三蚊上帝 :: $3 worth of God

Read this from Ben Witherington:

I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please - not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine.

I don't want enough of him to make me love a foreigner or pick beets with a migrant worker.  I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of a womb, not a new birth. 

I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.  I'd like to buy $3 worth of God, please. 

My Chinese paraphrase:

請給我三塊錢上帝 — 那剛好不致令我心靈震撼或者輾轉無眠，只讓我感到無比溫馨，有如一杯熱鮮奶或者陽光下的小睡。

我不需要足夠斤両的上帝，我不想真的愛異族人或者體驗外勞苦況。我只想要亢奮的喜樂，不想要生命更新；我只想要母腹的溫暖，不想要離開母腹的新生。

請把一磅永恆用紙袋包裝給我。我買三塊錢上帝就夠了，謝謝。

好一個 「無痛信仰」淋漓盡致的表達，而且真實存在於無數自稱為基督徒的人之間，跨越國界種族文化。

這種 「無痛信仰」的神學淵源，極堪玩味，有精力的時候再談。

虐殺懷孕婦，輕判囚半年 :: man who abused & killed a pregnant female jailed for only 6 months

Just because the pregnant female is not a human being but a barking deer, major newspapers in Hong Kong call this a 'severe punishment'. 

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只因為被虐待、殺害、造成一屍兩命的，是赤麂 (粵音讀「己」)，不是人，報紙都形容為 「重判」、「重囚」。

無話可說，只想講句：他爸爸的!

名氣逼人? :: who's afraid of Oxford?

Oxford finds it hard to attract people from Hong Kong and China to enrol in their short courses.  A certain department head there claims that it is because people are put off by the big name of Oxford and dare not apply.  Just look at the price and you'll know she is kidding.  Who would pay £980 per week for a 'course' that offers little substance?

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牛津大學短期課程乏人問津，專程到香港跑龍套的語言及文化研究系總監Katie Gray認為是名氣負累：「不止是大陸和香港，其他歐美以外的人，都被牛津大學四個字嚇怕。」(4月22日《明報》)

真是自抬身價得噴飯。(還是嘔飯？)

實情是：

『為期一至五周的「體驗牛津生活短期課程」，每周費用980鎊（約1.5萬港元）』

『專為英文教師而設的「英語教師研討班2008」，適合以教授英文為第二或第三語言的中、小學及大專教師，課程為期半個月，費用1710鎊（約2.65萬港元）。沒有特別的學歷要求。』

很明顯，嚇怕人的，並非 「牛津大學」四個字，而是 「980」、「1710」這些數目字。

如此 「課程」，既無學歷要求，對象大包圍，有料到極都有限。塞幾皮野入佢袋，想死！

正如十多年前Bill Clinton用的競選口號說：It's the economy, stupid! 

我也想說，It's the pricing, stupid!

恐怖香港 『人』:: a scene of no significance

This is a (supposedly very recent) scene from Hong Kong.  When two women apparently try to kill themselves by sitting/lying on the railroad,  onlookers on the platform are more concerned with the disruption to their travel and with getting rid of the 'obstacles' as quickly as possible.  If Mengzi (aka Mencius), the ancient Chinese sage, is right that mercy-compassion is a defining characteristic of being human, then, well?  

 

 

請留意收聽現場旁觀者熱烈的評論，看看他們不斷指指點點的肢體語言。(聽不懂粵語的，請看下面中文字幕。)

兩位女士坐/臥在鐵路軌上，由工作人員抬回月台上。

月台上的旁觀者最關心的是甚麼？

當然 (當然？？？) 不是坐/臥軌者的苦衷、動機、命運、悲情、故事，而是：(精句paraphrase，附華文解說)

• 你咁坐係度做咩呀，阻住咁多人 (你坐在這裡幹嗎，妨礙這麼多人)
• 成十幾人都搞佢唔掂，有冇搞錯 (十多人都解決不了，有沒搞錯)
• 抬走佢先啦，阻住晒，趕時間丫嘛 (把她搬走吧，妨礙我們趕時間嘛)
• 死就去第恕死丫嘛，阻住晒 (要死到別的地方去死，別妨礙我們)
• 掟佢落街啦 (把她扔到街上吧)
• 如果係大陸，一槍打死佢添呀 (如果在大陸，準一槍把她幹掉了) 
• 係咪香港人黎架，咪揾D咁野搞丫(是香港人的話就不會這樣亂搞) 
• X！你兩個係咪gay架？搞唔掂呀？(媽的，是同性戀的，有問題解決不了吧？)
• 跟本唔係想死既，想死就跳落去啦，搞死既 (根本不是真的想死的，搞搞而已)

