城隍神的构造原理:法律与宗教互动的古代中国经验

超出世俗理性主义的法史研究模式,重建古代中国法律与宗教的真实联系,颇有必要。古代法官的司法经验中附着于城隍神身上的“神迹”不完全是神道设教的虚构,而可能是真实的个案。城隍神作为正义守护神的构成原理具有四个部分:儒法合流的理性主义法律体制不足以解决法律全面实施的难题;神道设教的传统国策可以发挥神灵震慑的作用;只有在城隍神的法庭上才可能实现远比国法所能企及的更大的正义,就是使一个人对其生前死后一切行为负责的因果报应正义;源源不断的报应故事使神迹和神明建立起了因果联系。还原正义守护神的构成原理有助于理解为什么与宗教疏离的法律会失灵。

The City God and the Interaction of Law and Religion as It Was in Traditional China

With focusing on the formative mechanism of the City God as the God of Justice,the actual interaction of Chinese law and religion can be fleshed out.The“miracles”attached to the City God in the judicial experience can not be simply dismissed as fictional.There are four parts of the rationale of the formation of the Chinese God of Justice:the rationalist legal system of Confucianism and Legalism is not sufficient to solve the problem of full implementation of the law;the traditional imperial policy of education through deity is ready for a patron god for judges;the karmic justice that holds people before and after death responsible for all the misdeeds can only be fully done in the court of the City God;a steady stream of retributive justice stories establish a causal link between miracles and the City God.Understanding the rationale of the City God as the God of Justice can help us understand why law will not work if it has no interaction with religion.