本文以盎格鲁—撒克逊人的信仰为研究对象，主要探讨公元5—8世纪英格兰宗教文化的变迁，以揭示在从异教信仰向基督教信仰转变的过程中，基督教会对异教信仰和文化的整合，以及对盎格鲁—撒克逊人的制度和习俗的重构。本文分为导论、正文及结语三部分，其中正文四章。 导论主要包括研究缘起、国内外研究现状、概念界定、研究框架、主要创新点和主要文献介绍等内容。二十世纪中后期以来，学术界对于盎格鲁—撒克逊人信仰的研究发生了两大转变：一是从在神学上研究宗教的本质，转向在具体的历史情境下去探讨宗教与文化的互动；二是从基督教的视角考察其战胜异教，使异教徒皈依的过程，转向关注基督教信仰中的异教元素。本文各章节正是围绕这两大转变展开的。 第一章介绍了公元5—8世纪英格兰的政治背景、社会结构和对外联系。公元600年之前，由于日耳曼人在北海地区的迁徙和劫掠，英格兰处于相对孤立的状态，使盎格鲁—撒克逊人的异教信仰得以继续发展。公元600年之后，随着日耳曼人的迁徙结束，英格兰建立起一系列“蛮族”王国，并相继出现一些地区霸权，与欧洲大陆的联系也日益密切。政治稳定、对外联系的频繁，促进了基督教的传播。“家族关系”和“贵族权力”是编织盎格鲁—撒克逊人社会结构的主要纽带，这一特点使得传教士在英格兰采取了“自上而下”的传教策略。 第二章主要考察了盎格鲁—撒克逊人的异教信仰，以及6世纪末以降，基督教在英格兰的传播情况。盎格鲁—撒克逊异教是一种敬奉超自然存在和力量的信仰。它没有系统的教义，只是一系列行为实践的集合。对异教徒而言，人与神的关系类似于交易。为了获得神灵的指导或庇护，人们需要在特定场所举行宗教仪式，并奉上适当的贡品。6世纪末以降，罗马教会、爱尔兰教会，以及部分法兰克人和不列颠人来到英格兰，在盎格鲁—撒克逊人皈依的过程中发挥了不同程度的作用。基督教传入以后，面对英格兰社会的异教信仰，教会采取了两种不同的应对方式：对于那些与基督教教义相悖的异教信仰，坚决予以杜绝和摒弃；对于那些与基督教教义有相通之处的信仰元素，进行必要的改造，使之以新面目继续发挥作用。 第三章以“武士价值观”、“宗教节日”和“树木崇拜”为例，考察了基督教会对异教信仰和文化的整合。在盎格鲁—撒克逊社会，忠诚和勇敢是武士的核心价值观。基督教传入后，在一定程度上吸收了盎格鲁—撒克逊人的尚武精神。诗歌《十字架之梦》和路得维尔十字架的雕刻，将耶稣刻画成一个英勇无畏的武士首领形象。在宗教节日方面，基督教分别用提乌、沃登、托尔等盎格鲁—撒克逊异教神祇的名字为星期二、星期三、星期四命名。鉴于基督徒庆祝耶稣复活和异教徒庆祝女神厄俄斯特的节日在同一个月，基督教采用盎格鲁—撒克逊人的女神“厄俄斯特（Eostre）”的名字为复活节(Easter)命名。在树木崇拜方面，基督教作为一神信仰的宗教，虽然在理论上严禁包括树木在内的偶像崇拜。但实际上，树木在《圣经》中仍然扮演着重要的角色，具有一定的“偶像”色彩。树木不但具有丰富的宗教寓意，而且是集会或王室加冕的场所，与基督徒的生活息息相关。传教士正是利用这种相似性，将异教的树木崇拜与基督教观念整合起来，促进了基督教在英格兰的传播。这种整合主要表现在三个方面：树木的治愈功能与圣徒崇拜的融合；基督教堂和圣树的融合；圣树崇拜与十字架崇拜的融合。 第四章以“国王和王权”、“婚姻习俗”和“丧葬习俗”为例，考察了基督教会对盎格鲁—撒克逊人的制度和习俗的重构。基督教传入英格兰以后，“蛮族”王权与基督教会以合作为主。在此过程中，国王们不仅学习借鉴了罗马的制度和文化，而且为其统治披上了神圣的宗教外衣。在婚姻习俗方面，娶继母为妻、近亲结婚和纳妾是盎格鲁—撒克逊传统社会的普遍现象。由于与基督教教义和观念相悖，教会通过《苦修赎罪规则书》、宗教会议决议以及立法等方式，对此予以禁止。在丧葬习俗方面，基督教传入后，基督教关于肉体、灵魂、死亡和来世的观念逐渐为盎格鲁—撒克逊人所接受。盎格鲁—撒克逊人的丧葬习俗也发生了显著变化，如土葬成为主要葬式，薄葬日益流行，教堂墓地出现，葬礼弥撒日渐盛行。 基督教在英格兰的确立是一个复杂的历史进程。它并非仅仅是消灭异教信仰，抑或盎格鲁—撒克逊人皈依或基督教化的过程，而是整合与重构并存的过程，极大地推动了英格兰宗教文化的转型和进一步发展。到8世纪，基督教信仰已在英格兰牢固确立，并且开始向大陆地区传播。

This dissertation is a study on the Anglo-Saxon beliefs, and mainly concentrates on the transformation of religious culture in England from the 5th to 8th centuries, so as to reveal the integration of pagan elements into the Christian beliefs and the reconfiguration of culture and institutions around the Christian beliefs and practices in the progress of the transition from the paganism to Christianity. This dissertation consists of three parts, introduction, the main part that contains four chapters and conclusion. The introductory chapter of this dissertation explains the contexts from which the research question emerged, current research, the terminological and conceptual problems, research framework, innovation points and main literatures. Since the latter of the 20th century, there has been two turning points in the field. On the one hand, scholars moved from the theological discussion of the nature of religions to explore the interaction between religions and cultures; on the other hand, they also moved from the investigation of the overcome of paganism and the conversion of pagans in the Christian position to examine the pagan elements in the Christian beliefs. The main texts are divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 investigates the political environment, social structure and external communications of Anglo-Saxon England between the fifth and eighth centuries. Before the year 600, because of the barbarian migrations and concomitant piracy in the Northern Seas basin, England was in the state of isolation, so that pagan beliefs could exist and persist. From the year 600 onward, following the end of maritime migrations, the establishment of lots of barbarian kingdoms, the maintenance of cyclical regional overlordship, and the revival of communications with the Continent facilitated the development of Christianity. The fabric of Anglo-Saxon Society was woven together by ties of kingship and lordship. Accordingly, missionaries took a “from the top downwards” strategy. Chapter 2 examines the fundamental characters of Anglo-Saxon paganism and Christianity respectively. Anglo-Saxon paganism is a kind of belief