全片唯一一句 『人話』，是在00:23那刻，有位似乎是指揮的鐵路職員回頭，向月台上的觀眾說了一句：「你D人真係離晒譜」(你們真過份)。

我想起了中學時候讀過的 「乍見孺子將入於井...」。

孟子曰：無惻忍之心，非人也。

鄰國極品 :: eating cross culturally

I had 2 consecutive suppers of fish and chips earlier this week.  Such a 'dish' is quite contrary to the average Chinese (or at least Cantonese) taste, but I actually love it.  It is something I wouldn't eat when outside of the UK, though.

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本週初連續吃了兩天鄰邦英格蘭的首本名菜 —— 炸魚薯條。

第一天興之所至失驚無神在Ben同學樓下買到府上吃，每份£4.8。某嫂嫂問我怎麼樣，我說：可以吃。

跟著那天更加失驚無神，離開學院之後，途中經過那被飲者評定為全城最佳街坊意大利餐廳的Vittoria旁邊的外賣店Eatalia's買回家吃，每份£5.5。這家吃過三四次了，我的評價是：不錯。魚和炸漿的質素都比四鎊八那家稍高。(頭一遭吃Eatalia's，還是去年卡卡西+烏鴉伉儷離開愛丁堡之前到我的 『無聊齋』踩場時買來的。)

傳說中還有一家全城最佳的炸魚薯條店，在舊城Royal Mile，每份七鎊多，我就無緣也捨不得領教了。

根據粗口廚神Gordon Ramsey教落，炸魚薯條第一講求魚的質素，要用新鮮haddock，即儘量就地取材而非從九千里外運來；第二講求炸漿的成份。但是，他們好像沒有想過把魚稍微醃一醃，那大概會令人吃得更為過癮。這 「不醃」不知是否英格蘭烹調的特色。

老實說，這等東西，若非人在不列巔聯合王國，根本不會找來吃。

如果在香港，肯定怕熱氣，只不過在蘇格蘭根本不會有 「熱氣」這回事。

對於吃甚麼都講求新鮮嫩滑的一般華人 (也許只是香港/廣東人) 來說，更會嫌它那片魚 「諧烚烚冇厘味道」。

至於無數永遠以自己習慣/口味為判斷世界唯一準則、從無興趣放開胸懷真正接觸異文化的香港人，炸魚薯條只是 「鬼佬唔識食」的具體表現而已。

如是，吃炸魚薯條，只表示我等學子口味淪落崇洋媚外棄典忘祖乜乜物物。

豈不知，對於長年節衣縮食勤工儉學百年孤寂不足為外人道的遊子，偶然簡單一份炸魚薯條，其實比 「黯然消魂叉燒飯」更叫人感動。

Krister Stendhal, 1921-2008, etc.

I learnt on Tuesday (from Inhabitatio Dei) that Krister Stendhal, famous New Testament scholar, professor emeritus of Harvard Divinity School, retired Bishop of Stockholm, just rested in peace that morning.  By virtue of his article 'Paul and the Introspective Consciousness of the West', he is in fact the earliest pioneer in the New Perspective on Paul.  Although apart from this I know very little about his stuff, in the Chinese notion I should consider Stendhal one of my 'academic grandparent' — he was in fact the advisor of my first major professor in theological study.

