鴿子與聖靈 : 一個聖經中的象徵詮釋

Abstract

在基督新教的《聖經》中經常以不同的象徵描述聖靈，鴿子無疑是聖靈最具代表性的象徵。本篇論文嘗試解答兩個問題：為什麼四卷《福音書》的作者均以鴿子象徵聖靈？以鴿子象徵聖靈有什麼特殊的涵義？這是在第一章中所作的介紹。\n\n 第二章探討象徵的詮釋理論，本文採用塔特（W. Randolph Tate）的詮釋方法為理論依據，以文本後面、文本裡面和面對文本的三個層面詮釋這個象徵。第三章尋找鴿子的蹤跡，遠從美所不達米亞古代蘇美女神伊南娜談起，陸續探尋巴比倫女神伊斯塔、敘利亞和迦南女神阿斯塔特。接著探討克里特島的米諾斯文明發現的鴿子女神和古希臘的性愛女神阿芙羅狄特，這些女神與鴿子密切連結。鴿子也作為預兆鳥，還有為宙斯說出神諭的女祭司被稱為鴿子。\n\n第四章探究《聖經》中的鴿子，研究鴿子在《舊約聖經》和《新約聖經》中的多種形象，另外研究名為「鴿子」的先知約拿。第五章探討聖靈在《聖經》中近似鴿子的特質、《舊約聖經》和《新約聖經》聖靈觀念的區別，以及兩約之間聖靈觀念的演變。\n\n第六章以《聖經》中其他聖靈的象徵物，探討鴿子獨特作為「感情象徵」的特質。並從前面數章的研究，歸納整合鴿子象徵聖靈突顯的宗教形象。第七章依據塔特的詮釋方法，歸納所有的探討作出結論，鴿子象徵聖靈乃是《福音書》的作者獨一無二最佳的選擇，鴿子是傳信者，象徵和表達神的智慧，傳達聖靈帶給這世界的愛。

The Holy Spirit is frequently referred to in symbols in the Protestant Bible. Among those, a dove is undoubtedly the most representative of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. This thesis tries to answer two questions: Why the authors of the four Gospels used a dove as the symbol for the Holy Spirit? As a symbol for the Holy Spirit, what is the dove`s specific significance? This is introduced in Chapter one.\n\nAccording to the theory of hermeneutics of W. Randolph Tate, Chapter two of this thesis interprets this symbol from three dimensions: The World Behind the Text, The World Within the Text and The World in Front of the Text. Chapter three looks for its footstep in the ancient world, beginning from Mesopotamia - the Sumer Goddess Inanna, also called Ishtar in Babylonia. She became the Syrian and Canaanite Goddess Astarte. In Crete there was Dove-Goddess, and ancient Greek people worshipped Aphrodite. These Goddesses and doves are intimately associated. The dove was also the bird of choice for omens. Amazingly, even the priestesses who announced Zeus` oracles were called \"doves\".\n\nChapter four studies doves` images in the Bible, including Prophet Jonah (His name means \"dove\"). Chapter five discusses the concept of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and in the time between two Testaments.\n\nChapter six compares the other symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible with dove. The dove was a unique \"emblem of affection\". From all the discovery and studies in the previous chapters the thesis attempts to portrait a conclusive religious image of doves in the ancient world. Chapter seven concludes the thesis in line with the interpretative theory of three approaches done in the previous chapters. To conclude, in search for symbols for the Holy Spirit, doves are the best choice of the authors of the four Gospels. Doves are messengers, symbolizing and delivering the wisdom of God to the world, at the same time conveying the love from the Holy Spirit.