英美国家概况-宗教

Chapter8

AMERICANANDBRITISH

RELIGIONANINTRODUCTIONTOTHEENGLISH-SPEAKINGCOUNTRIESThreeGreatWorldReligionsBuddhismIslamChristianityAmericanReligionTheimportanceofreligioninAmerican’slifeReligiouslibertyinUSMainreligiouspreferencesofAmericansFeaturesofAmericanreligionBritishReligionCONTENTS8.1ThreeGreatWorldReligionsTherearethreegreatworldreligions:

Buddhism----

Islam----Christianity----8.1.1BuddhismataglanceBuddhismisatraditionthatfocusesonpersonalspiritualdevelopmentandtheattainmentofadeepinsightintothetruenatureoflife.Buddhismteachesthatalllifeisinterconnected,socompassionisnaturalandimportant.Buddhistsstriveforadeepinsightintothetruenatureoflifeanddonotworshipgodsordeities['di:iti;'di:əti]神

.BuddhismismainlydistributedoverSouthernandEasternAsia.ItssymbolistheLotus.8.1.1Buddhismataglance8.1.1BuddhismataglanceBuddhismis2,500yearsold.Therearecurrently376millionfollowersworldwide.BuddhismaroseasaresultofSiddharthaGautama(乔达摩悉达多，释迦牟尼)’squestforEnlightenmentinaroundthe6thcenturyBC.Buddhismbelievethatnothingisfixedorpermanent---changeisalwayspossible.8.1.1BuddhismataglanceThetwomainBuddhistsectsareTheravada[.θerə'vɑ:də]

Buddhism（小乘佛教）

andMahayana[.mɑ:hə'jɑ:nə]Buddhism（大乘佛教）,buttherearemanymore.Buddhismisaverycolorfulfaithwithmanyfestivalsthroughouttheyear.Buddhistscanworshipbothathomeoratatemple.ThepathtoEnlightenmentisthroughthepracticeanddevelopmentofmorality

,meditation

andwisdom.8.1.2IslamataglanceIslambeganinArabia[ə'reibjə;ə'reibiə]

阿拉伯半岛（亚洲）

andwasrevealed透露

tohumanitybytheProphet['prɔfit]预言者，先知Muhammad[mu'hæməd](穆罕默德).ThosewhofollowIslamarecalledMuslims穆斯林.MuslimsbelievethatthereisonlyoneGod.TheArabicwordforGodisAllah['ælə](真主阿拉).ThewordIslammeans“submissiontothewillofGod”.Islamisthesecondlargestreligionintheworldwithover1billionfollowers.8.1.2Islamataglance8.1.2IslamataglanceAccordingtoMuslims,Godsentanumberofprophets先知

tomankindtoteachthemhowtoliveaccordingtoHislaw.TheybelievethatthefinalProphetwasMuhammad.MuslimsbelievethatIslamhasalwaysexisted,butforpracticalpurposes,datetheirreligionfromthetimeofthemigrationofMuhammad.MuslimsbasetheirlawsontheirholybooktheQur’an/Alcoran(古兰经),andtheSunnah(圣行).MuslimsbelievetheSunnahisthepracticalexampleofProphetMuhammadandthattherearefivebasicPillarsofIslam(伊斯兰教的五功，即宗教义务).Thesepillarsarethedeclarationoffaith,prayingfivetimesaday,givingmoneytocharity,fasting(斋戒)andapilgrimagetoMecca['mekə]

麦加

(atleastonce).8.1.3Christianityataglance8.1.3ChristianityataglanceChristianityistheworld’sbiggestreligion,withabout2.1billionfollowersworldwide.ItisbasedontheteachingsofJesusChristwholivedintheHolyLand2,000yearsago.ChristiansbelievethatJesuswastheMessiah/mi'saiə/(救世主)

