中西民间鬼神形象中体现的宗教世俗化的研究(3)
Folk Christianity is defined as the Christianity practiced by a conquered people; as impacted by superstition as practiced by certain geographical Christian groups, and in cultural terms without reference to the theologies and histories.(Brown, P. R. L., 2003:34)
Deng Qiancheng (1999) has pointed out that Folk Christianity emphasizes the experiences of Christian folk as they seek to connect their religious experience, as expressed in the Bible and the church, to the reality of their lives. In the process, people tend to rely on their understanding of who God is and what God can do for them. This produces an appreciation of the practical effects of what Christianity claims to be on the one hand (formal/institutional religion), and personal experience on the other (informal/personalized religion).
3.2 The Relations between Folk Beliefs and Religions
Religions and folk beliefs are two integral parts in the national culture, and both root in the national consciousness and national spirit. Folk beliefs and religions are interdependent and interactional. Feuchtwang S. (2008) thinks that fork beliefs and religions are exactly the same in the psychological root, which reflects the psychological needs and voices of the grassroots. In popular belief, people find their appropriate gods for blessings and pray, according to their inpidual needs.
There is sometimes tension between the practice of folk beliefs and the formally taught doctrines and teachings of a faith. In other cases, practices that originated in folk beliefs are adopted as part of the official religion. (Johnston, 2001:103) The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship, do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed, to have religious weddings or funerals, or (among Christians) to have their children baptized.
4 The Classic Images of the Divinities and Demons
This part will start to describe the classic similar images in both folk culture and religions and both of Chinese and Western culture.
4.1 The Images of the Divinities: Guanyin Bodhisattva (or Avalokitesvara) and God
Avalokitesvara is the Sanskrit name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Avalokitesvara is the representative god in the Buddhist culture. Since the Buddhism originated from India and changed its concepts with the Chinese characteristics step by step, so did the image of the Avalokitesvara. It has been described as a female through all the centuries by Chinese people, for being metaphorized into the Big Love, sympathy and salvation. And its concrete image has changed a lot through every dynasty and generation. (Song, Du, 2007:58)
Now the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva (or Avalokitesvara) has taken its rooted in the common people. Though the followers of Buddha become fewer, the traditional folk culture has absorbed much more Buddhist culture than the amount which people can realize. Not only some unreligious literary works use the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva to express the concepts of sympathy and forgiveness, but also the daily slangs the public use to sign with emotions. That's the reason why there are folk sayings such as “The Great Merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva Rescues the Needy and Helps the Distressed” when people suffer the bitter and pray for better even he/she is an Atheist or non-believer.
In Christianity, God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. Many Christians believe that God is immanent (meaning that he is with and within all things), while others believe the plan of redemption show he will be immanent later. (Brown C, 2001: 92)
Now most westerners believe God is either the sole deity in monotheism or the monist deity in polytheism. And God is often conceived of as the image of supernatural creator and overseer of the universe by both the religious and non-religious people.