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星期二晚從Inhabitatio Dei那邊得知，哈佛神學院榮休新約教授、瑞典斯德哥爾摩退休主教Krister Stendhal，剛於當天早上離世。

Stendhal是活躍於上世紀下半期的重要聖經學者，可說是啟動了近二十年反轉新約研究界的 『保羅新觀』最早的先驅；他那篇影響深遠的文章 'Paul and the Introspective Consciousness of the West' ，質疑路德宗神學對保羅的理解 (他自己是瑞典路德宗牧師)，比E.P. Sanders後來的幾部經典還要早。(無知的人啊！我一直只知那是他那本Paul Among Jews and Gentiles (1976) 裡面其中一章，現在才知道原來原作出版於1963年！)

我雖然沒有認真/直接領教過Stendhal的東西，但認親認戚地說，他應該算是我的 「師公」呢 —— 他是我的神學啟蒙恩師早年兩位指導教授之一。記得當年恩師偶爾提到Krister Stendhal，雖然已經相隔廿年，還是娓娓道來。剛收到他回我的電郵，提到他老師的時候仍說，'He had a lot of influence upon me.'

是的，我恩師本來出身是個新約學者，卻跨科去搞社會倫理。我當年膽粗粗扮搞新約，大概也是受恩師的風範感染。如今繞了一個大圈，扮晒野做甚麼跨學科研究，原來都脫不掉恩師的legacy。

• 延伸：obituary from Harvard Divinity School

愛丁企鵝小長征 :: Edinburgh penguin march

 

每天下午，愛丁堡動物園都有一些企鵝自發組織出來散步，

順便觀賞人類百態。

今天共有九位朋友參與。

「嘩，今天好多人來給我們看喔！」

 

其他的，都忙著吃午餐，

或者寫論文。

 

跟他們和他們的鄰居跨文化相處一個下午，

產後抑鬱好多了。

謝謝各位動物。

神本教會 :: God-oriented churches

I read something online which  dichotomises between the so-called 'God-oriented churches' (where you can hear the voice of God) and 'human-oriented churches' (where you only hear human voices).  Views such as this one, which might be quite popular among some Christians, are in fact twisted and dangerous, for the following reasons:  1. What they regard as the 'voice of God' is often only the voice of a few people, or even a single person, speaking in the name of God.  2. The God in Hebrew and Christian scriptures is more 'human-oriented' than oriented to God-self.  3. Hence, the quest for such 'God-oriented churches' is futile and tend to end up in self-inflicted disillusionment of the seeker. 

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早前偶然碰到一篇網誌上的短文，大意是說世界上有兩種教會：一是 「神本教會」，在那裡你可以聽到神的聲音，看到神的作為；另一種是 「人本教會」，只聽到人的聲音 ... 等等等等，諸如此類。

一看驚心動魄，隨即搖頭嘆息。

這種把事情二元對立非黑即白的論調，很可能普遍流傳於不少教會信徒之間，大概屬於流行而扭曲(popular but twisted)的觀念。我本來想說這種說法 「有問題」(problematic)，但始終覺得這樣說太溫和，不足以表達它的危險。

首先，他們所想像的那種 「神本教會」其實是不會存在的。那所謂 「神的聲音」，很多時候其實是少數幾個人，甚至一個人的聲音；那幾個人/一個人以自己為神的代言人，奉天承運，權威無上，不聽他(們)那一套就是不聽從神。

所以，若以為在那裡聽不到人的聲音，其實是聽不到 「眾人」的聲音，只聽到自我神化了的 「一個人的聲音」。那比 「眾人的聲音」離開 「神的聲音」可能更遠。

第二，那種所謂 「神本教會」更加是不應該存在的。(NB：不! 應! 該! ) 在正統的猶太-基督宗教信仰裡面，其中一道非常重要的信仰傳統，就是：「神」也是以 「人」為 「本」的。

當人只顧到聖殿獻祭，天天唱詩祈禱哈利路亞夠晒 「神本」，卻蝦蝦霸霸惡死能登沒有 「人本」的時候，上主勃然大怒實行翻檯媽叉，說最頂唔順你地咁多崇拜唱詩祈禱會，唔該行遠D。(以賽亞書1:11-17, 特別注意第17節)

真正的敬虔是甚麼呢？就是照顧患難中的孤兒寡婦，並且醒醒定定，不與邪惡的勢力同流合污。(雅各書1:27)

正因為上帝本身也是以 「人」為 「本」的，所以才會有道成肉身這樣的驚世之舉。

正因為上帝以 「人」為 「本」，所以若有任何人透過基督與神修復關係，那對神來說就 (等同) 是一次 「新的創造」。保羅竟然動用到一套cosmic language來形容一個人接受上帝的舉動，還有更加大陣仗的事嗎？(哥林多後書5:17)