promisedintheOldTestament.ChristiansbelievethatJesusChrististheSonofGod.ChristiansbelievethatGodsenthisSontoearthtosavehumanityfromtheconsequencesofitssins.OneofthemostimportantconceptsinChristianityisthatofJesusgivinghislifeontheCross(theCrucifixion[.kru:si'fikʃən;.kru:sə'fikʃən]耶稣受难)andrisingfromthedeadonthethirdday(theResurrection[.rezə'rekʃən]).8.1.3ChristianityataglanceChristiansbelievethatthereisonlyoneGod,butthattherearethreeelementstothisoneGod:---GodtheFather---GodtheSon---TheHolySpiritChristiansworshipinchurches.Theirspiritualleadersarecalledpriestsorministers.TheChristianholybookistheBible,andconsistsoftheOldandNewTestaments.ChristianholydayssuchasEasterandChristmasareimportantmilestonesintheWesternsecularcalendar.8.1.3Christianityataglance8.1.3ChristianityataglanceTheHolyBible8.2AmericanReligionThepeopleintheUSAaregreatloversofreligion.36%---Protestants;24%---RomanCatholicChurchgoers;3%---Jews;2%---OrthodoxChurchgoers30principalgroupsintheProtestantChurchOver3/5ofallAmericanreligiouspeopleareProtestants8.2AmericanReligionTheWashingtonNationalCathedral8.2AmericanReligionTheBasilica[bə'silikə]oftheNationalShrineoftheImmaculate[i'mækjulit;i'mækjəlit]

无过失的

ConceptioninWashington,D.C.,isthelargestCatholicchurchintheUnitedStates.8.2AmericanReligion----CrystalCathedral[kə'θi:drəl],aProtestant新教megachurchinCaliforniaTheSaltLakeTempleofTheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints,inSaltLakeCity,UtahisawellknownsymboloftheChurchandMormonism----8.2AmericanReligionTheIslamicCenterofAmericainMichiganisthelargestmosque[mɔsk]

清真寺intheUnitedStates.8.2.1Theimportanceofreligionin

American’slifeVariousAmericanpresidentshaveoftenstatedtheimportanceofreligion.On20February1955,PresidentDwightD.Eisenhowerstatedthat“RecognitionoftheSupremeBeingisthefirst,themostbasic,expressionofAmericanism.”PresidentGeraldFordagreedwithandrepeatedthisstatementin1974.GallupInternationalindicatesthat41%ofAmericancitizensreporttheyregularlyattendreligiousservices,comparedto15%ofFrenchcitizens,10%ofUKcitizensand7.5%ofAustraliancitizens.8.2.1Theimportanceofreligionin

American’slifeHistoricperspective:FromthebeginningofAmericanhistory,religionsandreligiousbelievershaveplayedacentralroleinshapingpublicpolicyandpoliticaldebate.FormostoftheEuropeansettlerswhocametoNorthAmericainthe17thcenturyfromEngland,FranceandSpain---allnationswithestablishedchurches---asocietywithoutanestablishedfaithwasunimaginable.CatholicswereheavilyDemocratsbeforethe1970s,whilemainlineProtestantscomprisedthecoreoftheRepublicanParty.8.2.1Theimportanceofreligionin

American’slifeAccordingtothestatistics,thereare39AmericanpresidentsaretheChristians,sofar,theUShasjust43presidents.Therestfourpresidentsalsohavecloserelationswiththechurch.---Presidenthasthespecialplaceinthechurch.SinceJamesMadison,eachAmericanpresidenthasbeenabletogototheSt.Johnchurchtogotochurch.---Mostofthepresidentsarereverentfollowers.

PresidentLincolnintheCivilWarperiodoftenenterstheSt.Johnchurchquietlytopray.JohnKennedyistheonlypresidentwhobelievesinCatholicismintheAmericanhistory.---TheAmericandonothopethereligiousinfluencepolitics.8.2.1Theimportanceofreligionin

American’slifeJohnF.Kennedy---the35thPresidentoftheUS;the1stCatholicPresident.---Inaugural[in'ɔ:gjurəl;in'ɔ:gjərəl]