that devotes to and worships supernatural being and powers. There were not systematic theological teachings on pagan beliefs, which only were a collection of practices. For pagans, religion was largely a matter of keeping a business bargain. One performed services for the gods and sacrificed to them in special sites, so that they would instruct or protect one’s projects. From the 6th century on, Roman, Irish, Frankish and British clergy came to England and played a different role in the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons. After the coming of Christianity to England, two solutions were taken to deal with the pagan legacy in Anglo-Saxon Society by the newly emerging Christian Church. Some pagan beliefs which are in conflict with Christian teachings, had to be thoroughly forbidden and eradicated, but other pagan elements in common with those doctrines, could and should be transformed and continue to play a role in Christian beliefs. Chapter 3 focuses on warrior values, feasts and tree worship to examine the integration of pagan beliefs and cultures into the Christian religion. In Anglo-Saxon Society, loyalty and courage were central in warrior values. With the advent of Christianity, Anglo-Saxon ethos and world-view were to some extent absorbed, so that on the Ruthwell Cross and in the Dream of the Rood, Christ was portrayed as a courageous warrior lord. The principal gods of Anglo-Saxon Society, Tiw, Woden and Thor, are remembered in the day-name of the week of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Because Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and pagans sacrificed to their goddess Eostre in the same month, so the English named Easter, one of the main festivals, after their old goddess Eostre. Though the worship of idols including trees were strictly forbidden in the Christianity, which is the belief that there is only one God, in reality, trees had an important, even iconic role in the Bible. Trees which not only incorporated a significant symbolism, but also served as meeting places and royal inauguration sites, are bound up with Christian life. By means of the similar role of trees, missionaries consciously integrated tree worship into the Christian religion, such as the integration of the healing properties of trees into the veneration of holy men, the replacement of sacred trees by churches, or the Cross, so as to promote the spread of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. Chapter 4 concentrates on kings and kingship, marriage practices and funeral rites to explore the reconfiguration of culture and institutions around Christian beliefs and practices. After the coming of Christianity to England, barbarian kingship sought to cooperate with Christian Church, not only to learn the Roman culture and institutions, but also to acquire legitimacy from the Lord. Serial marriage, concubinage, as well as marriage within degrees of kinship which were forbidden by the Church through Penitential, councils and church laws, were still common in Anglo-Saxon Society. The spread of Christian concepts concerning body, soul, burial and the afterlife in Anglo-Saxon England, led to several evident changes of funeral rituals: the widespread adoption of the inhumation and unfurnished burial in churches and churchyards, as well as with a proliferation of Masses offered for the souls of the dead. The establishment of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England was a complicated historical progress, which was not only the vanquishment of pagan beliefs, or the conversion or Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons, but the integration of pagan ingredients into the Christian beliefs and the reconfiguration of Anglo-Saxon culture and institutions. Towards the 8th century, Christian beliefs was firmly established in Anglo-Saxon England and began to spread around the Continent. Apparently, a cultural transformation has occurred.