基督教與戰後臺灣地方社會之互動（1949-2014）―以嘉義信義宗教會為例

Abstract

基督教信義宗原為在中國發展之教會，二戰後受到國際局勢影響，轉向香港、臺灣發展。信義宗教會來臺後，一方面延續過去在中國的工作，差派具有中國傳教經驗的宣教士來臺，並在臺灣設置相同的機構。另一方面，差會評估臺灣社會的需要，發展適合地方的傳教策略。是時，信義宗教會選擇在嘉義地區透過「醫療」與「教育」機構與地方社會建立關係，以期開啟本地宣教工作之大門。教會機構具備兩面性，肩負「社會關懷」與「福音」使命，故將教會藉以讓世人知曉「福音」而成立之各種專業性機構，統稱為「福音機構」。 用是，本論文旨在究明（一）國語教會在臺發展之斷裂與延續，釐清信義宗教會在臺灣之發展過程及其定位。（二）戰後教會發展與地方社會變遷之關係，聚焦信義宗教會在嘉義地區之發展，設法瞭解地區時空處境，進一步分析教會本土化所遇到的問題，試圖勾勒出戰後基督教與臺灣發展之圖像。（三）信義宗教會在嘉義地區傳教之策略，以及相關人物介紹。（四）福音機構發展的模式如何影響教會與地方社會。嘉義基督教醫院與基督教協同高級中學為本文之個案，透過「福音機構」與「教會」、「地方社會」三者之間的關係，釐清福音機構運作及其性質，以深究戰後基督教與臺灣社會之互動。 據本論文研究結果，戴德森醫師（Marcy Ditmanson）致力於醫療服務，開啟臺灣信義會早期的臺語宣教工作。1960年代，嘉基在差會與政府政策支持下，逐漸成為當地醫療重鎮，進而支持該宗派一度低迷的教會事工。路德會重視地方教育工作，特派專家齊慕博（Robert Zimmer）來臺服務，並於1967年在嘉義成立協同中學，希望發展學校特色，並鼓勵畢業生接受神學教育。儘管該校未完全達成「宣教使命」，仍以英語教學與直升班獲得地方社會之認同。然社會服務終究無法取代宣教工作，機構的成長不一定有助於教會發展。嘉基和協同中學因其機構性質、教會傳教策略及社會環境之差異，呈現教會與社會互動之不同狀況。 要之，信義宗教會藉由機構回應戰後臺灣社會對於醫療、教育需求，發展地方教會工作。隨著社會變遷，醫院和學校不斷發展專業功能，組織編制亦日益擴大，而教會與機構的關係則視地方社會需要演變出不同之合作模式。另一方面，教會宣教工作成為連結教會與機構資源之重要活動。近年來地區性與海外宣教工作突顯教會機構於信仰層面所具備之功能，亦即福音機構透過社會服務成為連結教會與社會之間的橋梁。The Lutheran Church had originally preached the gospel in China, but changes brought about by the Second World War prompted it to shift its mission to Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Taiwan, the Lutheran Church continued the work that had been done in China, sending experienced missionaries to establish agencies that had previously functioned in China while also assessing how it needed to adjust its strategies in light of local conditions. The Lutheran Church subsequently chose the Chia-yi region as one center for its development on Taiwan, and relied on medical as well as educational organizations as a means of facilitating missionary work in the region by establishing close relationships with local communities. These church organizations constituted agencies with two main functions: social care and evangelism. Due to their role in spreading the gospel, this thesis defines them as evangelistic agencies.

This thesis has four main goals. 1) Considering change and continuity in the spread of Mandarin-speaking churches in Taiwan, in this case the Lutheran Church. 2) Using the Chia-yi region as a case study for analyzing the interaction between Christian churches and Taiwanese communities after the Second World War. 3) Exploring the missionary strategies adopted by Lutheran Church and its followers. 4) Assessing the ways in which the development of evangelistic agencies shaped the relationship between the Lutheran Church and local society. The data for this study derive mainly from case studies of the Chia-yi Christian Hospital and Concordia Middle School, the operations of which can help us better understand the complex links between churches, the evangelistic agencies they operate, and the local communities where they work to preach the gospel.

One of the main findings of this thesis is that Mandarin-speaking churches also devoted themselves to preaching the gospel in Taiwanese, which in the case of Chia-yi’s Lutheran Church was first undertaken by Dr. Marcy Ditmanson through the development of medical missions. Due to the support of Lutheran missionaries as well as the impact of local politics, the Chia-yi Christian Hospital was not affected by the downturn of the Lutheran Church during the late 1960s, but gradually developed into one of the region’s most indispensable hospitals while also working to support the Lutheran Church. Another key finding is that, due to the Lutheran Church’s emphasis on local education, the missionary society sent educator Robert Zimmer to take charge of these affairs in the Chia-yi region, with his efforts culminating in the founding of the Concordia Middle School in 1967. However, while the Church had hoped that this school could develop into an educational institution with Christian characteristics while also guiding students to attend theological colleges after graduation, Concordia Middle School did not end up fulfilling all of these goals, although its performance in English teaching and direct entry programs are highly regarded local society. These developments demonstrate the tensions caused by social service efforts, which in the end often prove unable to replace missionary work, resulting in the development of agencies that may not always facilitate church development. Therefore, in contrast to the Chia-yi Christian Hospital, Concordia Middle School displays a different kind of interaction between the Lutheran Church and local society.

The results of this research reveal that the Lutheran Church has responded to the medical and educational needs of Taiwanese society after the Second World War, working to spread the gospel locally through various evangelistic agencies. At the same time, however, social changes can impact the growth of agencies such as hospitals and schools, thereby reshaping the relationship between churches, their evangelistic agencies, and local communities and prompting the rise of new modes of collaboration. It is also essential to note that missionary work remains a critical means of connecting churches to the resources of their agencies, a factor that in recent years has been highlighted by development in local and overseas missionary projects. As a result, evangelistic agencies such as hospitals and schools end up serving as bridges that link churches to communities through their social work.