Jewish Revolt to the first readers. Mark's message is about gospel justice, but it is diametrically opposite to the theodicies in the Jewish literature. As a result, Mark's gospel shapes the social identity of the Christ groups after 70 by making them different from the Jews and more universally embracive. Mark's gospel decenters the cultural traditions of the existing members and focuses more on the aspects of forgiveness and faith-building of Christ's gospel which has been already stated in Mark 1.
With regard to the present contexts in Hong Kong, this exegetical study may offer some insights to local churches concerning how to be more positive and vital in responding to the recent sudden changes in natural and political environments
The Metaphors of Plague
CHIU Shung-ming
Hong Kong and the whole world are facing the ferocity of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The number of infected patients has been on the rise in the world, and the number of casualties is high. What's more, this plague is not only an infectious disease that harms the body, it may also cause collective emotional trauma to the masses of society. As we know, sometimes an emotional trauma is more terrifying than a physical one because it may bring a more profound negative impact to people such as loneliness, alienation, suspicion, depression, anxiety, helplessness, despair and other negative emotions. If certain political factors or ideologies, like the stigmatization of some diseases when they are turned into metaphors, are involved, the problem will be more serious. Faced with this predicament, what theological reflection can we make on this issue?
This article is divided into three parts. The first part discusses Susan Sontag's comments and critiques on the “illness as metaphor,” which aims to show that the general public (including Christians) may easily turn certain diseases into metaphors with negative connotations, and it then leads to the stigmatization of these diseases. Although Sontag criticized the “metaphor of disease,” she cannot deny that people always rely on metaphors to think and understand the world. Moreover, for Christians, the Bible is full of metaphors, which are significant for communicating the meanings of the truth. Actually the study of metaphor in theology becomes very popular in the theological circle. The second part of the article introduces the metaphorical theology of two theologians, Sallie McFague and Colin E. Gunton, which illustrates the important roles and functions of metaphor in theology from their perspectives. Finally, the third part analyzes a plague movie (Blindness) and a plague novel (La Peste, The Plague) and discusses the metaphorical meanings of plague.
Responses to Plague: The Inspiration of Hauerwas's Ecclesiology for the Churches in Hong Kong
HE Zhiyong
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global suffering. There have been many theories to respond to the problem of suffering since ancient times, but Stanley Hauerwas believes that Christians should regard it not as a theoretical problem but a problem of church ethics. He suggests that the church should teach and train the congregation to participate in Christ's salvation work and suffering so that they may acquire the virtue and ability to respond to suffering.
Moral Decisions under the Threat of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Christian Reflection
King-tak IP
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed an unprecedented threat to humankind in the 21st century. Christians may ask whether COVID-19 is a judgement coming from God upon the sin of humankind and what measures we should take in fighting against it. This essay is an attempt to answer these questions.
The first section introduces a Christian attitude toward illness by appealing to the doctrine of creation, the exemplary ministry of Jesus Christ, and Christian eschatology.
The second section provides an analysis of the factors, both internal and external, that caused the virus spread to become a pandemic.
Before drawing the conclusion, the last section deals with four practical aspects, namely, whether fighting the pandemic is an individual or community effort, what measures need to be taken to contain and mitigate the disease, allocation of scarce resources under the threat of COVID- 19, and the development, effectiveness, global distribution of the vaccine and the problem of mandating vaccination.
Digitalisation of Theological Education in the Midst of Pandemic: Opportunity or Threat?
LIM Teck Peng
Digitalisation has become an indispensable strategy for theological education, understood in the broad sense of congregational and seminarian education, to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Starting from the premise that the Internet is not only a media but also a force that shapes online theological education, this paper focuses on the threat of placelessness it brought to online theological education. Tapping into the sociological analysis of network and Barry Wellman's concept of networked individualism, the paper first looks at how networked individualism, with its emphasis on subjective autonomy and downplaying of locality, gives rise to the need of reaffirming the relationship between online theological education and place.
The paper then examines the relevance of Edward Farley's concept of theologia in explicating the locality of theological education. By connecting the concepts of theologia and agency, the present author suggests that the aim of the theological education is to nurture Christian agency (both online and offline ) undergirded by a theological and educated sense of place. The paper suggests how this theologically educated sense of place can be fostered through learning processes that facilitate interpretation of situations in a manner that does justice to both the Christian faith and the multifaceted nature of reality.
Charles Taylor on Secularization and Christian Values
HUNG Tsz Wan Andrew
This article explores the role of religious values in secular societies. Many secular humanists believe that everyone in the public sphere should participate in discussions with public reason, and that religious values and rationality should not be used in the public domain. This paper points out that this secular humanist view involves two aspects: (1) the relationship between reason, language and culture; and (2) the meaning of secularization. Thus, it will explore Charles Taylor's philosophy of language and secularization, and argue that all languages and rationalities are inevitably based on some historical moral structures, and there is no public rationality that can go beyond historical culture. And the article also shows that many scholars mistakenly believe that secularization is the result of rational and scientific development; for Taylor, the process of secularization ( including scientific development) actually originated from the transformation of medieval theology and social changes derived from a series of religious reforms, and the impact of natural theology that was then developed. The development of secularization and the values of secular society are mostly derived from the values and concern of Christianity. If all religions and cultures are excluded from the public deliberation, our deep understanding of and reflection on today's values will be greatly weakened. Finally, the article responds to the anticipated criticism of genetic fallacy, and argues that believers should use both religious and non-religious languages in public deliberation, as there is no strong justification to exclude religious reasons from the public sphere.
