宗教=Religion; 民主=Democracy; 台灣=Taiwan; 佛教=Buddhism; 基督教=Christianity; 宗教團體=Religious Group
摘要
This paper studies the relationship between democracy and religion in Taiwan by examining the theology, ecclesiology, and religion-state interaction of the largest Buddhist and Christian organizations . The major findings of this paper are: First, during authoritarian rule, with the exception of the Presbyterians, Taiwanese religious groups were subservient to the KMT government through either active support of government policies or strict adherence to the separation of political and religious affairs. Second, the lifting of martial law had a positive impact on the development of democratic theology and ecclesiology among these religious organizations. The degree of impact, however, seemed to vary according to religious group's leadership and traditions, as well as lay- believer initiatives. Finally, Buddhist groups tended to develop their democratic theology and ecclesiology slower than did Christian groups, yet large variations existed among the sects of each religion.