Address(就职演说),January20,1961.---“asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyou;askwhatyoucandoforyourcountry.”---Socialproblemsinhisterm:Racialdiscrimination;AmericaninvasionofCuba;VietnamWar.8.2.2ReligiouslibertyinUSTheLegalIssues“Congressshallmakenolawestablishingreligion,orprohibitthefreeexercisethereof.”---TheFirstAmendmenttotheConstitutionoftheUS.TheFirstAmendmentguaranteesboththefreepracticeofreligionandthenon-sponsorshipofreligionbythegovernment.TheFirstAmendmentseparatedchurchfromstatebutnotreligionfrompubliclife.8.2.2ReligiouslibertyinUSThemovementtowardreligiouslibertyintheUS.---ThemomentousdecisionbytheframersoftheConstitutionandtheBillofRightstoprohibitreligiousestablishmentonthefederallevelandtoguaranteefreeexerciseofreligionwasrelatedtoanumberofreligious,politicalandeconomicfactorsin18thcenturyAmerica.Fromtolerationtofreeexercise.Theperiodbetween1776andthepassageoftheFirstAmendmentin1791sawcriticalchangesinfundamentalideasaboutreligiousfreedom.Fromestablishmenttoseparation.ThedecisivebattlefordisestablishmentcameinthelargeandinfluentialcolonyofVirginia,wheretheAnglicanChurchwastheestablishedfaith.8.2.2ReligiouslibertyinUSThereligiousrevivalsofthe18thcentury,oftencalledtheGreatAwakening大觉醒运动

(1728-1790),producednewformsofreligiousexpressionandbeliefthatinfluencedthedevelopmentofreligiouslibertythroughouttheColonies.Therevivalists’messageofsalvationthroughChristaloneevokedadeeplypersonalandemotionalresponseinthousandsofAmericans.8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansChristianity:59.9%to76%Unaffiliated,includingatheist['eiθiist](无神论者)oragnostic[æg'nɔstik](不可知论者):15%to37.3%Judaism['dʒu:di.izəm](犹太教):1.2%to2.2%Islam(伊斯兰教):0.6%to2.6%Buddhism:0.5%to0.9%Hinduism['hinduizəm;'hindu:.izəm](印度教):0.4%Others:1.4%8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansThelargestreligionintheUSisChristianity,practicedbythemajorityofthepopulation(76%in2008)Protestants(51.3%)Catholics(25%)Mormons摩门教徒(1.7%)ChristianitywasintroducedduringtheperiodofEuropeancolonization.8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansThefivelargestdenominations(教派)TheCatholicChurch,68,115,001membersTheSouthernBaptistConvention(浸礼会),16,228,438membersTheUnitedMethodistChurch(卫理公会)，7,835,987membersTheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints(耶稣基督后期圣徒教会),5,974,041membersTheChurchofGodinChrist,5,499,875members.8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansProtestantGroups:TheBaptists(浸礼会教徒)Methodists(卫理公会教徒)Presbyterians[.prezbi'tiəriənizəm;.prezbə'tiriən.izəm]

(长老会教友)Episcopalians[i.piskə'peiljən;i.piskə'peiliən,i.piskə'peiljən](新教圣公会教徒)8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansNoreligion---Thiscategoryincludedatheists(无神论者),agnostics(不可知论者),humanists(人文主义者),andotherswithnotheisticreligiousbeliefsorpractices.Judaism---AfterChristianityandno-religion,Judaismisthethird-largestreligiousaffiliationintheUS,thoughthisidentificationintheUS,thoughthisidentificationisnotnecessarilyindicativeofreligiousbeliefsorpractices.AsignificantnumberofpeopleidentifythemselvesasAmericanJewsonethnicandculturalgrounds,ratherthanreligiousones.8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansIslamAmericanIslameffectivelybeganwiththearrivalofAfricanslaves.Itisestimatedthatabout10%ofAfricanslavestransportedtotheUnitedStateswereMuslim.ThefirstorganizedMuslimcommunitywastheAhmadiyyaMuslimCommunity,in1921.8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansBuddhismBuddhismenteredtheUSduringthe19thcenturywiththearrivalofthefirstimmigrantsfromEasternAsia.ThefirstBuddhisttemplewasestablishedinSanFranciscoin1853byChineseAmericans.Duringthelate19thcenturyBuddhistmissionariesfromJapancametotheUS.Simultaneouslytotheseprocesses,USintellectualsstartedtotakeinterestinBuddhism.8.2.3Mainreligiouspreferencesof

AmericansHinduismThefirsttimeHinduismenteredtheUSisnotcle