2010-06-28

跨越社會界限的女性宗教儀式專家

劉一蓉。〈跨越社會界限的女性宗教儀式專家〉。《民俗曲藝》168 (2010.6): 53-78
Liu Yi-jung. “The Experience of Crossing Social Boundaries for Female Religious Specialists in Mei County, Guangdong.” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 168 (2010.6): 53-78.

Abstract

本文試從粵東北梅州地區女性宗教專家—「齋女麻」的人生經歷與宗教活動,探討傳統社會階級與性別階級如何建構女性的宗教經驗;考察她們的宗教生活如何幫助她們超越社會限制,獲得社會權力、經濟自足與自由空間;最後探討她們如何透過宗教儀式,不但幫助芸芸眾生超越人生苦難與宗教文化的宿命,也讓自己遠離無價值、應該被遺棄者的身分,成為芸芸眾生超越人生苦難與宗教文化宿命的幫助者,以及透過宗教活動教化人們的施教者,在社會與宗教職能上都佔重要地位的人。

This essay, based on field research, explores a special religious group of vegetarian women in Hakka area in Mei County, North-Eastern Guangdong. The key issues discussed in this essay, include: (1) how social and gender hierarchies construct women's religious experience; (2) how religious identity offers them a chance to transcend their social limitation; (3) how religious practices these women conduct help local communities transcend their life experience and destiny, while making a change in women's traditional gender role and status.