Into the Religion - A Comparative Study on Conversion Experiences of the Religion

[[abstract]]「皈依」（conversion）是一個多元富雜的現象，它儼然是生命與信仰的交織節點，因著種種複雜的因素，讓人們認識信仰、接觸信仰乃至於深入信仰、成就信仰。 本研究將以道教禪和派、基督教與理教為研究對象，探究造成皈依現象的種種因素，透過文獻的爬梳、實境的走訪儀式空間的現場、與皈依信仰的受訪者多次的問答，試圖探索皈依現象與宗教經驗的種種，從現象當中取材，並將資料回收後進一步化約為本文的四個章節：分別為「反思皈依定義與理論」、「皈依儀式」、「皈依因素」與「皈依後的宗教經驗」四個面向分別討論，人與宗教信仰之間的關係，從如何接觸信仰、參與儀式到深入信仰，甚至是透過信仰而自我轉化，這是宗教信仰之所以特別的所在，信仰帶給主體全新的刺激，並且在主體的整合當中成為全新的個體，這也帶來了更進一步深入的信仰，也帶來了宗教性的自我實現。 本研究以質性方法向三個宗教傳統，共計14位受訪者請益，從三個面向：「皈依儀式」、「皈依因素」與「宗教經驗」來探討宗教信仰與人之間的關聯，始自生命意義以及宗教本質的上為起點開始反思，輔以「儀式」、「初信」到「深信」三個信仰的階段來論述信仰者的宗教生命歷程，並在華人的宗教傳統當中，進一步對皈依與信仰有了更新的認識與體會，而筆者期望從本研究的視野當中，為過去的皈依研究提供新的研究取向與視野，也為未來的皈依與信仰研究提供範例，建立起皈依研究在華人宗教信仰當中的部分通則，未盡之處是本研究的限制，也是將來期待能更為深入的研究目標。 Religious "Conversion" is a phenomenon of diversity and richness. It seems to be the intertwined with life and basic beliefs. The religious conversion process is complicated, with people first becoming aware of the beliefs, coming into contact with the beliefs, and eventually building deeper faith and achievements. This study takes Taoist Zen Harmony, Christianity and Liism as research subjects, and explore the various factors that cause conversion. Through review of the literature, actual visits to the sites of ritual spaces, and interviews with those that have converted to their faiths. Through a question and answer format, this study explores the various phenomena of conversion and religious experiences, gathering data from actual observations, and distilling the data and further reducing them to four chapters of the study. They are: "Reframing the definition and theory of conversion", "Conversion rituals", "Factors leading to conversion", and "Post-conversion religious experiences". This study further explores the relationship between people and religious beliefs, from how they come in contact with religious beliefs, to participating in rituals, to how their beliefs deepen, and even to self-transformation through beliefs. This is why religious beliefs are special. Faith brings to the subject an all-new stimulus, and through the subject’s processing and integration, the subject becomes a new person. This process further deepens an individual’s faith, eventually leading to religious self-realizations. This study uses a qualitative approach to study three religious traditions, and to explore the relationship between religious beliefs and people. A total of 14 interviews are conducted focusing on three aspects: "conversion rituals", "conversion factors" and "religious experiences". The study use the meaning of life and the essence of religion as a starting point for reflection, supplemented by the three stages of "ritual", "new belief" to "deep faith" to discuss the religious life course of believers. I hope that with this research, within the Chinese religious traditions, my understanding and experience of religious conversions and beliefs would be further updated. For past religious conversion studies, I hope to provide a new perspective and interpretation, and for future studies, I hope to be an example. With regards to conversion and religious studies of Chinese religions, it is hoped this study would establish some form of common understanding. Due to the limitations of the study, it is not exhaustive, and it is expected that more in-depth research in these areas would be the goals in the future