第三，由於這樣的 「神本教會」並不存在、不會存在、不應該存在，追尋這樣的教會便等同追尋一個虛幻的境界，只會帶來不絕的失望和痛苦，結果就是一個自己招致的理想幻滅 (self-inflicted disillusionment)。揾鬼可憐。

真正 「神本」的群體，必須也是 「人本」的。

任何把所謂 「神本」與 「人本」對立起來的信仰，都是扭曲的屎片神學 —— 因為它沒有認真看待基督 「道成肉身」這個基督信仰裡最核心最重要最珍貴最indispensable的道理；因為它沒有正視整部聖經正典對上主的描繪，陷上主於自我膨脹的不義；因為它無緣無故地增加人的困惑和煩惱。一句講晒：教壊人。

the messiness of life and, therefore, of theology

Life cannot be lived as a theory, not even when lived theologically. Though theology's cognitive aspect functions as a framework within which one chooses to live, neither this nor any other such framework (philosophical, political, ethical) is 'pure'. The practicalities of living intervene, and it is right and proper that they should. This reality of 'unsystematic living' ... confirms the importance of living as both embodied and influenced, even shaped, by both habits and interruptions, the precise content of which is not predictable or controllable.

Clive Marsh, Cinema and Sentiment: Film's Challenge to Theology (Paternoster, 2004), 132.

贈慶 :: blessings

Two former colleagues + good friends of mine are getting married in Hong Kong tomorrow. From half way round the Globe, I wish them the whole world! Cheers!

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明天，是他們的大日子。遙送祝福。

今天新娘子的MSN 個人狀態說：April 11 - natural high day。

今夜，相信他們極度忙碌兼興奮兼亢奮兼唔知咩，大概也暫時不會看到我這段祝福，心領神會就好了。

跟新郎共事多年，拍過膊頭拍過檯面攬頭攬頸媽叉火拼乜都試過，都算不得甚麼，都過去了，只有情永在。

跟新娘子本來只是hello你好哈哈哈之交，碰巧她到倫敦讀書那年我也到了愛丁堡讀書，他鄉故知，天涯何處，就在MSN裡相熟起來。

後來他倆在倫敦請我飲茶，之後又帶同他的大作《瑪莉之吻》來愛丁堡隆重首映；那幾天的相處，讓我看到他真的很疼她，她也(或者應該說 「更」)疼他 ...

The rest is history。

謝謝他們分享自己的故事，謝謝他們讓我有幸成為他們 『結婚網誌』其中一個最早的訪客。

只是我一看到他們那個網誌的名稱，才恍然大悟馬上戚然，知道非要向輝哥鄭重道歉不可 ...

許多許多年前，輝哥為自己提議一個講電影的電台節目環節，取名《輝多語戲》，我劈頭就說這個名字不明所以莫名其妙唔知講乜，唔用得；輝哥欲語無言甚冇癮。如今對照他們的 『結婚網誌』，頓然驚覺老夫當年真箇不解風情，不知輝哥心思細密。

今夕高調地遙寄祝福，順便靜靜雞低調地誠意道歉，望輝哥見諒。

A Film is Never Only a Film

** Dedicated to my last batch of colleagues in television and film (yes, film!) productions, 2000-2003 (you know who you are, and you who know who you are know what I mean); with ambivalent memory of the good (though turbulent) old days.

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14 theses on the interrelationship between the cultural role of theology and the practice of film-watching:

1. Life's disjointedness takes some handling.

2. Spirituality is best understood as 'life structure'.

3. Spirituality without theology is vacuous.

4. The practice of theology makes integrated living easier.

5. To see film-watching as a spiritual discipline does not spoil the watching of a film.

6. A film theatre is never only a film theatre.

7. New ways of 'being church' will include finding ways of respecting people's cinema-going habits.

8. It is better to go to the cinema than to watch a film at home.

9. Film critics and film studies lecturer need to be better informed about religion and theology.

10. Theologians and religious studies lecturers need to be better informed about popular culture.

11. Religion could itself be revitalised through critical film-watching. Film-watching could be enhanced by relating to critical theology.

