无神论的幻觉：基督教革命及其时髦的敌人
Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies
大卫·本特利·哈特 / David Bentley Hart
简介 Summary
东正教神学家哈特对"新无神论"的雄辩反击。面对道金斯、哈里斯等新无神论者对基督教的攻击，哈特以深厚的历史学识和优美的文笔，逐一驳斥了他们的主要论点。作者特别关注基督教对西方文明的积极贡献——在科学、教育、人权、艺术等领域的推动作用，同时揭露新无神论者历史叙述中的错误和偏见。这是当代护教学的力作，文学价值与学术深度并重。
Orthodox theologian Hart's eloquent counterattack against "New Atheism." Facing attacks on Christianity from new atheists like Dawkins and Harris, Hart employs profound historical scholarship and elegant prose to refute their main arguments one by one. The author particularly focuses on Christianity's positive contributions to Western civilization—its propelling role in science, education, human rights, and the arts—while exposing errors and biases in new atheist historical narratives. This is a masterwork of contemporary apologetics, combining literary value with academic depth.
📑 章节 Chapters
Ch.1: The Fashionability and Superficiality of New Atheism
哈特分析新无神论现象的文化背景和思想特征。与传统的哲学无神论不同，新无神论更多是一种文化姿态而非严肃的学术立场。道金斯、哈里斯等人的论述充满了对宗教历史的误解和对神学的无知，却因为迎合了现代世俗文化的偏见而广受欢迎。
Hart analyzes the cultural background and intellectual characteristics of the New Atheism phenomenon. Unlike traditional philosophical atheism, New Atheism is more a cultural posture than serious academic position. Arguments by Dawkins, Harris and others are filled with misunderstandings of religious history and ignorance of theology, yet gain popularity by catering to modern secular cultural prejudices.
“The new atheists are not new for the novelty of their arguments, but for their remarkable confidence in the certainty of their conclusions despite the paucity of their evidence. 新无神论者的'新'不在于其论证的新颖性，而在于其对结论确定性的显著信心，尽管其证据极其匮乏。”
“What is most remarkable about the new atheism is not its intellectual rigor but its intellectual complacency. 新无神论最引人注目的不是其思想严谨性，而是其思想自满。”
Ch.2: Deconstructing the Myth of "Religious Violence"
哈特挑战新无神论者关于宗教是暴力主要根源的论断。通过详细的历史分析，作者展示二十世纪最大规模的暴行——纳粹大屠杀、斯大林清洗、毛泽东文革等——都来自世俗意识形态而非宗教动机。真正的统计显示，世俗政权的杀戮远超宗教战争。
Hart challenges New Atheist claims that religion is the primary source of violence. Through detailed historical analysis, the author shows the twentieth century's greatest atrocities—the Holocaust, Stalin's purges, Mao's Cultural Revolution—all stemmed from secular ideologies rather than religious motivations. Actual statistics show secular regimes' killings far exceed religious wars.
“The twentieth century was the most violent in human history, and it was the century in which religious faith was most comprehensively displaced by secular ideologies. 二十世纪是人类历史上最暴力的世纪，也是宗教信仰最全面地被世俗意识形态取代的世纪。”
“More human beings died at the hands of ideologically motivated secular governments in the twentieth century than in all the religious wars in history combined. 二十世纪死于意识形态驱动的世俗政府之手的人数，超过了历史上所有宗教战争的总和。”
Ch.3: The Historical Truth About Christianity and Scientific Development
彻底驳斥"科学与宗教冲突"的历史神话。哈特详细展示基督教如何为现代科学的兴起提供了哲学基础和制度支持。从中世纪大学的建立到现代科学方法的发展，基督教世界观中的理性、秩序和可理解性概念是科学革命的必要前提。
Thoroughly refutes the historical myth of "science-religion conflict." Hart shows in detail how Christianity provided philosophical foundations and institutional support for modern science's emergence. From medieval university establishment to modern scientific method development, concepts of rationality, order, and intelligibility in Christian worldview were necessary prerequisites for the scientific revolution.
