最近幾年關於儒家與宗教的關係引起不少人的討論，本文以清初許三禮的告天之學來討論這個課題。在這篇文章中，作者認爲晚明的通俗宗教提供了極有影響力的「現世報」的信仰，認爲人可以用自己的手打開命運的大門，這對於基本上認爲「道德」與「幸福」不能輕易劃上等號的傳統儒家是相當大的挑戰。另一方面，宋明理學家是非常「哲學化」的，他們將傳統思想中宗教或神祕的成份去除殆盡。所以當十七世紀的儒者們面臨佛、道，及通俗宗教的衝擊時，並沒有多少資源可以對抗。本文討論理學家許三禮如何一步一步以佛、道教爲模型重新詮釋儒家經典，使之成爲一個類似宗教系統的努力，以及這個個案的思想史意義。雖然在明中葉以降民間宗教蓬勃發展的情況下，像許三禮這種堅持將儒家改成一種宗教的人，可能只是少數。但在理學史中一些陳陳相因的命題之外，許三禮等人對儒學的重新詮釋和改造，無疑有其特殊意義。這個個案研究除了關心明清思想史外，也試著爲清末民初的孔教運動和日據台灣的「儒宗神教」的鸞堂運動，提供了一個歷史脈絡。

In this article, I demonstrate that in the Late Ming and Early Ch'ing, under the challenge of popular religions and Christianity, some Confucian scholars attempted to remold Confucian teachings into a religious system. Wang Ch'i-yüan, Wen Hsiang-feng, and Hsü San-li were three representative figures of this movement. However, this phenomenon has not been studied before. Wang Ch'i-yüan was well studied by Ch'en Shou-i in the 1930s, but Wen Hsiang-feng and Hsü San-i, are virtually unknown to modern scholars. In this essay, I discuss how Hsü, a Neo-Confucianist, gradually moved away from his original beliefs, and intentionally followed Buddhist and Taoist practices to reinterpret Confucian classics as religious canons. I also discuss the historical implications of Hsü's efforts.

明清思想史；宗教化；許三禮

Hsü San-li; religious transformation of Confucianism