12. Emotionally conscious theology is not only for charismatics.

13. The question of what and who 'God' is remains vital throughout.

14. The only theology worth bothering with is a culturally informed and culture-critical theology.

Clive Marsh, 'A Film is Never Only a Film', in his Cinema and Sentiment: Film's Challenge to Theology (Paternoster, 2004), 132-147.

Gifford Lectures video stream

While our own Professor David Fergusson is delivering the Gifford Lectures series in Glasgow University these 2 weeks, the whole Gifford series in Edinburgh last month is now available to be heard/watched online.

It was given a month ago by Professor Alexander Nehemus (humanities, philosophy, comparative literature) of Princeton University.

The title of the whole series was:

'Because it was he, because it was I: Friendship and its place in life.'

The topics and videos (wvx) of the sessions are here:

1. Friendship in Art, Literature, and Philosophy: a Poor Subject

2. The Aristotelian Background: Ancient Philia and Modern Friendship

3. Because it was He, Because it was I: Loving our Friends for Themselves

4. Friendship in Drama, Film, and Television: the Significance of the Unimportant

5. Friendship, Politics, and Morality: a Clash of Values

6. The Good of Friendship: Freedom, Autonomy, and the Self

**********

Personally, I am actually more interested in Prof. Fergusson's topics.

• The new atheism: historical roots and contemporary context.
• The implausibility of religious belief: claims and counter-claims.
• The genesis of religion: can Darwinism explain it away?
• Religion, morality and art: invention or discovery.
• Is religion bad for our health? Saints, martyrs and terrorists.
• Sacred texts: how should we treat them?

Going over to Glasgow a few times a week is a bit far. Just hope that Glasgow will also put it online soon, or I'll have to wait for the book to come out. (Still, just reading the book, you'll miss the beauty of a Scottish gentleman lecturing.)

跨文化三寶金銀麵煲 :: cross cultural noodles

On Monday evening after I submitted my thesis, I made myself this pot of 2 different types of instant noodles, with egg marinated in tea, toufu and smoked salmon. It is contingent, contextual, transcultural. Excellent dovetail of my thesis.

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做法超級簡單，內容合理地豐富，意義非同小可。最適合剛剛完成神學博士論文頗為疲倦飢餓又不想虐待自己的人。(製作時間少於10分鐘。)

1. 一小煲水煮滾，放入出前一丁蔴油麵一包 (歐洲版，興成賣28p)，收慢火；半熟之際，加入台灣即食米粉一包 (香港帶來，無價)；隨即放入米粉調味湯包。
2. 把已切成數片的豆腐加入。(約50p)
3. 加入已切成兩半的茶葉蛋一隻。(鹹蛋超人同學自製相贈，無價。)
4. 關火後，加入出前一丁所附蔴油。
5. 差不多可吃之前，再把兩片蘇格蘭煙三文魚舖上。(約40p) 【關於蘇格蘭三文魚的神學反省，可參：Michael Northcott, 'Farmed Salmon and the Sacramental Feast: How Christian Worship Resists Global Capitalism', in Public Theology for the 21st Century, ed. William Storrar & Andrew Mortan (T&T Clark, 2004).】

此金銀麵煲，宜直接用煲/鍋吃，熱身暖胃，滋味無窮，而且減少洗碗，救救地球。

這是我交了論文那夜的晚餐，內容跟我的論文的核心精神遙遙呼應。

用信心領受，心中感謝。

中國孩子上學去 :: Chinese Schools

I (somewhat accidentally) watched the first of the 5-episode new series Chinese Schools on BBC FOUR. It is a fine piece of ethnography done with a TV camera. If you have access to it through any means, do take a look. 【BBC FOUR, Tuesday 9-10pm, repeated at 11.30pm & 2.45am.】

.....................................

今夜BBC FOUR推出Chinese Schools。看了。很偶然地。(借中國外交部術語，「眾所週知」，我很久沒有在家看電視了，而且是純粹看電視，不是邊煮飯/吃飯邊看。)

好看。很好看。

好看的程度是我看完之後立刻記在下週的reminder上，提醒自己看下一集。

一連五集的Chinese Schools，集中在安徽省休寧鎮三家學校裡面的幾位同學，鏡頭跟隨他們一年，見證他們怎樣面對人生的重大關口。第一集...