“The notion that Christianity has been the enemy of science is not only false but represents a complete reversal of the historical record. 基督教是科学敌人的观念不仅是错误的，而且完全颠倒了历史记录。”
“Modern science arose not despite Christianity but because of Christianity's vision of a rational, orderly universe created by a rational God. 现代科学的兴起不是尽管有基督教，而是因为基督教关于理性、有序宇宙由理性之神创造的异象。”
Ch.4: The Real Story of the Galileo Case
深入分析被新无神论者频繁引用的伽利略案例。哈特展示这个案例远比简单的"科学对抗宗教"复杂得多，涉及个人恩怨、政治因素和当时的科学共识。教会的反应虽然错误，但伽利略的困境主要来自同时代科学家的反对，而非宗教教条的压制。
Thoroughly analyzes the frequently cited Galileo case by New Atheists. Hart shows this case is far more complex than simple "science versus religion," involving personal grudges, political factors, and contemporary scientific consensus. While the church's reaction was wrong, Galileo's difficulties mainly came from contemporary scientists' opposition rather than religious dogma suppression.
“The Galileo affair was not a conflict between science and religion but a conflict between competing scientific theories within a religious culture that generally supported scientific inquiry. 伽利略事件不是科学与宗教的冲突，而是在普遍支持科学探究的宗教文化中，竞争性科学理论之间的冲突。”
“Ironically, Galileo's chief opponents were not theologians but fellow scientists who found his evidence unconvincing. 具有讽刺意味的是，伽利略的主要对手不是神学家，而是发现他的证据不令人信服的同行科学家。”
Ch.5: Christianity's Humanitarian Revolution
探讨基督教对人类尊严概念的革命性贡献。在古代世界，个体生命价值、普遍人权、对弱者的关怀等概念并不存在。哈特论证，这些现代人道主义价值的历史根源是基督教关于人按神形象被造的教义，以及基督对贫穷、受苦者的特别关注。
Explores Christianity's revolutionary contribution to human dignity concepts. In the ancient world, concepts like individual life value, universal human rights, and care for the weak didn't exist. Hart argues the historical roots of these modern humanitarian values are Christian doctrine about humans created in God's image and Christ's special concern for the poor and suffering.
“The idea that every human life has infinite worth simply because it is human is not a natural insight of human reason but a specifically Christian revolution in moral thought. 每个人的生命仅仅因为是人就具有无限价值的观念，不是人类理性的自然洞察，而是道德思想中特定的基督教革命。”
“Before Christianity, the poor and suffering were regarded as unfortunate burdens; after Christianity, they came to be seen as bearing a special dignity. 在基督教之前，贫穷和受苦的人被视为不幸的负担；在基督教之后，他们开始被视为承载特殊尊严的存在。”
Ch.6: The Christian Roots of Art and Aesthetics
分析基督教对西方艺术和美学发展的深远影响。从拜占庭圣像到哥特式建筑，从但丁的神曲到巴赫的音乐，基督教不仅没有压制艺术创造，反而成为西方文化中最伟大艺术成就的灵感源泉。哈特展示基督教神学如何塑造了西方的美学传统。
Analyzes Christianity's profound influence on Western art and aesthetic development. From Byzantine icons to Gothic architecture, from Dante's Divine Comedy to Bach's music, Christianity didn't suppress artistic creation but became the inspirational source for Western culture's greatest artistic achievements. Hart shows how Christian theology shaped Western aesthetic tradition.
“The greatest artistic achievements of Western civilization are incomprehensible apart from the Christian vision that inspired them. 西方文明最伟大的艺术成就离开了激发它们的基督教异象就无法理解。”
“Christian theology provided not only the content but the very categories of beauty that shaped Western aesthetic sensibility. 基督教神学不仅提供了内容，还提供了塑造西方美学敏感性的美的范畴本身。”
Ch.7: The Christian Tradition of Education and Learning
展示基督教对教育制度建立和知识传承的根本贡献。从早期基督教的识字推广到中世纪大学的建立，再到现代高等教育的发展，基督教一直是学习和知识保存的主要推动力。修道院在黑暗时代保存古典文明，大学在中世纪推进理性探索。
Shows Christianity's fundamental contribution to establishing educational systems and knowledge transmission. From early Christian literacy promotion to medieval university establishment to modern higher education development, Christianity has consistently been the primary driving force for learning and knowledge preservation. Monasteries preserved classical civilization during the Dark Ages; universities advanced rational inquiry in medieval times.
“The medieval university, Christianity's great institutional innovation, created the framework within which all subsequent Western intellectual life would develop. 中世纪大学，基督教的伟大制度创新，创造了所有后续西方知识生活发展的框架。”
“If the monasteries had not preserved the texts of classical antiquity, the Renaissance could never have occurred. 如果修道院没有保存古典古代的文本，文艺复兴永远不可能发生。”
Ch.8: Christianity's Legacy in Moral Philosophy
分析现代道德概念的基督教历史根源。即使是声称摆脱宗教的现代伦理学，其关于平等、尊严、正义的核心概念仍然深深植根于基督教传统。哈特论证，新无神论者在批评宗教的同时，却继续依赖于基督教道德直觉。
Analyzes the Christian historical roots of modern moral concepts. Even modern ethics claiming freedom from religion still has its core concepts of equality, dignity, and justice deeply rooted in Christian tradition. Hart argues that New Atheists, while criticizing religion, continue to depend on Christian moral intuitions.
“Modern secular morality is Christian morality with the metaphysical foundations removed—and thereby rendered ultimately incoherent. 现代世俗道德是移除了形而上学基础的基督教道德——因而最终变得不连贯。”
“The moral vision that motivates the new atheists' critique of religion is itself the product of the Christian revolution they seek to undo. 激发新无神论者批评宗教的道德异象本身就是他们试图撤销的基督教革命的产物。”
Ch.9: The Internal Contradictions of Secularism
揭示世俗主义意识形态的深层矛盾。世俗主义一方面声称价值中立和理性客观，另一方面却对传统宗教表现出明显的敌意和偏见。哈特论证，激进世俗主义本身已经成为一种准宗教，具有自己的教条、仪式和不容质疑的信念。
Reveals deep contradictions in secularist ideology. Secularism claims value neutrality and rational objectivity on one hand, while displaying obvious hostility and prejudice toward traditional religion on the other. Hart argues radical secularism has itself become a quasi-religion with its own dogmas, rituals, and unquestionable beliefs.
“Secularism is not the absence of faith but faith in the absence of God—and like all faiths, it has its zealots and its persecutors. 世俗主义不是信仰的缺失，而是对神缺失的信仰——像所有信仰一样，它有自己的狂热分子和迫害者。”
“The secular state that claims to be neutral regarding religion is never neutral regarding irreligion. 声称在宗教问题上中立的世俗国家在反宗教问题上从不中立。”
Ch.10: Rediscovering Christianity's True Legacy
哈特总结基督教对人类文明的积极贡献，呼吁重新认识基督教的真正历史作用。面对新无神论的挑战，基督徒不应回避历史，而应自信地展示基督教如何塑造了人类历史上最伟大的文明成就。真正的历史证明，世界因基督教而变得更加人道、理性和美好。
Hart summarizes Christianity's positive contributions to human civilization, calling for renewed recognition of Christianity's true historical role. Facing New Atheist challenges, Christians shouldn't avoid history but confidently show how Christianity shaped humanity's greatest civilizational achievements. True history proves the world became more humane, rational, and beautiful because of Christianity.
“Christianity gave the world the university, the hospital, the scientific method, human rights, and the concept of progress itself. 基督教给了世界大学、医院、科学方法、人权，以及进步概念本身。”
“To understand the true legacy of Christianity is to recognize that we are all, believer and unbeliever alike, inheritors of the Christian revolution in human thought and practice. 理解基督教的真正遗产就是认识到我们所有人，信徒和非信徒，都是人类思想和实践中基督教革命的继承者。”