廢寢忘餐的高中尖子準備高考前的月考，背負著廿多年前高考失敗的母親的一切寄望；

高中體育班的高材生，在師範大學的選拔中後來居上，暫時鬆一口氣；

快要升學的初中生，清明掃墓全家向祖先祈求保佑升讀重點高中，跟全班到黃山遊玩本來歡天喜地可是一想到升學壓力就止不住眼淚；

小學生因為在自己的橡皮(擦紙膠)上開了幾個洞，給老師當人版教了一課 『愛惜橡皮』，之後還要向全班同學老師逐一道歉；

六歲的小女孩，給選中可以入讀連書薄衣服文具也免費的平民小學，第一次可以上學。

這是套用電視攝影機做的ethnography，讓我看著幾個中國孩子，開懷歡笑、獨自垂淚、狂放高歌、埋首苦讀、躊躇滿志、惶恐不安，同時也看到他們怎樣與身邊的大人周旋，在國家的制度裡找尋空間。

這個ethnography一個難得之處，是 (暫時) 沒有流露強烈的外人觀點，即是，沒有到處尋找所謂 「異國風情」，沒有借題發揮批判呢樣個樣，而是觀察，呈現，從一個小鎮幾個案例，嘗試去摸索一個pattern。

• 廣告：如果你從任何途徑能夠看到BBC FOUR，請注意本片集逢星期二晚9-10時播出，11.30和凌晨2.45重播。(BST)

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看此片令我想起好多年前 (忘了有沒有十年)，我在自己的部門裡提出做一部 《中國新人類》的專題片集。只依稀記得，用了大概一星期寫的proposal，討論了不夠三十分鐘 (可能還不到十五分鐘)，就已經否決了。除了對中國有特殊感情的摯友，大家都說，冇興趣，唔識做呢D題材，唔明有咩好睇，唔想搞專題紀錄片 ... 。(當然大家對我這個華人社會罕有的好上司，態度還是很體諒的，雖然心裡咒罵搞乜錯冇料到，還是很婉轉地說是自己能力不逮的。)

幸好沒做。以我們 ... 唏算喇，就說 「我」啦 ... 以我的功力、見識、視野、budget、機構文化，等等等等，做出來一定跟這套Chinese Schools相去甚遠。

第四天復活 :: Michael Clayton

(dir. Tony Gilroy, USA/UK, 2007)

At forty five.

Family and career both at loss. Finance and life both at risk.

The very essence of being is crushed.

'I'm a janitor ... The smaller the mess the easier it is for me to clean up.'

Yet when there is still something called right and wrong,

Just do that which should be done.

And be proud of it.

Albeit there is still no destination.

'Just drive.'

... resurrected on the fourth day from the smashed pieces of being ...

四十五。

家庭事業兩失意，錢財生命皆困局。

生命只餘碎片。

卻原來世界上還有對與錯。

就痛快地做那該做的吧。

然後自豪地昂首。

縱使前路依舊茫茫。

... 第四天，從生命碎片中復活 ...

真的交左了 :: submitted actually

... 不敢倚靠自己的義，唯靠上主的恩。

冇當之戰 - 誓要做一番 :: get it done

The last few days towards the final submission of my thesis was marked by extremely meticulous checking and rechecking and re-rechecking of every page, every line, every word, with back and forth alterations of tiny details.

For a couple of nights, I slept for something between half an hour and one hour, until one day my spine and neck finally complained. They made me so painful that it hurts even when I tried to lie down, and had to seek help from my chiropractor - the miracle worker.

I know that as long as I stay focused on my theological premise and arguments, then I'll be in good shape no matter what kind of questioning I face when examined.

..................................

冇當之戰

• 《陸小鳳：武當之戰》—《誓要入刀山》30週年紀念特別版

逐句對，又一版，

做到喪，過得關，

言詞無限，常常換句，

逐頁也逐行逐句玩。

全心一早搞掂，點知會搞未完，

奈何難預收工時間，此刻交貨恨晚。

做到尾，盡一煲，

係要撐，脊骨散。

毋忘神學，長存論據，

日後再考番都未怕！